Filey’s Windmill
Recreating an iconic building
Muston Mill 2010
This
brings
the
story
right
up
to
date
for
now.
There
is
still
an
enormous
amount
to
do
before
the
project
is
complete
and
we
again
see
a
classic
windmill
standing
on
Mill
Hill
but
we
think
we
have
made
a
good
start.
When
the
white,
double
curved
ogee
cap
and
fantail
is
fitted
and
the
tower
waterproofed
with
black
pitch
Filey
will
have
a
stunning
new
building
to
admire
whilst
we
wait
to
get
the
24’
(8
metre)
sails
made and fitted. In the meantime we will from time to time report on progress in the ‘Rebuild Blog’ page which follows.
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We Become Involved with a Windmill
Mill
Farm
was
purchased
by
the
Taylor
family
in
the
1930's
and
after
the
1939-45
war
was
run
under
management
for
many
years.
In
2002
most
of
the
land
was
sold
for
housing
by
the
estate
of
a
deceased
relative
and
we
took
the
opportunity
to
invest
in
one
of
the
fields
known
as
Mill
Closes
which
happened
to contain the stump of a 150 year old disused windmill.
The
idea
that
we
now
owned
a
derelict
windmill
intrigued
us
and
we
spent
some
time
investigating
its
structure.
After
digging
out
three
or
four
feet
of
accumulated
detritus
we
examined
the
revealed
interior
and
discovered
its
condition
to
be
sounder
than
we
had
originally
supposed.
Wild
ideas
of
possibly
being
able
to
save
the
building
from
complete
ruin
began
to
cross
our
minds.
Over
the
next
several
months
we
trawled
the
web
searching
for
information
about
windmills
and
particularly
accounts
of
successful
restorations.
Through
this
research
we
gained
a
better
appreciation
of
the
difficulties
involved
and
the
highly
specialised
knowledge
and
skills
possessed
by
millwrights.
It
became
obvious
we
must
consult
someone
with
practical
expertise
in
this
very traditional and historic area of craftsmanship.
There
are
a
dwindling
number
of
millwrights
still
plying
their
trade
and
it
took
us
a
while
to
track
down
the
people
we
thought
had
the
right
levels
of
skill
and
experience.
Robert
Thompson
&
Son
of
Alford
,
Lincolnshire
were
our
chosen
firm
and
we
asked
Tom
Davies,
the
owner,
if
he
would
pay
us
a
site
visit
to
assess
the
prospects
of
rebuilding
our
mill.
After
looking
the
building
over
he
told
us
that
as
far
as
he
was
aware
no-one,
in
recent
years
anyway,
had
rebuilt
a
mill
tower;
typically
the
tower
is
still
intact
and
only
needs
to
be
fitted
with
a
new
cap
and
sails.
Having
said
that
he
saw
no
reason
why
it
could
not
be
accomplished
with
the
right
planning
and
methods.
Encouraged
by
this
positive
news
our
next
step
was
to
engage
a
structural
surveyor
who
after
an
extensive
examination
gave
us
a
report
that
confirmed
the
foundations
were
sound
and
that
with
some
minor
remedial
work
the
brick
courses
remaining
would
support
the weight of the upper storey together with a new cap and sails.
Planning Problems
“Events Dear Boy, Events!”
Democracy at Work
Over
the
years
we
had
sought
advice
from
experts
in
local
planning
about
what
approach
we
should
take
in
order
to
achieve
our
ambitions
for
the
mill
but
despite
their
expensive
suggestions
we
always
ended
up
down
blind
alleys.
Our
soundings
of
local
opinion
however
didn’t
change
and
from
the
very
beginning
everyone
we
spoke
to
was
very
positive
about
wishing
to
see
the
mill
rebuilt.
Eventually
we
came
to
realise
that
if
it
could
be
shown
that
the
general
public
and
most
local
Councilors
were
strongly
in
favour
the
planning
officers
might
be
given
confidence
to
look
again
at
our
proposals.
The
outcome
was
we
decided
to
embark
on
a
comprehensive
consultation
process
so
that
everyone
in
the
area
would
be
aware
of
the
full
scope
and
nature
of
our
plans.
