1818
William Vine bought the mill
William Vine bought the post mill near Dyke Road while it was in full trade.
Site overview
Vine's Mill was a white post mill near Dyke Road in Brighton, between the present Powis Grove and Clifton Hill. William Vine bought the mill in 1818, when it was described as lately new and in full trade. It worked as a corn mill with an enclosed roundhouse at its base and cloth sails.
The mill was damaged by a storm in the late 1820s, but was repaired. Milling ended in the mid-nineteenth century, and the mill was demolished in 1849 or 1850.
Map
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No site photograph is currently available. Images will be added as field visits are carried out.
History
Vine's Mill stood between the present Powis Grove and Clifton Hill in Brighton, close to Vine Place and Dyke Road. It was a white post mill used for corn milling, with the buck carried on a central post and the base enclosed by a roundhouse. William Vine bought the mill in August 1818 after several years as a miller at Patcham.
The mill was then in full trade and was sold with a dwelling at No. 1 Mill Place. Vine's Mill suffered storm damage in the late 1820s when one of the sweeps was blown off, but it was repaired and continued in use. After William Vine died in 1837, Mary Vine and the family continued to work the mill for several years.
The mill later passed to Edward Cutress, who used its flour in his nearby bakery business. The working life of the mill ended in the 1840s, and the structure was demolished in 1849 or 1850. The site was later absorbed into the built-up Clifton and Powis area of Brighton.
Timeline
1828
Storm damage repaired
A winter hurricane damaged the mill by blowing off one of the sweeps, after which the mill was repaired.
1837
Vine family continued milling
After William Vine died, Mary Vine and the family continued working the mill for several years.
1849–1850
Mill demolished
Vine's Mill was demolished in 1849 or 1850.
Sources and records
Sussex Industrial Archaeology Society paper: Brighton Windmills
Sussex Mills Group windmill gazetteer
List of windmills in East Sussex
Sussex Mills Group windmill gazetteer
List of windmills in East Sussex