TheClayton Windmills, known locally asJack andJill, stand on theSouth Downs above the village ofClayton, West Sussex, England. They comprise apost mill and atower mill, and the roundhouse of a former post mill. All three areGrade II* listed buildings.[1]
The windmills stand atop the South Downs with views of theSussex Weald. They are 7 miles (11 km) north of the city ofBrighton and Hove. As well asJack andJill, the roundhouse of Duncton Mill survives, located a short distance east ofJack.
The mills are accessible by road at the end of Mill Lane from theA273 road where it crosses the South Downs. There is free parking in the car park beside the mills.[citation needed]
| Duncton Mill | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Duncton Mill | |
| Origin | |
| Grid reference | TQ 304 135 |
| Coordinates | 50°54′19″N0°08′51″W / 50.9052°N 0.1475°W /50.9052; -0.1475 |
| Operators | Jack and Jill Windmills Society |
| Year built | 1765 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Post mill |
| Roundhouse storeys | Single storey roundhouse |
| No. of sails | Four |
| Type of sails | Common sails |
| Winding | Tailpole |
| No. of pairs of millstones | Two pairs, arranged Head and Tail |
| Other information | Demolished in 1866, roundhouse remains standing. |
Duncton Mill was built in 1765. It 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.[2]
Duncton Mill was apost mill with a single storey roundhouse, fourcommon sails. It was winded by hand and had two pairs ofmillstones. The head wheel from Duncton Mill was used as the brake wheel inJack when that mill was built.[2]
| Jill | |
|---|---|
 Jill (foreground) andJack (background) | |
 Interactive map ofJill | |
| Origin | |
| Grid reference | TQ 304 134 |
| Operators | Jack and Jill Windmills Society |
| Year built | 1821 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Post mill |
| Base storeys | Two storey roundhouse |
| No. of sails | Four |
| Type of sails | Patent sails |
| Windshaft | Wood, withcast iron poll end |
| Winding | Tailpole mountedfantail |
| Fantail blades | Five blades |
| No. of pairs of millstones | Two pairs, arranged head and tail |
| Other information | Moved fromBrighton in 1852. Main post constructed of four pieces of timber. |
Jill is apost mill originally built in Dyke Road,Brighton, in 1821. It was known asLashmar's New Mill and was built to replaceLashmar's Old Mill. In 1830 the windshaft broke, bringing the sails crashing to the ground.[3] A painting by Nash dated 1839 and an engraving in theHandbook to Brighton (1847) show her to have had a roof mountedfantail, similar to the arrangement still found onIcklesham windmill.Lashmar's New Mill was the most southerly of the three Dyke Road post mills.[4] In 1852[3] she was moved to Clayton by a team of horses and oxen.[2] The site is now Belmont—a short street ofGrade II listed villas.[5]
The working life of the mills ended in 1906 and in 1908Jill 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, theBurgess Hillmillwrights, funded by Cuckfield Rural District Council.[4] In 1978 restoration ofJill to working order was commenced.Jill ground flour again in 1986. During theGreat Storm of 1987,Jill's brakes had been applied prior to the storm's arrival, but the extreme winds were able to turn the sails, overcoming the brakes and generating friction which set the mill on fire. Some members of the Windmill Society were able to get to the mill and save her by carrying water up the hill to put the fire out.[6]
Today,Jill is in working order and open to the public most Sundays between May and September. She producesstoneground wholemeal flour on an occasional basis. The vast majority of her flour is sold to visitors. It is ground from organic wheat, grown locally inSussex. On the occasions when the wind is blowing andJill is in operation, a guide is available to explain the process of milling.Jill is owned byMid Sussex District.
Jill is a post mill with a two-storey roundhouse. She has four patent sails and is winded by a five bladefantail mounted on the tailpole. The windshaft is wooden, with acast iron poll end dated 1831.Jill has two pairs ofmillstones, 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 ofJill is made from four separate pieces of timber, a feature seen in some Sussex post mills and only found in this andArgos Hill Mill today.[4]
| Jack | |
|---|---|
 Jack, with the roundhouse of Duncton Mill in the foreground | |
Interactive map ofJack | |
| Origin | |
| Grid reference | TQ 304 135 |
| Year built | 1866 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Tower mill |
| Storeys | Five storeys |
| No. of sails | Four |
| Type of sails | Patent sails |
| Windshaft | Cast iron |
| Winding | Fantail |
| Fantail blades | Five blades |
| Other information | Was fitted with Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor. Brake wheel was formerly in Duncton Mill. |
Jack is a five-storeytower mill built in 1866 to replaceDuncton Mill. Worked as a pair withJill,Jack worked untilc. 1907.[7] UnusuallyJack 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 theBritish Museum.[8]Jack was owned by barristerJolyon Maugham for several years.[9][10]
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 thatJack was built by the millwright Cooper, ofHenfield. In 1873Jack was fitted with Hammond's Patent Sweep Governor, a feature also fitted to the post mill atHerstmonceux, 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 1966Jack was fitted with new sails as he was to appear in a film.[7]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.[3] The present owners have lived at the windmill since 2012. The mill house and granary were built for them by architectSarah Featherstone of Featherstone Young in 2016. The granary retains the historical beams and original footprint of the 18th century granary, while the mill house is a reconfiguration of Henry Longhurst's house. Together, the buildings connectJack andJill on a straight axis, opening up views throughout the site.[11]
References for above:-[2][3][4][7]
In summer 1973,Jack andJill featured in theUniversal Pictures filmThe Black Windmill. Actors in the film includedMichael Caine,Janet Suzman,Donald Pleasence andJoss Ackland.[12]
New sweeps were fitted toJack for the film, at a cost of £3,000 and the exterior of the mill was repainted. The owner ofJack at the time of the film wasHenry Longhurst, golf broadcaster and writer.
The windmills were featured in series 3 of theChannel 4 game showTreasure Hunt, first broadcast on 31 January 1985.[13]
Hemming, Peter (1936).Windmills in Sussex. London: C W Daniel.Online versionArchived 12 October 2009 at theWayback Machine