Drapers Windmill Trust supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund
The trust is very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for their kind support for our windmill. These have enabled us, amongst other things to commission a film about the windmill, and its history so that those who are less able to climb the stairs can still enjoy the windmill to its full capacity.
Welcome to Drapers Windmill
Built in 1845 by John Holman, millwright of Canterbury. Drapers is of the traditional Kentish Smock style. The windmill was originally one of three on the site, 2 built to grind corn and another to pump water. It was worked entirely by wind until 1916 when a gas engine was installed.
After the war the mills started to fall into disrepair and all were threatened with demolition. Thankfully, due to the resourcefulness of Mr R Towes, then headmaster of Drapers Mills School, the Drapers Windmill Trust was established in 1965 to restore and secure the future of the remaining windmill.
Now, 50 years on, the trust still cares for the mill and it is open for you to visit and enjoy on weekend afternoons during the summer months.
We look forward to seeing you at the mill soon!
Gas Engine Reaches 100 Years Old!
In a shed at the rear of the Windmill, sits our 1920 Crossley gas engine, installed to enable the Mill to operate without the need for wind, will celebrate it's 100th birthday this year.
The Crossley Brothers gas engine, a Type GE117, was originally outshopped from their Openshaw works, in Manchester on 24 April 1920. An order was originally received from well-known hairbrush manufacturer Messrs Mason Pearson Brothers, whose works were at Royal Victor Place in Old Ford, East London.
It is rated at 28hp/31bhp and fitted with a 6ft 6in flywheel. The engine has an all-up weight of 4 tons, engine erectors from Crossley's London showrooms and workshops, installed the engine into the specially prepared engine room. It was connected to the local town's gas supply. This engine then drove the factory shafting to the woodworking machinery on the belt. Over the years, it was fitted with two sets of cylinder liners and pistons, and a set of new piston rings in the early 1960s.
Sometime later, it was removed from the works and put into store in London. In 1997 it was acquired by the Drapers Windmill Trust and installed by experts into the engine room. Where today it can be seen running sweetly and is greatly admired.
It should be noted that Mason Pearson are still trading today, manufacturing high-quality hairbrushes as well as other hair products, with a shop in Old Bond Street, London as well as other outlets worldwide. Their factory today is in Rainham in Essex and they are in their 134th year of manufacturing. It is hoped they will attend this 100th anniversary of their old Crossley gas engine.
Tim Keenan, April 2020
Windmill Sweeps Update - February 2018
Millwrights from IJP Owlsworth were with us on 21st and 2nndFebruary 2018 and the fully refurbished sweeps were returned from their workshops near Reading.
The first pair of sweeps was fitted successfully on Wednesday morning but despite heroic efforts by the team, rising wind speeds and failing daylight prevented the fitting of the second pair. The wind was much stronger on Thursday and so the work had to be halted and the second pair remains on the ground until the job can be reprogrammed in better conditions.
We are looking forward to the mill working again in the near future. The completed project will see the mill in the best condition that it has been in since its original restoration in the 1970s.
Cap Restoration 2017
The cap was removed from the Windmill in December 2016 by IJP Millwrights of Henley-on-Thames in order to replace the rotten weatherbeam and carry out other essential repairs to the cap. These repairs are now well underway and the trust are looking forward to the restored cap being returned to pride of place at the top of the Windmill.
The following photos were taken in early March 2017 and show the current progress of the Cap restoration.
Photo credits all Drapers Windmill Trust.
