Barnet Gate Mill

{{Short description|Windmill in the London Borough of Barnet, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox Windmill

|name = Arkley Windmill

|image = Barnet Gate Mill - geograph.org.uk - 384642.jpg

|image_size = 250px

|caption = Barnet Gate Mill.

|name_of_mill = Barnet Gate Mill

|location_of_mill =

|gbgridref = TQ 217 953

|coordinates = {{coord|51.643|-0.243|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

|operator = Private

|built = c. 1830

|purpose = Corn mill

|type = tower mill

|storeys = Four storeys

|sail_number = Four sails

|sail_type = Two Patent sails and two Common sails

|windshaft = Cast iron

|winding = Fantail

|fantail_blades =

|auxpower = Steam engine

|pairs_of_millstones= Three pairs

|stone_size =

|other =

}}

Barnet Gate Mill or Arkley Windmill is a grade II* listed tower mill at Barnet Gate in the London Borough of Barnet, originally in Hertfordshire.{{NHLE|num=1359022 |desc=ARKLEY WINDMILL, BARNET ROAD, BARNET, BARNET, GREATER LONDON |access-date=2008-05-21 }} There is no public access.

History

Barnet Gate Mill was probably built between 1822 and 1840. A claim that it was built during the Napoleonic Wars (c.1800) has not been substantiated. Although steam had been added in 1895,{{cite book | first = Cyril| last = Moore| year = 1999| title = Hertfordshire Windmills & Windmillers| pages = 42–44| publisher = Windsup Publishing| location = Sawbridgeworth| isbn = 0-9533861-0-4}} it was working by wind until 1916. The mill was restored in 1930.{{cite web|url=http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/libraries/archives/archives-histories/archives-barnethistories/archives-barnet-arkley.htm |publisher=Barnet Online |title=Arkley and Barnet Gate |access-date=2008-05-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124001206/http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/libraries/archives/archives-histories/archives-barnethistories/archives-barnet-arkley.htm |archive-date=January 24, 2011 }} A new cap, fantail and gallery around the cap being made. The work was done by Thomas Hunt, the Soham millwright. In a further restoration in 1985, the missing pair of sails was replaced.

Description

{{for|an explanation of the various pieces of machinery|Mill machinery}}

Barnet Gate Mill is a four-storey tower mill with an ogee cap which has a gallery. It has two Patent sails and two Common sails carried on a cast iron windshaft. The cap is winded by a fantail.

Machinery

The mill may have started life with two Common sails and two Spring sails carried on a wooden windshaft as the wooden clasp arm Brake Wheel has had to be fitted with packing pieces to enable it to fit the current windshaft, which being of iron is a smaller diameter than a wooden one would be. The Wallower is of cast iron, carried on a wooden upright shaft. This carries the Great Spur Wheel, which is of iron with wooden cogs and drove the two pairs of millstones underdrift. A third pair was added when steam power was installed. Only one pair of millstones remains today.

Millers

  • John Whitehead 1843–1851
  • Frederick Edwards 1870–1899
  • Noah Edwards 1896–1918

References

{{reflist}}