Jack and Jill Windmills

Clayton, Sussex

Three windmills:- Jill, (white post mill), Jack (tower mill), Duncton Gate Mill roundhouse remains of a post mill is near to Jack.

Duncton Mill
Duncton Mill was built in 1765. She was owned by Viscount Montague and leased for 99 years. Duncton Mill was demolished in 1866, leaving the roundhouse to be used as a store. Near to Jack

Jill
Jill is a post mill originally built in Dyke Road, Brighton, in 1821. She was known as Lashmar's New Mill and was built to replace Lashmar's Old Mill. In 1830, the Windshaft broke, bringing the sails crashing to the ground. A painting by Nash dated 1839 and an engraving in the Handbook to Brighton (1847) show her to have had a roof mounted Fantail, similar to the arrangement still found on Icklesham windmill. Lashmar's New Mill was the most southerly of the three Dyke Road post mills. In 1852 she was moved to Clayton by a team of horses and oxen.

The working life of the mills ended in 1906 and in 1908 Jill was damaged in a storm. She lost her fantail and sails over the years until in 1953 restoration was carried out by E Hole and Son, the Burgess Hill millwrights, funded by Cuckfield Rural District Council. In 1978, restoration of Jill to working order was commenced. Jill ground flour again in 1986. During the Great Storm of 1987, the mill's sails were set in motion with the brake on, setting fire to the mill. Some members of the Windmill Society were able to get to the mill and save her.

Today, Jill is in working order and open to the public (see below). She produces stoneground wholemeal flour on an occasional basis. The vast majority of her flour is sold to visitors. It is ground from organic wheat, grown locally in Sussex. On the occasions when the wind is blowing and Jill is in operation, a guide is available to explain the process of milling. Jill Windmill is owned by Mid Sussex District Council.

Jack
Jack is a five storey tower mill built in 1866 to replace Duncton Mill. Worked as a pair with Jill, Jack worked until c.1907.  Unusually Jack mill has a male name — almost every other mill in the country is considered female. In 1928, while a pit was being dug for a water tank, an Anglo-Saxon skeleton was discovered. It was later removed to the British Museum. Jack is in private ownership.

Description of workings/equipment

Duncton Mill
Duncton Mill was a post mill with a single storey roundhouse, four Common sails. She was winded by hand and had two pairs of millstones. The Head Wheel from Duncton Mill was used as the Brake Wheel in Jack when that mill was built.

Jill
Jill is a post mill with a two storey roundhouse. She has four Patent Sails and is winded by a five blade fantail mounted on the tailpole. The windshaft is wooden, with a cast iron poll end, dated 1831. Jill has two pairs of millstones, arranged Head and Tail. The compass arm Tail Wheel shows evidence of having been used as a Brake Wheel at some time. The main Post of Jill is made from four separate pieces of timber, a feature seen in some Sussex post mills and only found in this and Argos Hill Mill today.

Jack
Jack is a five storey tower mill with a domed cap. He carries four Patent Sails and was winded by a five blade fantail. There was a stage at first floor level. It is believed that Jack was built by the millwright Cooper, of Henfield. In 1873, Jack was fitted with Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor, a feature also fitted to the post mill at Herstmonceux, which was also run by the Hammonds. Jack had three pairs of millstones, and room for a fourth pair. All machinery below windshaft level has been removed. In 1966, Jack was fitted with new sails as he was to appear in a film. Jack is 44 feet (13.41 m) to the curb, 22 feet 8 inches (6.91 m) diameter at the base and 13 feet (3.96 m) diameter at the curb.

Based on information from Wikipedia

When we visited

From the car park you can see both Jack and Jill, Jill being just behind the hedge. The picture above was taken from the car park. There is footpath that runs around the back of both mills to a lane and the lane comes back to the car park. However there are fairly large trees all the way round and this makes photography of either mill from a lot of the way round impossible. It might be better in winter with less leaves. Jill is open to the public on set dates, see below and Jack is only open to members of the Jack and Jill Windmills Society, although by doing this they are risking having their charity status removed, as you cannot offer facilities to members that are not available to others, and still have charitable status. Dunction Mill remains are within the grounds of the Jack mill and also not available.

When not open you can't get to the outside of the Jill Windmill either.

The special feature here is the two mills together and as this can be photographed from the car park its worth a tip to photograph it.

Further information Grid

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