Lotting Fen Mill

'She was a big mill with a tower 50 ft high and sails with a 30 ft whip- which means that the part of the sails which had shutters or vanes in, was 30 ft long.

She had patent sails and would regulate herself with a striking-rod running through the wind-shaft and geared to a spur wheel, round which a chain ran, which hung nearly down to the ground and was weighted. when a shuft of wind came, the vanes (or shutters) opened and up went the weights, closed the shutters again and so regulated the speed of the mill. She had a fan-tail, so that she could luff herself- that is- keep the sails always facing the wind. If the direction of the wind changed, it would, catch the fan tail and spin it round like a hoop, and the sails would soon face the wind again. The gearing in the mill ran smoother than any gear I ever saw or heard anywhere else - all running wod cogs to iron. I had a 16 h.p. steam engine on the floor of the mill'us, so that I could connect it to the water wheel if the wind failed.'

It was necessary to pump when the water reached a certain level in the drain, so as to empty the dykes which drained about 1400 acres

Read more on Pages 68-69 in Fenland Chronicle