South Ockendon Windmill

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History

"South Ockendon Windmill" was built in the 1820s. A date of 1829 is often quoted but the mill was marked on the Greenwoods' map of 1825. The mill was a combined mill, with a waterwheel driving a pair of millstones in the base in addition to those driven by wind. The mill may have been built with the waterwheel from new. The first reference to the waterwheel was in 1845. In June 1853 the mill was struck by lightning. A steam engine had been installed by 1912 and the mill ceased working in 1923. The mill collapsed on 2 November 1977. The wreckage was taken into store at South Woodham Ferrers by Vincent Pargeter, millwright to Essex County Council.cite book | first = Kenneth| last = Farries| year = 1985| month = | title = Essex Windmills, Millers and Millwrights - Volume Four- A Review by Parishes, F-R| pages 89-92| publisher = Charles Skilton| location = Edinburgh| id = ISBN 0 284 98642 9] A plan to restore and exhibit some of the remains in South Ockendon was shelved in 1994. The remains are still in store, available to be used if a replica of the mill is ever built, either on its original site or elsewhere.cite web|url=http://www.thurrock-community.org.uk/historysoc/mill2.htm|publisher=Thurrock Local History Society|title=SOUTH OCKENDON WINDMILL (4)|accessdate=2008-07-23] In 2005, it was announced that some of the machinery was to be used in the restoration of Halvergate Windmill, Norfolk.cite web|url=http://www.norfolkmills.co.uk/Windmills/halvergate-towermill.html|publisher=Norfolk Mills|title=Halvergate towermill|accessdate=2008-07-23]

Description

"South Ockendon Windmill" was a three storey smock mill on a two storey brick base, with a stage at first floor level. The mill had two double Patent sails and two single Patent sails. The boat shaped cap was winded by a fantail. cite book | first = Kenneth| last = Farries| year = 1984| month = | title = Essex Windmills, Millers and Millwrights - Volume Two - A Technical Review| pages = p61-65| publisher = Charles Skilton| location = Edinburgh| id = ISBN 0 284 98637 2]

Mill

"South Ockendon Windmill" had an octagonal two storey brick base, which consisted the ground floor of the mill and a cellar. It was convert|26|ft|4|in|m|2 across the flats and convert|8|ft|4|in|m|2 high. The cellar was just under convert|8|ft|mm|0 high. The mill was convert|58|ft|m|2 high overall, and convert|50|ft|m|2 from ground level to the top of the cap.cite web|url=http://www.thurrock-community.org.uk/historysoc/mill2.htm|publisher=Thurrock Local History Society|title=SOUTH OCKENDON WINDMILL (2)|accessdate=2008-07-23] The smock was convert|30|ft|6|in|m|2 from sill to curb. The mill was convert|16|ft|2|in|m|2 diameter at the curb externally, the cant posts being about convert|11|in|mm|0 by 11½ inches (292mm). The stage was at first floor level, convert|8|ft|4|in|m|2 above the ground.

The cap was boat shaped, similar to those found on Norfolk windmills. Winding was by an eight-bladed fantail.

ails and windshaft

"South Ockendon Windmill" had a cast iron windshaft carrying two double Patent sails and two single Patent sails with a span of convert|64|ft|m|2. The double shuttered sails had eleven bays of three shutters and the single shuttered sails had nine bays of three shutters.

Machinery

The wooden Brake Wheel was of composite construction, convert|9|ft|2|in|m|2 diameter. It had a wooden rim and a cast iron centre with six arms. It had been converted from clasp arm construction. The Wallower was wooden, as was the Upright Shaft. The Upright Shaft was made up of four pieces of timber. The clasp arm Great Spur Wheel was of wood. It drove three pairs of underdrift millstones, with a fourth pair being driven by the waterwheel. The wind driven millstones were all French Burr stones, two pairs being convert|4|ft|m|2 diameter and the third pair being convert|4|ft|10|in|m|2 diameter. Little is known about the waterwheel except that it was undershotcite web|url=http://www.thurrock-community.org.uk/historysoc/mill1.htm|publisher=Thurrock Local History Society|title=SOUTH OCKENDON WINDMILL|accessdate=2008-07-23] and drove a single pair of millstones on the first floor of the mill, which was the same floor as the wind powered millstones.

Fantail

"South Ockendon Windmill" was winded by an eight-bladed fantail Final drive was a wooden worm gear driving onto cogs of convert|9|in|mm|0 pitch at the top of the smock.

Millers

*William Eve 1820 – 1829
*Thomas Banks 1845
*Thomas Bennett Sturgeon 1848
*Stephen Challis 1877
* Smith c1877 – 1919
* C and William Sturgeon 1912 – 1914

External links

* [http://www.windmillworld.com/millid/2667.htm Windmill World] webpage on South Ockendon Mill

References