W.I. January meeting – Bourn Mill restoration
Our speaker this month was Kate Armstrong from the charity Cambridge Past, Present and Future. Kate and her husband gave us an interesting talk about the restoration of Bourn windmill and milling through the ages which got 2026 off to a great start.
Standing on a quiet hill about 3 miles west of Cambridge, Bourn Mill is a remarkable survivor of England’s industrial past. Widely considered one of the oldest windmills in the country, with a central oak post dated by scientists to the early 16th century, it is a rare example of an open trestle post mill and one of only around 50 such windmills remaining in the UK.
By 2020, this designated ancient monument was on the brink of collapse. Unlike a stone tower mill where only the cap turns, the entire wooden body (the “buck”) of Bourn Mill must be rotated to face the wind. The buck is balanced on a massive central post, which is supported by a timber trestle. In 2020, inspectors discovered severe rot in the 140-year-old oak crossbeams of this trestle. Decades of “patch” repairs using cement and resin had trapped moisture and wet rot threatened the structural integrity of the entire building.
The restoration, led by specialists Bakers of Danbury and overseen by the charity Cambridge Past, Present & Future, was a huge feat of modern engineering. To replace the rotten beams, the entire 17-ton body of the mill had to be lifted six inches into the air and suspended on hydraulic jacks and metal supports. The old, decaying beams were replaced with massive, seasoned oak timbers hand-crafted to replicate the patterns of the originals, ensuring the mill’s historical accuracy. Once the new trestle was in place, the mill was lowered back down, and the alignment had to be perfect to ensure the buck could still be rotated manually – a task that typically requires two or three people. The sails and leaking roof were repaired, and the entire structure was repainted to protect it from the East Anglian elements.
Following a three-year, £170,000 restoration project, the mill was saved from the Heritage at Risk Register and returned to its full glory – an amazing feat and a fascinating talk. Our speaker on February 2nd will be Dimitra Frangos taking us on a Creative Journey through furnishings and upholstery. We look to seeing everyone there.
