"The Lawn Mills occupied the high ground between Gilthill and Alma Hill. There were two windmills and a steam mill. The two former were post mills, the same as that of Strelley, only in the case of the Lawn Mills the lower portion was enclosed in a roundhouse, now an empty cone, a shell from which the life has long since fled." - A.S. Langton 1925
The article below, about the chequered history of Kimberley's old windmills, was written exactly 100 years ago by A.S.Langton for a school poster displayed for many years at the now long-gone British School on Newdigate Lane, Kimberley...
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| "Lawn Mill or The Old Mill, Kimberley, Nottingham" by T.W. Hammond. To listen to the windmill, click the play button below |
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| What's left of the old East mill today with the stumps of West mill beyond by Steve Adams |
Lawn Mills, Kimberley by A.S. Langton - 1925
How the mills were made
"...she let herself be helped over the stile, and she walked in silence with him over the first dark field. It was the way to Nottingham and to the station, she knew. He seemed to be looking about. They came out on a bare hilltop where stood the dark figure of the ruined windmill. There he halted. They stood together high up in the darkness, looking at the lights scattered on the night before them, handfuls of glittering points, villages lying high and low on the dark, here and there. “Like treading among the stars,” he said, with a quaky laugh. Then he took her in his arms, and held her fast. She moved aside her mouth to ask, dogged and low: “What time is it?” “It doesn’t matter,” he pleaded thickly. “Yes it does — yes! I must go!” “It’s early yet,” he said. “What time is it?” she insisted. All round lay the black night, speckled and spangled with lights."
This lower storey, called the roundhouse, was constructed of stone and further strengthened by four buttresses. It had a height of 18ft. while on the ground the diameter was 18ft; the top was somewhat less. Horizontal cross beams were let into the walls, on these rested the massive central post. A broad stairway, from under which near the top projected the tall beam, led up to the first floor above the stonework.
Fire at the mill
She quickly got up, put on her overalls, ascended the creaking wooden stairway, entered the mill and there found her son poring over his books, totally oblivious of the fact that the rapacious maw of the mill required satisfying with a constant supply of corn. The old proverb which states that when a mill has nothing to grind, it grinds itself, had quite escaped his memory.
This mill [the "East mill"] is the larger of the two - a great part of which is still standing [in 1925] - was brought from Hucknall in the early days of 19th century. Mention of it is made in an ancient directory of 1832 when Mr. Jos Sills was the miller.
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| A.S. Langton's original 1925 poster |
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| Painting based on A.S. Langton's drawing of Lawn Mills in their prime |
The sails
A peculiarity of this mill was that the sails were of two kinds :
- one pair consisted of wooden slats on cross pieces which could be adjusted on the principle of the Venetian blind to close and open at any angle according to the pressure of the wind and the requirements of the miller.
- the other pair were covered with canvas to give a sure surface to the wind and this canvas could be detached when the mill was not in use in order to lessen danger from storms.
The part above the round house was framed up in wood and contained two storeys, 3 sets of millstones and the machinery. When a good breeze was blowing 40 horsepower was developed which, properly harnessed, did useful work.
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| May 1947 - The spur wheel in the larger "East mill". "Spur wheel under cross trees. At lower end of shaft traversing bored post" |
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| May 1947 - The "East mill" showing main post. "Roundhouse, post and crown tree. Bored post. Spur wheel over crown tree" |
The Miller
Mr. William Widdowson, who was at the Strelley Mill in 1834, left to go to the Lawn Mill. Here his trade increased so rapidly - for he not only ground corn but baked as well - that he found it necessary to erect another mill. This he obtained from Windmill Hill on Nottingham Forest [The Forest] where from time immemorial the citizens of Nottingham had had their mills. Both these post mills were ancient structures when brought to Kimberley.
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| Windmill Hill - The mills above The Forest, Nottingham |
Steam mill
Mr. Widdowson's prospects still brightening, he built a steam mill in 1844. This was worked by a 6 HP engine, which was supplied with water from Lawn Spring some distance away. Pipes connected the spring with a triangular shaped pond - now filled in and used as a garden. The water was pumped up by means of a small windmill built near the spring. Mr. Widdowson was now a very busy man and was highly respected throughout the district; he made and delivered 50 stones of bread daily.
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| William Widdowson, the Lawn Mills miller b.1803-d.1870 |
About this time he suffered a severe loss. Early one Saturday morning in the summer of 1865 the inhabitants of the higher parts of Kimberley noted with consternation that the post mill last erected was on fire. The conflagration attracted the attention of people for miles around. The mill was completely destroyed, since when it has not been rebuilt. Its ruined stump of native limestone is the only evidence to mark the vanished uses of the place.
As showing how events are interrelated with their cause and effect, one result of the calamity was the loss of a day's wage to the men who worked at the ironstone pits on the Dorvers, for the boys who worked for the men trooped off to see the fire, their only grievance being that the conflagration had not occurred on Nov. 5th
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| The "Somercotes" mills, actually in Riddings |
Panorama
The large windmill was an imposing structure and a picturesque landmark for miles around. From its upper storey could be obtained a beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding country, such distant places as Somercotes which boasts two tower mills being easily discerned.