We
wanted
to
be
completely
transparent
about
our
proposal
and
its
effects
on
the
local
environment.
We
created
a
website
where
we
published
the
plans
and
a
selection
of
photographs
illustrating
examples
of
other
successful
refurbishments
and
restorations.
We
contacted
the
Campaign
to
Protect
Rural
England,
Filey
Museum,
Filey
Tourism
Association,
Filey
School
and
many
other
public
bodies
and
from
all
of
them
we
received
positive
support.
Meanwhile
meetings
were
arranged
with
Filey
Town
Council,
Muston
Parish
Council,
Hunmanby
Parish
Council
and
finally
Scarborough
Borough
Council
Planning
Committee.
At
each
meeting
a
presentation
was
made
to
Councilors,
booklets
we
had
produced
showing
in
detail
our
proposals
for
the
site
were
distributed
and
questions
were
invited.
At
every
stage
positive
comments
and
helpful
suggestions
were
received
and
in
that
encouraging
atmosphere
we
set
about
completing
a
formal
planning
application.
This
involved
considerable
further
expense:
another
structural
survey,
further
architectural
drawings,
a
bat
survey,
a
soak-away
test,
a
topographical
survey,
a
NYCC
Highway
application,
a
Design
and
Access
Statement
and
a
Heritage Statement
all of which can be read by following the links
At
last
we
were
ready,
and
not
without
some
trepidation
in
view
of
the
time
and
money
we
had
spent,
to
formally
submit
the
documentation
to
Scarborough
Borough
Council.
You
can,
I'm
sure,
imagine
our
delight
and
gratitude
when
the
Planning
Committee
gave
their
unanimous
approval
for
us
to
proceed
with
rebuilding
our
windmill at last.
Trouble at the Millwrights
Just
when
success
appeared
to
be
within
our
grasp
out
of
the
blue
there
came
another
serious
problem
-
we
learned
that
sadly
Tom
Davies
our
chosen
millwright
had
retired
suddenly
due
to
ill
health
and
had
closed
his
business.
Anxiously
we
searched
for
a
way
forward.
It
was
weeks
before
we
discovered
that
Tom's
former
apprentices
Neil
Medcalf
and
Steve
Boulton
had
started
trading
as
Traditional
Millwrights
from
a
village
quite
close
to
Alford.
We
arranged
to
visit
them
to
see
whether
they
could
take
on
the
job
of
building
and
fitting
a
cap
and
sails
for
us.
There
was
also
the
important
question
of
whether
the
vital
wood
patterns,
needed
for
the
foundry
to
mould
the
cast
iron
components
from,
were
still
available
as
replacing
them
would
cost
many
thousands
of
pounds
on
top
of
the
price
of
the
castings
themselves.
Neil
confirmed
he
could
do
the
work
and
assured
us
that
the
patterns
we
needed
were
held
by
a
local
museum
and
that
they
would
allow
him
to
use
them
in our rebuilding project.
The Tower Rises Again
Reassured
about
replacing
the
cap
we
now
took
action
on
the
first
stage
of
the
reconstruction;
rebuilding
the
tower.
Alan
Mitchell
of
Maltech
(UK)
Ltd,
our
new
Structural
Engineer,
studied
all
the
available
photographs
and
documents,
visited
many
windmills
and
consulted
widely
in
order
to
understand
the
constructional
implications
of
how
the
cap
interfaced
with
the
tower.
After
calculating
the
loadings
and
stresses
involved
he
set
about
preparing
plans
for
the
reconstruction.
We
then
put
the
job
out
to
tender
and
eventually
chose
to
award
the
contract
to
Traditional
Building
Services
Ltd.
who
are
specialists
in
restoring
historic
buildings.
Stephen
Pickering,
the
Managing
Director,
and
his
excellent
team
proceeded
to
work
out
how
they
would
turn
these
plans
into
reality.
Stephen
first
devised
a
way
of
maintaining
a
constant
angle
of
slope
to
the
walls,
know
technically
as
the
‘batter’
and
solved
the
complications
caused
by
the
need
for
eight
angled
apertures
to
be
built
into
the
centre
leaf
of
the
wall
to
accommodate
the
holding
down
bolts
which
secure
the
cast
iron
curb
to
the
tower.
