Kenilworth Windmill 2015
Ron Thorpe
Kenilworth Windmill converted to a water tower
Warwickshire County Record Office Ref. No. PH77/21
Kenilworth Windmill 2015.
Ron Thorpe
The Kenilworth Windmill was a brick tower mill with batter, built about 1778 with four common sails, boat cap, two pairs of stones and five storeys high. Around 1854 the mill was converted to steam.
In 1884 the boat cap was removed and replaced with an iron water tank to store 26,000 gallons of water, and was said to resemble a lighthouse. It was a primary water supply for Kenilworth until 1939 and by 1960 the water tower was out of use.
Work started in 1972 and took two years to convert the water tower to a house with a curved skirt which led into the entrance hall. The house won an award from the UK Council for European Architectural Heritage for its design.
Comments
The water tower stopped being the primary supply of water for Kenilworth in 1925 with the building of a reservoir at Knowle Hill. It was still used on occasions, such as when the reservoir was emptied for cleaning. The reservoir itself is also now a house. Further details can be found in my book ‘Kenilworth People and Places Volume 2’
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