Heckington Windmill

Heckington Windmill stands in the flat farming land of Lincolnshire between Sleaford and Boston. Built in 1830 for Michael Hare, it is the only eight-sailed tower windmill still standing in the United Kingdom with its sails intact. The red-brick tower is tarred to keep moisture out and has six storeys called floors. It was originally a five-sailed mill but later fitted with an eight-sailed cap from a defunct mill in Skirbeck. The mill is designated a Grade I listed building and is also known as the Station Mill because of its proximity to Heckington railway station. The windmill is worth the journey because it survived destruction in 1890 when lightning struck the fantail, causing the sails to run backwards and wreck the cap and upper gear. In 1891 John Pocklington bought the eight-sailed cap from Tuxford’s mill and fitted it to the Heckington tower, operating it successfully for 54 years. After Pocklington’s death in 1941 the mill stopped working in 1946 and remained silent for 40 years. Restoration began in 1953 and was completed in 1986 with the help of the Friends of Heckington Mill, who installed 192 new shades and four new sails weighing five tons. A visitor finds six floors of machinery and storage, including three original pairs of millstones on the stone floor. The lower bin floor holds two grain cleaners, one modern and one wind-driven. The ground floor has a fifth pair of stones and an elevator to the first floor mixer. The mill can drive four pairs of stones and work in light breezes thanks to its large sail area. Around the windmill are restored buildings including a visitor centre, shop, bakehouse, tea room in the former miller’s house, and a micro brewery in the old sawmill.