1856–1857
Smock mill erected
John Hayward erected a smock mill on the site of the earlier post mill.
Site overview
Baldslow Mill, also known as Harrow Mill or Hayward's Smock Mill, stood on The Ridge at Baldslow in the Hastings area. A post mill formerly occupied the site before John Hayward replaced it with a smock mill in the 1850s. The smock mill lost its sails around 1900 but continued to work by steam until 1930.
It was bought by F. Richmond in 1933 and converted into residential use. The remaining building is a Grade II listed former four-sail smock mill, now without the top of the mill.
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
The Baldslow mill site on The Ridge had an earlier post mill before the nineteenth-century smock mill was built. The post mill was associated with the Hayward family and was dismantled in the mid-1850s. John Hayward then erected a smock mill on the same site, with construction dated to about 1856 or 1857.
The mill was built by Upfields of Catsfield and became known as Baldslow Mill, Harrow Mill or Hayward's Smock Mill. It was a four-sail smock mill and worked as a corn mill. The sails were lost around 1900, after which milling continued with steam power until 1930.
F. Richmond bought the mill in 1933 and converted it to residential use. The surviving building stands on The Ridge at Baldslow and is listed at Grade II. The present structure is a converted mill building, missing the top of the former smock mill.
Timeline
1900
Sails lost
The mill lost its sails around 1900 but continued working by steam.
1930
Steam working ended
Steam-powered milling continued until 1930.
1933
Converted to residential use
F. Richmond bought the mill and converted it into residential use.
2005
Converted mill survives
The former smock mill survived on The Ridge as a converted building.
Sources and records
Historic England Archive entry: Baldslow Windmill
Historical Hastings entry: Baldslow Mill
1066online Hastings history entry
Geograph entry: Baldslow Windmill
Historymap windmills category entry
List of windmills in East Sussex
Historical Hastings entry: Baldslow Mill
1066online Hastings history entry
Geograph entry: Baldslow Windmill
Historymap windmills category entry
List of windmills in East Sussex