Whether
it's the romance, an ambition to grind your own flour, or just a desire
to stand out from the crowd, converted windmills can make very special
homes...
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.
Although it
had been used as a home since 1936, when Bob first saw the building it
was in a very bad state of repair.
"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.
According to
Bob, the best part about owning a windmill is the views. He has spent many
a happy hour sitting on the fantail at the top of the tower and taking
in the sights of Brighton and the Sussex Downs.
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.
"And it can
be rather difficult to make them into homes, for a start you've got the
curved walls," says Simon. "But they are solidly built and usually in beautiful
locations."
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.
Generally speaking,
mill conversions are kept as authentic as possible. But what can you do
if so little of your mill is left that even the locals had no idea that
it had ever been there?
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. -
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