Full steam ahead at mill
THE historic windmill at Windmill Hill played host to a selection of steam traction engines and tractors to celebrate National Mills day on Sunday.
This was the second such event to be held at the mill, which has raised more than 1 million towards the cost of a complete rebuild and restoration job.
The mill is the largest surviving post mill in England and is the tallest in Sussex. It was such a prominent feature of the landscape that it was used as a landmark by ships on the Channel and by WWII British bomber pilots returning from France.
One of the steam engines on show belonged to Alex Hume, a steam engineer from Cross-in-Hand. The engine, a 1914 Marshall agricultural, was used to drive a threshing drum which separated the ears of wheat from the stems prior to milling.
Other engines associated with milling were on show together with a steam engine called Collen which originally came from Northern Ireland but is now owned by Trevor Gurr from Hailsham.
The Long Man Morris Men gave a spirited display and the rain held off long enough to enable more than 500 visitors to see the mill in its original form before it is dismantled in the autumn prior to rebuilding. The mill trustees said the show had been a great success and it raised more than 1,000 for the cause.
PICTURED left are mill trustees Anthony Summersell, Bee Frost, David Stedman and Paul Frost. 20074
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Weather for Lewes
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
