In March 2019 we were delighted to see sails put back on the windmill.
Quainton’s windmill was built in 1832. It is a fine imposing structure rising 70ft above the village and visible for many miles across the Vale of Aylesbury.
But despite its impressive appearance it failed to catch the wind sufficiently and a steam engine was brought in to provide supplementary power.
When we arrived in Quainton in the 1970s it had become a sad, derelict structure – one sail remained and elm trees had grown up around it.
Eventually a determined effort was made to restore it. A team of volunteers worked tirelessly and eventually the sails began to turn and corn was once more ground and sold in the village store.
Sadly, the timber used was not up to the task, it was found to be rotten and the mill was closed once more. Eventually funds were raised – mostly from Colin Dancer, the generous mill owner, and a group of professional millwrights joined the volunteers to complete the work.
The timber headframe was replaced and new sails constructed using a giant crane. However, the machinery within the mill was still in working order.
Standing within the mill when it is working is a great experience, it is almost as if it were a living creature. The building vibrates and the sails creak, a sound that carries though the village.
The mill is open to visitors on Sundays.