Tower Mill

This Tower mill dominates the skyline but is in a low lying area and is built high to catch the wind. This mill is fitted with Patent sails which work by opening and closing the slats on the sails in a similar fashion to a Venetian blind.

This was a major step forward in that the adjustments can be made whilst the sails are still turning & the miller did not require an assistant to apply the brake whilst sails are adjusted.

By operating a long chain - which hangs down to the gallery- the miller can adjust the speed at which the sails turn via a system of gearing & levers which pass through the cap and onto the mechanisms on the sails. This opens & closes the slats according to the wind conditions.

The mill also features a fantail mechanism which is an automatic method of keeping the sails turned into the wind by revolving the entire white painted 'cap' via a gearing on the curb on the top of the tower.

The boardwalk staging permits the miller to walk around to access the chain and also aids maintenance of the sails.

The main structure of the mill is solid wood, the horizontal brick course lines were turned on a vintage Holbrook B8 screwcutting lathe in order to keep precision. Each brick measures approximately 1/8" X 1/16" in 172" scale

left: The Tower mill dominates the skyline

right:  Shown here is the back view which has the fantail visible. The top cap swivels to suit it's display position