Bourn Mill
Bourn Mill is one of the oldest surviving mills in the UK. The earliest records show its use in 1636, but it is likely that this actual mill dates back to the 13th Century (though of course, many pieces have been replaced through maintenance).
The buck (main body) has two floors. The upper stone floor contains the grinding stones which rotate against each other to grind grain. The upper or runner stone is turned by energy provided by the sails. Grain is poured from a hopper into the gap between the stones and is ground into flour. A chute carries the flour down into the meal bins on the lower floor.
The sails have to face squarely into the wind and in order to achieve this the whole body of the mill, with all the machinery inside has to be rotated around the central post using the tail pole. To stop the sails, the mill must be turned again so that they are ‘on edge’ to the wind. The sails cannot go too fast or the friction between wooden pieces can cause heat and fire to break out—a very common problem for wooden mills.
To stop the sails, the mill must be turned again so that they are ‘on edge’ to the wind. The sails cannot go too fast or the friction between wooden pieces can cause heat and fire to break out—a very common problem for wooden mills.
The surrounding grounds are quite gorgeous in their own right. There’s a privately owned cottage (the old mill cottage), and some rather friendly horses in the adjacent field.
For those wanting to go via satellite navigation, Google Maps link below.
and look out for this tree…