Alan
added
extra
stiffness
to
the
structure
by
specifying
two
stainless
steel
Helibars,
completely
encircling
the
tower,
to
be
embedded
in
a
special
resin
between
the
upper
courses.
They
have
to
pass
down
through
the
middle
of
the
top
eleven
courses
of
bricks
and
be
placed
with
a
tolerance
of
only
½”.
This
complicates
the
bricklayer's
work
as
it
has
to
be
achieved
whilst
laying
three
interlocking
leaves
of
bricks
at
an
angle
equal
to
the
taper
of
the
tower.
Remarkably
when
the
millwright
came
to
measure
the
completed
work
the
discrepancy
was
only
half
that
-
¼”.
Slowly
but
surely
through
June
and
July
the
tower
grew
in
stature
until
it
had
regained
its
original
height
and
by
August
2017
a
temporary
waterproof
cover
was
fitted
and
the
scaffolding
removed.
At
last,
after
fifteen
years
of
dedication
and
hard
work
a
landmark
not
seen
for
100
years
had
reappeared
on
the
horizon
above Filey! We were absolutely delighted with the final results.
After
rebuilding
the
tower
our
contractors
then
turned
their
attention
to
ground
level;
cutting
out
and
replacing
damaged
brickwork
that
can
be
clearly
seen
on
the
1905
photograph
and
which
was
caused
by
the
shutter
regulating
weights,
suspended
from
the
fantail,
being
allowed
to
repeatedly
strike
the
tower.
This
damage
was
confined
to
the
south-east
and
the
north-east
quadrants
of
the
tower.
Elsewhere
spalled
bricks
have
been
replaced
and
further
Helibars
embedded
in
the
mortar
where
there
was
even
slight
evidence
of
movement.
Finally
we
will
be
doing
further
pointing
as
required
prior
to
coating
it
again
with
pitch,
the
traditional
way
of
waterproofing
the
sloping
walls
of
windmills.
Temporary
wooden
staircases
have
been
fitted
between
the
floors
of
the
building
to
enable
further
work
to
be
done
inside
the
tower
while
we
await
the
construction
and
fitting
of
the
ogee
cap
and
fantail.
Onwards and Upwards
Meanwhile
things
took
a
further
turn
for
the
worse
and
we
suddenly
had
a
major
crisis
on
our
hands.
One
day
to
our
consternation
we
discovered
the
'temporary'
roof,
fitted
nearly
100
years
ago,
had
collapsed
bringing
down
some
brickwork
as
it
did
so.
This
happened
only
a
few
days
after
we
had
spent
the
whole
of
one
Sunday
afternoon
working
inside
it!
We
now
faced
a
dilemma:
either
we
spend
a
serious
amount
of
money
despite
official
discouragement
or
risk
the
mill
deteriorating
into
a
pile
of
bricks,
fulfilling
the
Heritage
Officer's
wishes
but
destroying
any
chance
of
saving
it
for
posterity.
This
was
2010
eight
years
after
we
became
the
mill's
owners
and
despite
being
unable
to
see
any
obvious
way
forward
the
decision
we
took
was
unanimous.
Emergency
work
to
protect
the
structure
was
undertaken
immediately
whilst
suitable
builders
were
sought
and
engaged
to
carry
out
a
more
permanent
solution.
Eventually
Adam
Knight
Construction
were
contracted
to
do
the
work.
Rotten
door
and
window
lintels
were
renewed.
Steel
beams
replaced
the
rotten
timber
ones
holding
up
the
first
and
second
floors.
The
window
apertures
were
sealed
up
and
new
double
entrance
doors
hung.
Repairs
were
carried
out
to
the
upper
courses
of
brickwork
and
a
temporary
roof
fitted
to
complete
the
weatherproofing
of
the
structure.
We
also
laid
on
water
and
electricity
supplies
for
future
use.
Finally
we
stood
back
to
admire
the
transformation
that
had
taken
place.
The
mill
looked
cared
for
again
and
our
enthusiasm
rose
to
new
heights.