The Clayton Windmills, known locally as
Jack and Jill
"Jack and Jill" (sometimes "Jack and Gill", particularly in earlier versions) is a traditional English nursery rhyme. The Roud Folk Song Index classifies the commonest tune and its variations as number 10266, although it has been set to severa ...
, stand on the
South Downs
The South Downs are a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the Eastbourne Downland Estate, East Sussex, in the eas ...
above the village of
Clayton, West Sussex
Clayton is a small village at the foot of the South Downs in the parish of Hassocks, West Sussex, England. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Burgess Hi ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. They comprise a
post mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. Its defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. All p ...
and a
tower mill
A tower mill is a type of vertical windmill consisting of a brick or stone tower, on which sits a wooden 'cap' or roof, which can rotate to bring the sails into the wind.Medieval science, technology, and medicine: an encyclopedia (2005), 520
Thi ...
, and the roundhouse of a former post mill. All three are Grade II*
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s.
Setting and access
The windmills stand atop the South Downs with views of the
Sussex Weald
The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It has three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the ...
. They are seven miles north of the city of
Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages.
Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and H ...
. As well as ''Jack'' and ''Jill'', the roundhouse of ''Duncton Mill'' survives, located a short distance east of ''Jack''.
The mills are accessible by road at the end of Mill Lane from the
A273 road where it crosses the South Downs. There is free parking in the car park beside the mills.
History of the mills
Duncton Mill
''Duncton Mill'' was built in 1765. It was owned by Viscount Montague and leased for 99 years. ''Duncton Mill'' was demolished in 1866, leaving the roundhouse to be used as a store.
Duncton Mill description
''Duncton Mill'' was a
post mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. Its defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. All p ...
with a single storey roundhouse, four
Common sails
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
. It was winded by hand and had two pairs of
millstones. The Head Wheel from ''Duncton Mill'' was used as the Brake Wheel in ''Jack'' when that mill was built.
[
]
Jill
''Jill'' is a post mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. Its defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. All p ...
originally built in Dyke Road, Brighton, in 1821. It was known as ''Lashmar's New Mill'' and was built to replace ''Lashmar's Old Mill''. In 1830, the Windshaft broke, bringing the sails crashing to the ground. A painting by Nash dated 1839 and an engraving in the ''Handbook to Brighton'' (1847) show her to have had a roof mounted Fantail
Fantails are small insectivorous songbirds of the genus ''Rhipidura'' in the family Rhipiduridae, native to Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Most of the species are about long, specialist aerial feeders, and named as " ...
, similar to the arrangement still found on Icklesham windmill. ''Lashmar's New Mill'' was the most southerly of the three Dyke Road post mills. In 1852[ she was moved to Clayton by a team of horses and oxen.][ The site is now Belmont—a short street of ]Grade II-listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
villas.
The working life of the mills ended in 1906 and in 1908 ''Jill'' was damaged in a storm. She lost her fantail and sails over the years until in 1953 restoration was carried out by E Hole and Son, the Burgess Hill millwrights, funded by Cuckfield Rural District Council.[ In 1978, restoration of ''Jill'' to working order was commenced. ''Jill'' ground flour again in 1986. During the Great Storm of 1987, ''Jill''’s brakes had been applied prior to the storm’s arrival, but the extreme winds were able to turn the sails, overcoming the brakes and generating friction which set the mill on fire. Some members of the Windmill Society were able to get to the mill and save her by carrying water up the hill to put the fire out.]
Today, ''Jill'' is in working order and open to the public most Sundays between May and September. She produces stoneground wholemeal flour on an occasional basis. The vast majority of her flour is sold to visitors. It is ground from organic wheat, grown locally in Sussex. On the occasions when the wind is blowing and ''Jill'' is in operation, a guide is available to explain the process of milling. ''Jill'' Windmill is owned by Mid Sussex District Council.
Jill description
''Jill'' is a post mill with a two-storey roundhouse. She has four Patent Sails and is winded by a five blade fantail
Fantails are small insectivorous songbirds of the genus ''Rhipidura'' in the family Rhipiduridae, native to Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Most of the species are about long, specialist aerial feeders, and named as " ...
mounted on the tailpole. The windshaft is wooden, with a cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impur ...
poll end dated 1831. ''Jill'' has two pairs of millstones, arranged Head and Tail. The compass arm Tail Wheel shows evidence of having been used as a Brake Wheel at some time. The main Post of ''Jill'' is made from four separate pieces of timber, a feature seen in some Sussex post mills and only found in this and Argos Hill Mill today.[
]
Jack
''Jack'' is a five-storey tower mill
A tower mill is a type of vertical windmill consisting of a brick or stone tower, on which sits a wooden 'cap' or roof, which can rotate to bring the sails into the wind.Medieval science, technology, and medicine: an encyclopedia (2005), 520
Thi ...
