Gainsford End Mill, Toppesfield

Gainsford End Mill is a grade II listed tower mill at Gainsford End, near Toppesfield, Essex, England, which has been converted to a residence.

View of Gainsford End Windmill

Toppesfield Mill
Origin
Mill name	Gainsford End Mill
Mill location	TL 726 350
Coordinates	51°59′17″N 0°30′43″E
Operator(s)	Private
Year built	1869
Information
Purpose	Corn mill
Type	Tower mill
Storeys	Five storeys
No. of sails	Four sails
Type of sails	Patent sails
Windshaft	Cast iron
Winding	Fantail
Fantail blades	Eight blades
No. of pairs of millstones	Three pairs
Size of millstones	4 feet 6 inches (1.37 m) and 4 feet 4 inches (1.32 m)

History

Gainsford End Mill was built in 1869 at a cost of £2000. It replaced a post mill which had stood on the site since the late eighteenth century. The mill was working until c. 1928 and afterwards became derelict. The windshaft was installed in Duck End Mill, Finchingfield, when that mill was restored in 1958, although it was removed when a new wooden windshaft was fitted to that mill in 1986. It was converted to residential use in 2007.

Description

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

Gainsford End Mill is a five-storey brick tower mill with a domed cap winded by an eight-bladed Fantail. When built it had four Patent sails carried on a cast-iron windshaft. The brake wheel drove a cast-iron wallower carried on a 5-inch-diameter (130 mm) cast-iron upright shaft. The 6-foot-4-inch-diameter (1.93 m) great spur wheel drove three pairs of millstones. The tower is 20 feet (6.10 m) diameter at the base with walls 2 feet (610 mm) thick The tower is 40 feet (12.19 m) high, and the mill was 50 feet (15.24 m) to the top of the cap. The mill drove three pairs of millstones; two pairs were 4 feet 4 inches (1.32 m) diameter and the third pair were 4 feet 6 inches (1.37 m) diameter.

Millers

• Lewis Steward 1874 - 1898
• Joseph Chaplin 1902