Chapman's Town Mill

Site overview

Chapman's Town Mill was a wind-powered corn mill at Warbleton in East Sussex. It was a smock mill standing beside Chapman's Town Road, east of Warbleton and near Heathfield. The mill was in existence by 1838 and was struck by lightning on 16 July 1880.

The upper structure was gone by 1936, but the octagonal brick base survived. The remaining base was later roofed over, leaving the site as a fragmentary survival rather than a complete working windmill.

Map

Map markers and directions links are provided for location reference only and do not indicate public access or permission to enter a site.

No site photograph is currently available. Images will be added as field visits are carried out.

History

Chapman's Town Mill stood in the Warbleton area of East Sussex as a wind-powered corn mill. It was a smock mill, and its position is associated with Chapman's Town Road, east of Warbleton and near Heathfield. The mill was in existence by 1838.

On 16 July 1880 it was struck by lightning, an event that marked a significant point in its working history. The later end of milling at the site has not been established, but the upper part of the smock mill had gone by 1936. The surviving fabric consists of the octagonal brick base.

By the late twentieth century the base had been roofed over, preserving the lower part of the structure as a visible remnant of the former mill.

Timeline

1838

Mill in existence

Chapman's Town Mill was in existence as a smock corn mill at Warbleton by 1838.

1880

Lightning strike

The smock mill was struck by lightning on 16 July 1880.

1936

Upper mill gone

The upper structure had gone by 1936, leaving the mill no longer complete.

1976

Base survives

The octagonal brick base survived and was later roofed over.

Sources and records

Sussex Mills Group windmill gazetteer
Windmill World entry: Chapmans Town Mill, Warbleton
Mills Archive catalogue entry
Guy Blythman Windmill Photographic Register
List of windmills in East Sussex