Clayton Windmills

Three windmills in West Sussex, England

The Clayton Windmills, known locally as Jack and Jill, stand on the South Downs above the village of Clayton, West Sussex, England. They comprise a post mill and a tower mill, and the roundhouse of a former post mill. All three are Grade II* listed buildings.[1]

## Setting and access

[edit]

The windmills stand atop the South Downs with views of the Sussex Weald. They are seven miles north of the city of Brighton and Hove. As well as Jack and Jill, the roundhouse of Duncton Mill survives, located a short distance east of Jack.

The mills are accessible by road at the end of Mill Lane from the A273 road where it crosses the South Downs. There is free parking in the car park beside the mills.[citation needed]

## History of the mills

[edit]

### Duncton Mill

[edit]

Duncton Mill

Origin
Grid reference| TQ 304 135
Coordinates| 50°54′19″N 0°08′51″W﻿ / ﻿50.9052°N 0.1475°W﻿ / 50.9052; -0.1475
Operator(s)| Jack and Jill Windmills Society
Year built| 1765
Information
Purpose| Corn mill
Type| Post mill
Roundhouse storeys| Single storey roundhouse
No. of sails| Four
Type of sails| Common sails
Winding| Tailpole
No. of pairs of millstones| Two pairs, arranged Head and Tail
Other information| Demolished in 1866, roundhouse remains standing.

Duncton Mill was built in 1765. It was owned by Viscount Montague and leased for 99 years. Duncton Mill was demolished in 1866, leaving the roundhouse to be used as a store.[2]

### Duncton Mill description

[edit]

Duncton Mill was a post mill with a single storey roundhouse, four Common sails. It was winded by hand and had two pairs of millstones. The Head Wheel from Duncton Mill was used as the Brake Wheel in Jack when that mill was built.[2]

### Jill

[edit]

Jill

Jill (foreground) and Jack (background)

Origin
Grid reference| TQ 304 134
Operator(s)| Jack and Jill Windmills Society
Year built| 1821
Information
Purpose| Corn mill
Type| Post mill
Base storeys| Two storey roundhouse
No. of sails| Four
Type of sails| Patent sails
Windshaft| Wood, with cast iron poll end
Winding| Tailpole mounted fantail
Fantail blades| Five blades
No. of pairs of millstones| Two pairs, arranged Head and Tail
Other information| Moved from Brighton in 1852. Main post constructed of four pieces of timber.

Jill is a post mill originally built in Dyke Road, Brighton, in 1821. It was known as Lashmar's New Mill and was built to replace Lashmar's Old Mill. In 1830, the Windshaft broke, bringing the sails crashing to the ground.[3] A painting by Nash dated 1839 and an engraving in the Handbook to Brighton (1847) show her to have had a roof mounted Fantail, similar to the arrangement still found on Icklesham windmill. Lashmar's New Mill was the most southerly of the three Dyke Road post mills.[4] In 1852[3] she was moved to Clayton by a team of horses and oxen.[2] The site is now Belmont—a short street of Grade II-listed villas.[5]

The working life of the mills ended in 1906 and in 1908 Jill was damaged in a storm. She lost her fantail and sails over the years until in 1953 restoration was carried out by E Hole and Son, the Burgess Hill millwrights, funded by Cuckfield Rural District Council.[4] In 1978, restoration of Jill to working order was commenced. Jill ground flour again in 1986. During the Great Storm of 1987, Jill’s brakes had been applied prior to the storm’s arrival, but the extreme winds were able to turn the sails, overcoming the brakes and generating friction which set the mill on fire. Some members of the Windmill Society were able to get to the mill and save her by carrying water up the hill to put the fire out.[6]

Today, Jill is in working order and open to the public most Sundays between May and September. She produces stoneground wholemeal flour on an occasional basis. The vast majority of her flour is sold to visitors. It is ground from organic wheat, grown locally in Sussex. On the occasions when the wind is blowing and Jill is in operation, a guide is available to explain the process of milling. Jill Windmill is owned by Mid Sussex District Council.

### Jill description

[edit]

Jill is a post mill with a two-storey roundhouse. She has four Patent Sails and is winded by a five blade fantail mounted on the tailpole. The windshaft is wooden, with a cast iron poll end dated 1831. Jill has two pairs of millstones, arranged Head and Tail. The compass arm Tail Wheel shows evidence of having been used as a Brake Wheel at some time. The main Post of Jill is made from four separate pieces of timber, a feature seen in some Sussex post mills and only found in this and Argos Hill Mill today.[4]

### Jack

[edit]

Jack

Jack, with the roundhouse of Duncton Mill in the foreground

Origin
Grid reference| TQ 304 135
Year built| 1866
Information
Purpose| Corn mill
Type| Tower mill
Storeys| Five storeys
No. of sails| Four
Type of sails| Patent sails
Windshaft| Cast iron
Winding| Fantail
Fantail blades| Five blades
Other information| Was fitted with Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor. Brake wheel was formerly in Duncton mill.

