Collis Mill, Great Thurlow

Collis Mill, Great Thurlow
Collis Mill, September 2005
Origin
Mill name	Collis Mill
Mill location	TL 671 500 52°07′22″N 0°26′30″E / 52.12278°N 0.44167°E / 52.12278; 0.44167
Operator(s)	Private
Year built	1807
Information
Purpose	Corn mill
Type	Smock mill
Storeys	Three storey smock
Base storeys	One storey
Smock sides	Eight sides
Number of sails	Four Sails
Type of sails	Common sails
Winding	Fantail
Fantail blades	Eight blades
Auxiliary power	Portable steam engine
Number of pairs of millstones	Two pairs

Collis Mill is a Grade II* listed^[1] smock mill at Great Thurlow, Suffolk, England which has been restored.

History

Collis Mill was originally built at Slough (then in Berkshire). It was moved to Great Thurlow in 1807^[2] replacing an earlier post mill.^[3] Thomas Hunt, the Soham millwright, carried out repairs to the mill in 1914. It ceased working by wind in 1915 and the sails were removed from 1920.^[2] The mill was worked by a portable steam engine until 1937.^[4] The derelict mill was capless in 1959 when she came was purchased by R A Vestey for restoration as a visual amenity.^[5] Restoration was completed in 1962.^[3]

Description

For an explanation of the various pieces of machinery, see Mill machinery.

Collis Mill is a three storey smock mill on a single storey brick base. It has four Common sails and the pepperpot cap is winded by a fantail.^[2] It has two pairs of underdrift millstones.^[5]

Millers

• Thomas Gardner 1841-44
• Joseph Dearsley 1845-50
• Elijah Dearsley 1850-75
• Archibald Robinson 1875-
• Gabriel Savage
• Joseph Collis -1937

Reference for above:-^[3][4]

External links

• Windmill World webpage on Collis Mill.

References

1. ^ "WINDMILL, GREAT THURLOW, ST EDMUNDSBURY, SUFFOLK". English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?pid=2&id=275586. Retrieved 16 May 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Dolman, Peter (1978). Windmills in Suffolk. Ipswich: Suffolk Mills Group. pp. p43. ISBN 0-9506447-0-6. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Regan, Dean (1997). Windmills of Suffolk. Suffolk: Dean Regan. pp. p40. ISBN 0-9531562-0-6. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Brown, R J (1976). Windmills of England. London: Robert Hale. pp. p174. ISBN 0-7091-5641-3. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Flint, Brian (1979). Suffolk Windmills. Woodbridge: Boydell. pp. p50, 110. ISBN 0-85115-112-4.