Mrs Widdowson saves the mill
As in the case of Strelley Mill, night work was often necessary. On one particular occasion Mr. Widdowson's son William, who was studying for the ministry, took his father's place in the mill.
All went well for a time, the regular swish of the sails as they cut through the air, the rhythmic pulse of the machinery, the grinding of the corn, all made harmony. But in the still watches of the night there was a discord, at least so thought Mrs. Widdowson, whose residence was close to the mill, and whose keen ears had detected a false note.
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| Rev. William was the miller's son from the saving the mill story b.1826 d.1910 |
The good lady, having soundly admonished him, sent him to bed. A finely made woman, endowed with great physical strength, she speedily restored to the mill its wonted melody and the grinding of the golden grain proceeded once more to the accompaniment of the beautiful thrum thrum of the sails as they thrashed round through the air. The Rev. W.R. Widdowson lived to a good old age and served faithfully the Church he so much loved.
The end of the mill
A sad incident in the working of the mill occurred in 1878 when Mr. Wall was killed while engaged in oiling the machinery. The steam mill was last worked in 1879 by Mr. Tom Widdowson, son of the first owner. Other tenants after him were Messrs. Hy. Combe, Newcome and John Richardson.
Then on a stormy night in January 1883 the old mill at last bowed to its antagonist and gave up the unequal contest; its sails were scattered by the gale and fell with a resounding crash that startled the whole neighbourhood. Fortunately they fell away from the houses and the tail beam, which has not been moved since, reveals the direction of the wind on this occasion.
It's former glory is now rapidly disappearing [1925], the upper storey has already gone, lying about the base are broken pieces of huge mitre wheels with pear wood cogs, while some distance away lies an old millstone. The framework of wood is gradually under the stress of the weather falling to decay and Nature, once its humble servant, but now its deadliest foe, is slowly but remorselessly tearing to pieces its timbers in gale and storm.
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| Above - Lawn Mills "East mill" 15th May 1932 by Karl Wood |
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| The smaller Lawn Mills "West mill" 8th Dec 1932 by Karl Wood |
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| The "limestone stumps" are all that remains of the "West mill" today |
Lawn Mills in DH Lawrence
Finally, a few words from DH Lawrence's novel "Sons and Lovers" when the main characters Paul and Clara have an intimate moment one night at the ruined Lawn Mills windmill on the way to the train station in Kimberley....
"...she let herself be helped over the stile, and she walked in silence with him over the first dark field. It was the way to Nottingham and to the station, she knew. He seemed to be looking about. They came out on a bare hilltop where stood the dark figure of the ruined windmill. There he halted. They stood together high up in the darkness, looking at the lights scattered on the night before them, handfuls of glittering points, villages lying high and low on the dark, here and there. “Like treading among the stars,” he said, with a quaky laugh. Then he took her in his arms, and held her fast. She moved aside her mouth to ask, dogged and low: “What time is it?” “It doesn’t matter,” he pleaded thickly. “Yes it does — yes! I must go!” “It’s early yet,” he said. “What time is it?” she insisted. All round lay the black night, speckled and spangled with lights."
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| c.1900 - Lawn Mills was on the high ground between Gilt Hill and Alma Hill |
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| Strelley Mill (possibly) by Baker, Paul H J It was located above Swingate between the TV mast and the M1 |
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| June 2024 - Bike ride to Heage Mill with Mrs.A. It's still working and grinding flour. Fancy being a miller? They are always looking for volunteers |
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Notes, Sources and Picture Credits
Main article by by A.S.Langton - 1925. From Kimberley British School poster from Carolynn Hobbs.
Mill pictures of Kimberley and Strelley - Name of creator - Baker, Paul H J; Repository - Mills Archive.
Other pics from Facebook local history groups and Steve Adams.
Animation made from a TW Hammond sketch c.1900 - Thomas William Hammond 1854-1935. Born in Philadelphia of Nottingham emigres, and orphaned at the age of four, he came to England with his younger sister Maria and lived for a short while with his grandparents in Mount Street. In 1868 age 14 he enrolled in the Government School of Art. On the 1871 census he is described as a lace curtain designer, and in 1872 he was awarded the 'Queen's Prize for a Design of a Lace Curtain'. Other prizes followed and in 1877 he was again awarded the Queen's Prize, this time for the design for a damask table Cloth.
Hammond was an indefatigable worker, and soon began to use his skills as a draftsman to record aspects of the changing town. He began showing his work at local venues in 1882 and in 1890 exhibited for the first time at the Royal academy. His real hobby was black and white sketching in charcoal. He drew about 350 pictures all together mainly scenes of a Nottingham he knew but which have largely passed away today.
Extracted from 'The Changing Face of Tom Hammond's Nottingham' by John Beckett which is the introductory essay in 'A City in the Making Drawings of Tom Hammond'.
Mill sound courtesy of Mr.Windy Miller, Camberwick Green
The Widdowson family tree
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