Heage Windmill is the only working mill in Derbyshire, and the only six-sailed stone tower windmill in England. Its existence first recorded in 1791, lovingly restored in 2002.
This Grade II* listed building has spectacular views towards the Derwent Valley Mills Working Heritage Site and is a major Derbyshire attraction.
A Brief History
Heage windmill is the only working mill in Derbyshire, and the only working six sailed mill in England.
It is a tower mill, built in the 1790s and working by 1798. With existence of its location originating as early as 1791. It had four common sails (cloth/canvass covered sails).
Fast forward to 1850, It was purchased by brothers Thomas and Isaac Shore, who modified the mill, replacing the sails with four patent (shutter) sails, and fitting a fantail. It was then damaged in a storm in February 1894, when the cap and sails were blown off; the repaired windmill had six patent sails.
The mill was in use until 1919, when the miller was Thomas Isaac Shore, the grandson of the earlier miller Thomas Shore. In that year, the fantail was damaged again in a gale, and the mill was closed down. It was sold by the Shores at an auction in 1934, and used by the new owner for storage, eventually becoming derelict. It was given listed status in 1965, as a Grade II* listed building.
1970's Restoration
In 1968 it was purchased by Derbyshire County Council.
There was restoration in the early 1970s: there were new floors, cap covering, fantail and sails, but the mill was not brought to working order. The first of several Open Days took place in 1989. These made the public more aware of the mill, and in 1996 Heage Windmill Society, a charitable trust, was formed. From then, a full restoration began, funded by grants from various sources. The fully working mill was opened to the public on 1 June 2002.
In August 2015 wet rot was found in the fantail mechanism and sails. Funds were raised to make repairs, which were completed in June 2016.
2023 Restoration
More recently in 2023, the Cap was restored, with the sails having a fresh coat of paint and major structural beams in the cap being replaced with an exotic hard wood which was specifically sourced for this job all the way from Brazil!