Category: windmills

SPAB Mills Online Day Event: Problems & Solutions – 2nd March 2024

SPAB Mills Online Day Event: Problems & Solutions – 2nd March 2024

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SPAB is running an online mills day event on Saturday March 2nd providing an insight into problems and how they have been solved both in windmills and watermills.

All SPAB speakers are experts in their own field and have come across problems both before and during work on a mill. Using a variety of mill case studies (including Burseldon Windmill, Kibworth Harcourt Post Mill, and Wicken Smock Windmill) to illustrate how they overcame the problems. The speakers will be millwrights both volunteer and professional, millwright consultants, also a structural engineer, and Chairman of the Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust. 

SPAB hopes that you will be part of the day starting at 10am, with 40-minute talks with time for Q & A’s. There will be a break during the morning, then lunch, and another break in the afternoon before the summing up of the day with any more questions.

Please note that the last day for booking this event will be Friday 1st March 4pm. A recording of the talks will be available after the event for all bookings that were registered before 2nd March 2024. Price: £20 Early Bird until Wednesday 21 February 2024, then £25. For further details follow this link:

https://www.spab.org.uk/whats-on/lectures/spab-mills-day-event-problems-solutions

A damaged windmill sail. Image copyright Tim Whiting.
SPAB Online Lunchtime Lecture: ‘Windmills and the Danger of Wind’, 26th July 2023

SPAB Online Lunchtime Lecture: ‘Windmills and the Danger of Wind’, 26th July 2023

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“Loss of Wind leads to Loss of Windmill” is a well known Dutch saying, and Dutch planning law recognises and regulates wind loss resulting from new buildings close to a Windmill. With help and support from the SPAB, Steve Temple has been working to validate the Dutch techniques for assessing wind loss with the aim of achieving national recognition of the need to protect our stock of windmills against over-development. This talk updates his 2019 Mill News article and outlines the next steps. Every windmill owner and Planning Officer responsible for windmills needs to be aware of this problem and how it can be addressed.

Steve Temple is an inventor by profession and an engineer by education and finds the technology of mills fascinating, not least because they were such major contributors to the know-how of the Industrial Revolution. He is the owner of Impington Windmill and a former Vice Chairman of the SPAB Mills Section. He teaches annually at the Cambridge University’s Impulse programme for budding entrepreneurs.

Please note that bookings for the lecture will close on Tuesday 25th July at 6pm. The lecture will be recorded, and only registered bookings will receive a link for the recording after the lecture, the recording link will be available for up to 10 days after the live lecture.

Wednesday 26th July, 12pm-1pm. SPAB Member £8, Non-Member £9. Please book via the SPAB website using the link below

https://www.spab.org.uk/whats-on/lectures/windmills-and-danger-wind-loss

National Mills Weekend 2023

National Mills Weekend 2023

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Each year the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) holds a National Mills Weekend. For 2023 this will take place on 13th & 14th May and will focus on ‘Millwrighting – Past and Present’ to celebrate the repair of wind and watermills up and down the country.

SPAB hopes that many mills will be able to be open to welcome visitors during the weekend of the 13th & 14th May. SPAB are advising contacting any mills you are planing to visit during the National Mills Weekend, prior to the visit to ensure that they will be open. To find mills that are open to visitors and see which are participating in National Mills Weekend follow this link: https://www.spab.org.uk/mills/visit-a-mill

If you are a mill owner, mill manager, or mill volunteer, and intend opening a mill for the National Mills Weekend please consult SPAB details for how to register. The website has more information and a downloadable support pack about the National Mills Weekend here.

SPAB Mills Section Autumn 2022 Online Event 

SPAB Mills Section Autumn 2022 Online Event 

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Sibsey Trader Mill cap being loaded into position. Image courtesy of SPAB.

The SPAB Mills section is running an online event on the 18th and 19th November 2022, taking place on both Friday evening and Saturday morning. The focus will be on mill repair and the use of hydro-power. You can book either session or both: Friday only – £10, Saturday only – £20, Friday & Saturday – £25 

To book for Friday and Saturday see here https://www.spab.org.uk/whats-on/events/autumn-event 

To book for the Friday evening talk only see here https://www.spab.org.uk/whats-on/lectures/autumn-event-friday-18-november 

To book for the Saturday morning talks only see here https://www.spab.org.uk/whats-on/lectures/autumn-event-saturday-19-november 

Online Programme:

Friday 18th November: 6pm-7.30pm 

Talk by Geoff Wallis (Millwright and Consultant) 

Is mill conservation sustainable? 

• Ecological – use of energy/materials, energy-intensive 

restoration, management of waste, etc 

• Availability of resources to keep mills in good order: 

traditional expertise/materials, cash, etc. 

• Do people want mills anyway? 

 Saturday 19th November: 9.40am-1.30pm 

Mixture of talks on mill repair and watermills and hydro-power. 

Luke Bonwick (Mill Consultant) 

Steve Temple (Mill Owner) 

Tim Whiting (Millwright) 

Toby Slater (SPAB Millwright Fellow) 

Stephen Bartlett (Hydro Specialist) 

A recording of the talks will be available after the event for all registered bookings.