Building record MLI41488 - Bilsby Mill

Summary

An early 19th century former tower mill at Bilsby, altered and raised in the late 19th century. Now in use as storage.

Type and Period (4)

  • (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1820 AD? to 1972 AD)
  • (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1820 AD? to 1972 AD)
  • (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1820 AD? to 1972 AD)
  • (Late 20th Century to 21st Century - 1972 AD to 2050 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

An early 19th century former tower mill at Bilsby, altered and raised in the late 19th century. Built of red brick and partly tarred. The four-storey tapering tower has planked double doors to the ground floor, glazing bar pivot window to the first floor sides, and a two-light pivot window to the second floor front. The top stage is later 19th century, with corbelled out eaves. For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the apropriate entry in the National Heritage List for England. {1}{2} This tower mill is said to have replaced a post mill in 1861, although some consider it to be older than this, possibly of early 19th century date. It has been raised in height and was once hand-winded by wheel and endless chain. It was worked by wind until 1932, carrying on for a number of years after this with an engine. There were four patent sails driving three pairs of stones, of which two pairs of greys remain. One pair has iron spur gearing underneath for the engine drive. Access to the mill is difficult due to an accumulation of rubbish but most of the gear is believed to remain. The tower stands capless and derelict. {3}{4} Bilsby Mill was worked by wind until 1932, after which a Blackstone diesel engine was installed. It was driven by this engine until 1972, when milling ceased. An external drive-pulley from the diesel engine is still present. Despite Dolman's statement that the mill was hand-winded by chain and pulley at some point, all available historic photos of the structure show a conventional fantail. It can be clearly seen that the tower was raised at some point, and that only the bottom five feet or so of the tower was tarred at the last re-tarring, although the whole mill was tarred previously. The mill originally had four patent sails which drove three pairs of stones (one pair of French stones, and two pairs of grey stones). {5}{6}{7} The tower mill was the subject of a building survey, conducted in 2014, prior to the conversion of the adjacent bakery buildings. The mill replaced the earlier post mill, depicted on a c.1819 map as being to the south of the village, off Farlsthorpe Road (see MLI124972). Sales advertisements show the post mill to have been in the ownership of John Pinney between 1786 and 1820. A slightly later map of c.1827 no longer depicts the earlier post mill, but does show a tower mill symbol in the current location, suggesting a date of construction of about 1820 for the tower mill. John's son Robert Pinney is thought to have responsible for the demolition of the post mill and relocation to Bilsby village. The Pinney family are thought to have sold the tower mill to Thomas Flintoft in 1855. White's Directory of 1856 still lists Robert as a miller and baker in Bilsby though, one of two millers and bakers listed (with the other being Thomas Flintoft), suggesting Robert may have still had some involvement with the mill after the sale. Later Ordnance Survey mapping labels the mill as a corn mill. The mill is a circular tapering tower, now of five storeys, and built of hand-made bricks laid in English Garden Wall bond. The mill was damaged during a storm on the 16th November 1901, when the top and sails were wrecked. In repairing the damage, the upper five feet of brickwork was taken down and replaced with eleven feet of new red machine made brick, again laid in English Garden Wall bond. An eight horsepower portable steam engine was introduced by 1893 to provide auxiliary power, though this was later replaced by a Blackstone oil engine in 1933, after the sails had been removed. Although milling on the site ceased in 1972, the adjacent former bakery buildings continued to operate until 2011. {8}{9}

Sources/Archives (9)

  •  Index: Department of the Environment. 1986. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 3/60.
  •  Website: Historic England (formerly English Heritage). 2011->. The National Heritage List for England. http://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/. 1063005.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Peter Dolman. 1986. Lincolnshire Windmills: A Contemporary Survey. no.15, pp.12, 37.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram. 1989. Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition). p.146.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: A.A. Bryan. 1998. Windmill Gazetteer for England. p.12.
  •  Unpublished Document: Historic England. Document Held by The Historic England Archive. BF002624.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: David Jager. 2007. Windmills of Lincolnshire Surviving into the 21st Century. EL3, p.54.
  •  Report: Jon A. Sass. 2014. Tower Mill, Bilsby. -.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William White. 1856. History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire (Second Edition). p.499.

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Location

Grid reference Centred TF 46989 76610 (5m by 5m) Surveyed
Civil Parish BILSBY, EAST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Record last edited

Jan 6 2025 12:29PM

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