After almost 40 years of successful milling since its early 1980s restoration, Green’s Windmill is in need of significant maintenance work requiring the temporary removal of its sails.
The grade II listed fully functional windmill sits on top of a hill, where it is frequently exposed to all weathers.
The turning of the sails into the wind has become almost impossible as a result of natural wear and tear, subsequent rot found in three of the four beams that make up the cap frame, and the cap no longer sitting aligned with the brick tower.
These issues, combined with minor wear and tear to the sails, means the difficult decision to have the sails removed has been made to ensure the sailsy do not succumb to further weather damage. It is likely the mill will be without its sails for some time as funding to carry out the repairs will need to be commissioned for work to continue.
Whilst Green’s Windmill Trust run the site and keep it open on a day-to-day basis, the buildings are owned by Nottingham City Council, so both parties will work in partnership to apply for funding and grants in the coming months to ensure the repairs can take place. The required work has an estimated cost of around £400,000.
The sails will be removed week commencing Monday 21st November – before the windy and cold winter conditions hit – and work has already started in preparation of this.
Despite its lack of sails, Green’s Windmill and Science Centre will remain open as usual. Visitors can visit between Wednesday and Sunday, 10am-4pm. Entry is free. The work will not have an impact on any bookings and the site remains available for school visits, birthday parties etc whilst still running a full programme of public events. Visitors can continue to enjoy the mill and discover how grain is turned into flour through information panels and videos. Some types of organic flour will continue to be available as full time production moves over to an electric set of millstones.
The teams will be working hard behind the scenes towards securing the necessary funding so the major works to reinstall the sails to the windmill can take place