Did you know that in the past there were many windmills in the Heathfield area, including one in Broad Oak.

It was a white post-mill with a single-storey wooden "roundhouse" and two common and two shuttered sails working two millstones. A post-mill is one on which a large upright post was balanced in the centre.

Unfortunately, it was razed by fire in March 11th 1890, but a lengthy perusal of reference works indicate that photos in 1931 and 1935 show a replacement Broad Oak Mill but with sails that had been lost. But at least we have a report about the fire from the Sussex Express which has been somewhat edited.

It was first discovered by Mr G. Gardener of Milkhouse Toll at 2am while tending his sheep. He woke its owner, Mr W. Bourner, and ran with Mr J. Dunk to the mill, burst open the roundhouse and brought out "a goodly number" of sacks of corn. People were soon joined by others "as long as they were able, all the time being in a blaze above their heads". And when the burning timber started to fall through they could only stand by and let the mill burn.

The cause of the fire was not known, but a grinder employed at the mill left at about 8pm when everything was correct. It was still in use and in good condition. Among the grinders was one John Guest (possibly a relation of our former vicar whose family hailed from Mayfield) and who became William Bourner's son-in-law.

In the 1930s the site of the mill was still easily discernible behind York Lodge and a shop, which was formerly the mill house and baker's shop. Geoff Porter, who lives in the village, remembers the remains when he was a young man.

Four further local post mills were built over the years from the 1800s until the 1930s, they were at Chapman's Town, Punnet's Town, Sandy Cross, and Mutton Hall . A fifth - a smock mill - was built at Cade Street. A smock mill has a cap on top which rotates rather than the whole base of the mill.

The Sussex Milling Group appears to have been studying the restoration of mills in the county for many years. An article by Arthur Becket entitled "Decline and Fall of the Windmill" is of note. He had recorded windmills from 1927 for 25 years. "Fifteen years ago, and even less, I stood on one of the summits of the South Downs and counted beneath me the Wealden plain and as many as 30 windmills. Recently I stood on that self-same hill to note with regret that the number had diminished to less than half. The Downs and the Weald were scored from end to end with circles which marked the sites of the lost mills."

Another windmill recorder was Frank Gregory (1917-1998) who was regarded as one of the foremost authorities in the UK and even abroad. Also, Donald Muggeridge who took many photographs in the 1930s.

Finally, I could not resist a very old photograph showing a whole mill in Brighton being moved. There must be nearly 100 oxen pulling it!

Note: References and photos can be found on internet Windmills in Sussex (believe it or not!).