Jack is a five-storey tower mill built in 1866 to replace Duncton Mill. Worked as a pair with Jill, Jack worked until c.1907.[7] Unusually Jack mill has a male name — almost every other mill in the country is considered female. In 1928, while a pit was being dug for a water tank, an Anglo-Saxon skeleton was discovered. It was later removed to the British Museum.[8] Jack was owned by barrister Jolyon Maugham for several years.[9][10]

### Jack description

[edit]

Jack is a five-storey tower mill with a domed cap. He carries four Patent Sails and was winded by a five blade fantail. There was a stage at first floor level. It is believed that Jack was built by the millwright Cooper, of Henfield. In 1873, Jack was fitted with Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor, a feature also fitted to the post mill at Herstmonceux, which was also run by the Hammonds. Jack had three pairs of millstones, and room for a fourth pair. All machinery below windshaft level has been removed. In 1966, Jack was fitted with new sails as he was to appear in a film.[7] Jack is 44 feet (13.41 m) to the curb, 22 feet 8 inches (6.91 m) diameter at the base and 13 feet (3.96 m) diameter at the curb.[3] The present owners have lived at the windmill since 2012. The Mill House and Granary were built for them by architect Sarah Featherstone of Featherstone Young in 2016. The Granary retains the historical beams and original footprint of the 18th century granary, while the Mill House is a reconfiguration of Henry Longhurst's house. Together, the buildings connect Jack and Jill windmills on a straight axis, opening up views throughout the site.[11]

## Gallery

[edit]

* Jack and Jill (the tiny white dots middle-right) in relation to the Sussex landscape.

* Jack (left) and Jill (right)

* Jack and Jill from Wolstonbury Hill

* The mills at work

## Millers

[edit]

* Edward Horam 1765–1787 (Duncton)
* John Geere 1809 (Duncton)
* Thomas Hicks 1810 (Duncton)
* John Hamlin 1816 (Duncton)
* James Mitchell 1838–1872 (Duncton, Jack, Jill)
* Joseph Hammond 1872–1882 (Jack, Jill)
* Charles Hammond 1872–1905 (Jack, Jill)
* Guy 1905–1907 (Jack, Jill)

References for above:-[2][3][4][7]

## Cultural references

[edit]

In summer 1973, Jack and Jill became cinema stars when Universal Pictures made the film The Black Windmill. Actors featured in the film included Michael Caine, Janet Suzman, Donald Pleasence and Joss Ackland.[12]

New sweeps were fitted to Jack for the film, at a cost of £3,000 and the exterior of the mill was repainted. The owner of Jack at the time of the film was Henry Longhurst, golf broadcaster and writer.

The windmills were featured in Series 3 of the Channel 4 programme "Treasure Hunt" first broadcast 31 January 1985.[13]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Historic England. "JACK, MILL LANE CLAYTON, MID SUSSEX, WEST SUSSEX (1354812)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
2. ^ a b c d Brunnarius, Martin (1979). The Windmills of Sussex. Chichester: Philimore. pp. 96–98, 192. ISBN 0-85033-345-8.
3. ^ a b c d "JACK, JILL AND DUNCTON WINDMILLS". Sussex Mills Group. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
4. ^ a b c d Brunnarius, Martin (1979). The Windmills of Sussex. Chichester: Philimore. pp. 36–38, 188. ISBN 0-85033-345-8.
5. ^ Antram, Nicholas; Morrice, Richard (2008). Brighton and Hove. Pevsner Architectural Guides. London: Yale University Press. p. 178\. ISBN 978-0-300-12661-7.
6. ^ "History". Jack and Jill Windmills Society. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
7. ^ a b c Brunnarius, Martin (1979). The Windmills of Sussex. Chichester: Philimore. pp. 76–78, 191. ISBN 0-85033-345-8.
8. ^ "Chapter One - A Pattern in Time - CLAYTON WINDMILLS". Fountain International. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
9. ^ Rice, Katy (24 June 2013). "Barrister plans to restore historic Sussex windmill". Brighton: The Argus. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
10. ^ "Sussex windmills Jack and Jill 'could dance together'". BBC News. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
11. ^ "History of Clayton Windmills". Retrieved 3 September 2017.
12. ^ "Windmills and Watermills as stars of TV and film". Windmill World. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
13. ^ "Treasure Hunt episode guide". Martin Underwood. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2009.