built in 1866 to replace ''Duncton Mill''. Worked as a pair with ''Jill'', ''Jack'' worked until c.1907. Unusually Jack mill has a male name — almost every other mill in the country is considered female. In 1928, while a pit was being dug for a water tank, an Anglo-Saxon skeleton was discovered. It was later removed to the British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. Jack was owned by barrister Jolyon Maugham
Jolyon Toby Dennis Maugham (; born 1 July 1971) is a British barrister. A taxation law specialist, he is the founder and director of the Good Law Project, through which he has played a role in bringing to court a number of legal challenges to th ...
for several years.
Jack description
''Jack'' is a five-storey tower mill with a domed cap. He carries four Patent Sails and was winded by a five blade fantail. There was a stage at first floor level. It is believed that ''Jack'' was built by the millwright Cooper, of Henfield
Henfield is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies south of London, northwest of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester at the road junction of the A281 and A2037. Th ...
. In 1873, ''Jack'' was fitted with Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor, a feature also fitted to the post mill at Herstmonceux
Herstmonceux ( , ; ) is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England, which includes Herstmonceux Castle.
The Herstmonceux Medieval Festival is held annually in August.
History
The name comes from Anglo-Saxo ...
, which was also run by the Hammonds. ''Jack'' had three pairs of millstones, and room for a fourth pair. All machinery below windshaft level has been removed. In 1966, Jack was fitted with new sails as he was to appear in a film.[ Jack is to the curb, diameter at the base and diameter at the curb.][ The present owners have lived at the windmill since 2012. The Mill House and Granary were built for them by architect Sarah Featherstone of Featherstone Young in 2016. The Granary retains the historical beams and original footprint of the 18th century granary, while the Mill House is a reconfiguration of Henry Longhurst's house. Together, the buildings connect Jack and Jill windmills on a straight axis, opening up views throughout the site.]
Gallery
Image:arundel_016.jpg, Jack and Jill (the tiny white dots middle-right) in relation to the Sussex landscape.
Image:Jandj2.jpg, Jack ''(left)'' and Jill ''(right)''
Image:jjcrop.jpg, Jack and Jill from Wolstonbury Hill
Image:Clayton mills.jpg, The mills at work
Millers
*Edward Horam 1765 - 1787 (''Duncton'')
*John Geere 1809 (''Duncton'')
*Thomas Hicks 1810 (''Duncton'')
*John Hamlin 1816 (''Duncton'')
*James Mitchell 1838 - 1872 (''Duncton'', ''Jack'', ''Jill'')
*Joseph Hammond 1872 - 1882 (''Jack'', ''Jill'')
*Charles Hammond 1872 - 1905 (''Jack'', ''Jill'')
*Guy 1905 - 1907 (''Jack'', ''Jill'')
References for above:-[
]
Cultural references
In summer 1973, Jack and Jill became cinema stars when Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
made the film ''The Black Windmill
''The Black Windmill'' is a 1974 British spy thriller film directed by Don Siegel and starring Michael Caine, John Vernon, Janet Suzman and Donald Pleasence. It was produced by Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown.
Plot
Two schoolboys are play ...
''. Actors featured in the film included Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...
, Janet Suzman
Dame Janet Suzman, (born 9 February 1939) is a South African-born British actress who enjoyed a successful early career in the Royal Shakespeare Company, later replaying many Shakespearean roles, among others, on TV. In her first film, ''Nichol ...
, Donald Pleasence
Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...
and Joss Ackland.
New sweeps were fitted to Jack for the film, at a cost of £3,000 and the exterior of the mill was repainted. The owner of Jack at the time of the film was Henry Longhurst
Henry Carpenter Longhurst (18 March 1909 – 21 July 1978) was a British golf writer and commentator. For 45 years, he was golfing correspondent of the '' Sunday Times''. During World War II, Longhurst was also a member of parliament (MP) for Ac ...
, golf broadcaster and writer.
The windmills were featured in Series 3 of the Channel 4 programme "Treasure Hunt" first broadcast 31 January 1985.
References
Further reading
Online version
External links
page on Duncton mill.
page on Jack mill.
page on Jill mill.
Clayton Windmills website
{{Sussex Windmills
Tourist attractions in West Sussex
Museums in West Sussex
Mill museums in England
Windmills in West Sussex
Grinding mills in the United Kingdom
Post mills in the United Kingdom
Tower mills in the United Kingdom
Windmills completed in 1765
Windmills completed in 1821
Windmills completed in 1866
Buildings and structures demolished in 1865
Grade II* listed buildings in West Sussex