Europe was once awash with windmills, working buildings that harnessed the energy of the elements to grind grain for flour. But, as steam power developed, unreliable wind power was largely abandoned.

Slowly the elegant sailed towers were either demolished, or because of the difficulty of destroying such well-built structures, many were simply left to decay.

But in recent years, there has been a distinct reversal in the fortunes of the British windmill. Some 400 are now open to the public, and an increasing number are being rescued from decay and converted into beautiful homes. 

Bob Baker's home for the last 12 years has been the 50' high Patcham Windmill on the outskirts of Brighton. Unusually, it still has its sails and full working machinery, housed within one of the tower bedrooms.

"It hadn't been lived in for about three years, and with no ventilation or heating in the tower it had attracted a lot of moisture. The last time it had been done up was in the 1960s so it was full of pine cladding and Formica."

But, with the aid of an interior designer to help overcome the challenges of living 'in the round', including commissioning kitchen units that hug the curved wall of the tower, and a hexagonal extension to blend in with the building, Bob pursued his dream of making it into a beautiful home.

And, after two years of renovations, he was finally able to move in and enjoy his four-bedroom, three-bathroom, four-sailed home, complete with revolving machine room at the top.
Although the brake is kept on the sails most of the time, Patcham Windmill has been preserved in working order for future generations to enjoy.

And the worst? "All the visitors. I've got electric gates fitted now," says Bob, "But I used to wake up in the morning with people sitting in my front garden. They didn't realise it's a private house."

Where To Find A Windmill 
If you fancy living in a windmill, you have to know where to look. As a rough guide, draw a line from Newcastle down to Exeter, and the area to the east is windmill country.

Next get in touch with the mills section at The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. They will give you advice and send you a quarterly magazine listing old mills for sale. 

Simon Hudson, SPAB mills specialist, says: "Thankfully fewer and fewer are demolished each year now, but it's an ongoing battle. We're always delighted to hear from people interested in buying them."

But Simon and SPAB believe passionately that windmills should remain as working buildings wherever possible (the internal machinery is also likely to be protected by listing), and view a domestic conversion as a last resort.

Have no illusions, this isn't a game for the impoverished enthusiast. "The first thing you need to be is a millionaire," jokes Simon, "because mills are so often attached to very nice properties."

And the renovation job is unlikely to come cheap. You may not get away with using a local builder as windmills are often listed, and you might need to use a millwright or a conservation builder who can match original materials.

But, above all, before you commit to buying a windmill, contact a millwright for advice on your particular building. A general surveyor may not have the expertise needed to assess of the suitability of the structure.

Although renovating your windmill won't be cheap, mortgages of up to 90 per cent of loan-to-finished value of property are available from several lenders.

Paul Ellis, Chief Executive of the Ecology Building Society doesn't bat an eyelid at the prospect. "Generally speaking we will lend on very extreme renovations. In the past we've lent on buildings where only three walls are standing. It's no different for a windmill."

You can also try the Norwich and Peterborough who are quite enthusiastic about lending on unusual properties, and Buildstore, who specialise in the self-build, conversion and renovation market.

By the time Richard Beck saw The Old Millhouse in Hailsham it was little more than a pile of rubble. The tower had crumbled and the mill machinery had mostly been pilfered and melted down for scrap over the years.

"It was a complete wreck," remembers Richard. "The only things on site were the old bricks at the bottom of the tower, and they were broken."

But, being a seasoned self-builder, Richard was up for the challenge. With so little of the original building left to go on, the architect turned detective and trawled through archives. A photo was found in the local paper, and plans for the building were drawn up and accepted.

The result is an unusual take on the traditional windmill that, despite its modern look has won the approval of both the local planners and English Heritage.

The tower is round at the base, giving the house a feature circular entrance hall, but the next two floors are rectangular, which was the usual shape of windmill towers in this area in the late 18th century.

And, despite some striking features, including copper roofs to the extensions, timbers salvaged from the site have been incorporated, and traditional materials such as goats' hair and lime render have been used throughout.

"It's been a costly project," says Richard, "but you're left with a piece of history that no one knew was here. It has risen from the ashes, and it's completely unique."
 

If you want to renovate a building yourself, advice, courses and books on the basic principles of mill repair are available from SPAB. 

And, if you plan to bring in the specialists, you can download a list of millwrights from the The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings website.