Harbury Windmill
Harbury Windmill, the remains of a windmill of the tower mill type. Built of stone and brick in the Imperial period, its sails were dismantled in 1911/12, and it was converted to electricity in the 1950s. Some machinery survives. It stands in Mill Street, Harbury.
1 Tower mill. Derelict stone (lower part) and red brick (tarred) tower with batter, in fair condition, iron sheeted boat cap with wheel and chain luffing gear, windshaft with poll end and brakewheel, three pairs of stones and much gear and equipment, only stumps of staging remaining. About 19.7m high, six storey. Built between 1802 and 1812. Had four common sails. Ceased work by sail 1911-12, sails off early 1920’s, stocks off 1934. Subsequently worked by electricity into 1950’s.
2 The sail-less tower is in fair condition.
4 Ownership and other significant events can be traced.
5 A survey of the mill was made prior to alterations being made. The lower floors are empty of machinery, the machinery on higher floors largely intact. Alterations to the roof have destroyed the curves of the original boat shaped cap. Original height with the cap would have been almost 70 feet.
6 The third floor contains one bolter suspended on a timber framework. The timber drive shaft carried a gear wheel with teeth set at an angle to the horizontal driving the iron cog. The stone floor on the fourth level carries a pair of French Burr and a pair of Derbyshire Peak stones. At right angles to the stones is the drive shaft with a moveable timber break arm. The Great Spur wheel is of clasp arm construction, keyed to the main shaft which is butt and lapp jointed. The cap frame consists of morticed and bolted oak timbers, it is braced by tie rods and has cap centering wheels. The pinion which drove the rim gear is missing although its angled support frame is still in place.
7 History from documentary evidence.
8 Building survey and drawings.
9 Archival correspondence.
- For the sources of these notes, see the
- Timetrail record
- produced by the Historic Environment Record.
Comments
An unfortunate industrial accident happened here in the late nineteenth century. When it was noticed after dark that the sails were still turning, an investigation showed that the miller’s son had died by getting entangled in the main shaft.
Source: “Rural Romance. Quaint Tales of Warwickshire (Shakespeare’s Country)” by T B D Horniblow
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