Bourn Windmill, Bourn, Cambridgeshire
Bourn Mill is a type of mill called an 'open trestle post mill'. With the weight of the body, or 'buck' supported on a central post which is in turn supported by a trestle. The earliest record we have of the mill is from 1636, but it may be much earlier as this type of windmill has hardly changed since the 13th century. The buck has two floors. The upper stone floor contains the grinding stones which rotate against each other to grind grain. The upper or runner stone is turned by energy provided by the sails. Grain is poured from a hopper into the gap between the stones and is ground into flour. A chute carries the flour down into the meal bins on the lower floor. The sails have to face squarely into the wind and in order to achieve this the whole body of the mill, with all the machinery inside has to be rotated around the central post using the tail pole. To stop the sails, the mill must be turned again so that they are 'on edge' to the wind. It cannot be allowed to go too fast or the friction between wooden pieces can cause heat and fire to break out.
Size: 7384px × 4572px
Location: uk
Photo credit: © TomsPhotos / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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