## Further reading

[edit]

Hemming, Peter (1936). Windmills in Sussex. London: C W Daniel. Online version Archived 12 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine

## External links

[edit]

* Windmill World page on Duncton mill.
* Windmill World page on Jack mill.
* Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor
* Windmill World page on Jill mill.
* Clayton Windmills website

* v
* t
* e

Windmills in England

East|

Bedfordshire

Cambridgeshire
Bourn

Essex
Ashdon
Aythorpe Roding
Bocking Churchstreet
Clavering
Debden
Finchingfield
Fryerning
Great Bardfield
Great Dunmow
Mountnessing
Orsett
Ramsey
Rayleigh
South Ockendon
Stansted Mountfitchet
Stock
Terling
Thaxted
Tiptree
Toppesfield
White Roding

Hertfordshire
Ardeley
Brent Pelham
Croxley Green
King's Walden
North Mymms
Reed
Tring
Weston

Norfolk
Aslacton
Aylsham
Blakeney
Billingford
Burnham Overy

Staithe
Union
Carbrooke
Caston
Catfield
Cley
Denver
Diss
East Dereham
East Harling
East Runton
East Wretham
Garboldisham
Gayton
Great Bircham
Great Ellingham
Hickling
Hindringham
Ingleborough
Old Buckenham
Thrigby
West Winch
Weybourne

Norfolk Drainage mills
Berney Arms
Boardman’s
Brograve
Catfield
Clayrack
Horning
Horsey
Hunsett
Lambrigg
Lockgate
Palmer’s
Reedham
Starston
Stubb

Suffolk
Aldeburgh
Bardwell
Barnham
Blundeston
Bungay
Burgh
Buxhall
Clare
Cockfield
Corton
Creeting St Mary
Crowfield
Dalham
Drinkstone
Eastbridge
Framsden
Friston
Gazeley
Great Thurlow
Great Welnetham
Herringfleet
Holton
Kelsale
Lound
Pakenham
Reydon
Saxtead Green
Stanton
Stowmarket
Syleham
Thelnetham
Thorpeness
Walberswick
Walton
Woodbridge

Buttrum's
Tricker's

East
Midlands|

Derbyshire

Northamptonshire

Rutland

Leicestershire
Ullesthorpe

Lincolnshire
Alford
Boston
Burgh-le-Marsh
Heckington
Kirton in Lindsey
Metheringham
Moulton
Waltham
Wrawby

Nottinghamshire
North Leverton
Sneinton

London|

Greater London
Arkley
Barking
Battersea
Brixton
Keston
Plumstead Common
Shirley
Upminster
Wandsworth Common
Wimbledon Common

North
East|

Durham

Northumberland

North
West|

Cheshire

Cumbria

Lancashire
Little Marton
Lytham
Pilling
Thornton

Merseyside
Bidston
Wavertree

South
East|

Berkshire

Buckinghamshire
Cobstone
Hawridge
Pitstone

East Sussex
Alfriston
Argos Hill
Battle
Cross-in-Hand
Crowborough
Herstmonceux
Icklesham
Kingston
Mark Cross
North Chailey
Nutley
Punnetts Town
Rye
Polegate
Rottingdean
Stone Cross
Tide Mills
Patcham
West Blatchington
Westham
Winchelsea

Hampshire
Bursledon
Chalton
Crux Easton
Langstone

Isle of Wight
Bembridge

Kent
Benenden
Bidborough
Barham
Canterbury
Charing
Chillenden
Chislet
Copton
Cranbrook
Eastry
Edenbridge
Guston
Herne
Kingston
Margate
Meopham
Northbourne
Oare
Ringwould
Rolvenden
Sandhurst
Sandwich
Sarre
Sheerness
Stanford
Stelling Minnis
St Margaret's Bay
West Kingsdown
Whitstable
Willesborough
Wittersham
Woodchurch

Oxfordshire

Surrey
Buckland
Capel
Ewhurst
Frimley Green
Lowfield Heath
Outwood
Reigate
Reigate Heath
Tadworth

West Sussex
Angmering
Arundel
Barnham
Clayton
Earnley
East Wittering
Halnaker
High Salvington
Keymer
Nutbourne
Pagham
Selsey
Shipley
Washington
West Chiltington

South
West|

Cornwall

Devon

Gloucestershire

Dorset
Cottonfields
Top Growlands

Somerset
Ashton
Stembridge

Wiltshire
Wilton

West
Midlands|

Herefordshire

Shropshire

Staffordshire

Worcestershire

Warwickshire
Berkswell
Chesterton
Kenilworth

Yorkshire
and the
Humber|

East Riding of Yorkshire
Skidby

North Yorkshire
York

South Yorkshire

West Yorkshire

List of windmills in the United Kingdom
*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template