Shirley Windmill

The Shirley Windmill is only one of four windmills open to the public in London. Even though it hasn’t been in use for milling since 1890, it has most of its original machinery intact, making it worth a visit to see how windmills like this helped to provide for the city’s needs. The windmill is open for guided tours on the first Sunday of every month and on National Windmills Day, though during the week tours are limited to pre-arranged groups. This restored tower windmill is one of only four open to the public in Greater London. The Shirley Windmill dates to 1854, replacing a predecessor that burnt down, and built reusing materials from other sites, as a beam with the date “1740” attests. Seventeen metres high, the mill has had a few close calls, having been abandoned in 1892 and then struck by lightning in 1899 and 1906.