clayton hill
jack and jill windmills
organic wholewheat
stoneground wholewheat flour
the south downs
the sussex weald
west sussex countryside
Jack and Jill Went Up The Hill...
By Darkwing
@Darkwing (21583)
July 24, 2007 10:36pm CST
To fetch a pail of water...
Yes, you all know the nursery rhyme. However, this Jack and Jill, as they are known by the locals, are two windmills, standing atop the South Downs on Clayton Hill, in West Sussex, with spectacular views of the Sussex Weald, which on a clear day, take your breath away.
Jill Mill, a 19th century corn windmill, has been restored to working order, occasionally producing stoneground wholemeal flour from organic wheat, grown in Sussex. When the wind blows, as it often does on the South Downs, Jill will often be in operation, with a guide available to explain the mysteries of milling. This is the time when the wholemeal flour is sold to visitors who are there to step back more than a hundred years into a working windmill.
Jack Windmill is now in private ownership, and no longer a working mill, but this mill is also well kept, and the two still stand majestically on the South Downs, side by side and can be seen from quite a distance away.
What do you know about windmills, and the amazing old engineering that goes into them? Do you have any windmills or indeed, watermills near you? Do they fascinate you... and if so, why?
4 people like this
12 responses
@raydene (9871)
• United States
26 Jul 07
Here in the Adirondack Mountains of NY we did have many water mills. I do not know of any windmills though.
In a small town about an hours drive from me their is an old gristmill that is now a restaurant. I have eaten there a couple of times many years ago. We sat where we could see the wheel turning from the river pressure. I was mesmerizing!
Thanks for taking me back. I would love to see your Jack and Jill. Maybe someday.
xoxoxoxoxo
1 person likes this
@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
26 Jul 07
Actually, I know nothing much about windmills except that they are nice to look at. I do not know when I was introduced to willmill before I started school. I only remember making windmills during art & craft lessons when I was in in primary school. I used to make colorful ones using color papers, have it by the windows and staring at it when I was bored. Now, I no longer have this habit but when I passed by shops, I do still look at it in wonder.
@weemam (13372)
•
26 Jul 07
we visited one in Sutton in Norfolk a few years ago , it had a museum in it . I was fascinated and went to the top , Jim is scared of heights so he stayed about mid way , it was brilliant and you could see for miles , it was an experience I will never forget , You will have to come visit the Wallace monument some time pal , now that IS high lol . I would loved to have bought some flour at the windmill you visited and made some bread with it xx
@Darkwing (21583)
•
27 Jul 07
Yes, I climbed to the top of Jill, plus being on top of the South Downs, makes it that much higher. You can see right across the Weald, for miles and miles, on a good day. Imagine the picture, from higher up.
Yes, buying the flour and baking bread from it would be quite a good thing for me to do, especially around the 1st of August, which is our Lammas (loaf festival). lol
Brightest Blessings my friend. xxx
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
25 Jul 07
I do not know a lot about windmills but I do find them fascinating
I would love to sit and watch them somewhere peaceful just let the wind go through my Hair and sit on a Hill and watch them with a lovely clear blue Sky above
Yes I know I am a romantic lol
@Darkwing (21583)
•
27 Jul 07
The Moon is Cancer's key planet, so that would explain one thing to me. lol.
Secondly, I will put you the pic in here, with a lovely blue sky and youwill have to imagine the wind blowing through your hair, ok? Unless you stick your fan on! ha ha ha
Brightest Blessings my friend. xx
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
25 Jul 07
oh how lovely and sad that Jack dont work no more.
The windmills I have seen have been built to bring up water out of the ground to furnish water to the live stock and the people that live around it .
Also in calif. they have hundreds of windmills to bring electicity to the most part of calif.
I love them but they are getting far and few between now and I really dont know why for they are cheaper to run than alot of other things that furnish this to the people. I have a friend in Idaho that has built his own even down to carving out the blades
@Darkwing (21583)
•
27 Jul 07
I think these are the power generating windmills you refer to. We have a few of those in this country too, but the flour grinding windmills, are similar the the pic I downloaded into GardenGerty's response.
Wow... it must have taken some doing to carve out the windmill blades. Fascinating! Brightest Blessings, my friend.
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
28 Jul 07
yup they have those In Calif. the ones They use in Idaho and other staes are to pull the water out of the ground to fill water tanks for the cattle also the way old times they ran to put water in to houses or right out side the door for the family needs back then they didnt have and to run for electricity to their homes used coal oil lamps
@Phlamingho (7822)
• Denmark
25 Jul 07
Wow thanks for the info, I had no idea that something was called that in real life, I only thought it was a rhyme.
@GardenGerty (169448)
• United States
25 Jul 07
I am afraid that Kansas windmills are not anything like what you are describing, but they are used quite extensively to pump water in agricultural applications. Then of course there are the windfarms that some people want to put up, that will generate electricity from the wind. Seems like a good thing in Kansas, but some say not. And then there is the old roller mill on the Smoky River, about twelve miles from here. I will have to admit I have never toured the whole thing, but this is where the hard red winter wheat, 'turkey red', was ground, using water power originally. That is the heart of the original Kansas wheat production, and was brought to this country by Russian Mennonites settlers, by way of Germany. I need to go for a tour. It is very large and has a museum connected to it.
@Darkwing (21583)
•
27 Jul 07
I think these windmills are slightly different to the power generating ones. I believe they are just on a metal pole, like a fan going round. We do have some of those in this country but the ones I was describing are pretty old ones. I failed to upload the pic as intended but I've put it in this response, instead.
Jill Windmill is the white one at the front and Jack is the blue one, with white top.
Brightest Blessings, my friend.
@deeeky (3667)
• Edinburgh, Scotland
25 Jul 07
I heard from some source a few months ago that the windmills in Holland have a dual use now and have sterted to produce electricty as well as what they normally due. What a novel idea as there are many of them scattered all over Holland and being a flat country has a great advantage for them.
@kayrod2 (1304)
• Australia
25 Jul 07
Unfortunately we dont have any windmills like this near us. But i would love to see a restored working mill like the Jill mill, i think it sounds amazing. And the view would be awesome to see. I think windmills are beautiful. Quite a few people have small windmills in paddocks, but not ones that mill flour, just stand alone ones on a stand.
Best wishes to you, Darkwing
@Darkwing (21583)
•
27 Jul 07
The wheel and rudder on the side of the mill, can be pulled to any point around a circular rut, to enable Jill's sails to catch the wind, from whichever direction it comes.
I thought you might like to see the pic. I've been inside here and climbed right to the top, where there's a small window. If the windmill is facing north, the view is just fantastic. You can see right across the Weald, to the North Downs, in Surrey.
Brightest Blessings.
@teleios (737)
• Philippines
25 Jul 07
windmills are certainly fascinating, although i have not seen one since i live in the philippines. i think you only see windmills in europe right?windmills remind me of don quixote, and the tales of hans christian andersen, for some reason ;) wish i could see one though...if i ever have the chance to go to holland i'd buy myself a pair of wooden shoes and see the most famous windmills they got.
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
25 Jul 07
That's a very good information, never knew that Jack and Jill are windmills in reality. And they have last names too, Jill Mill and Jack Windmill. lol! The only things I know about windmills are that they could generate electricity and I saw it in our local news that one of our government's project is to put up windmills in the countryside which is in partnership with foreign private companies. Our government wanted to have better and cheaper alternatives to produce cheaper electricity so as not to burden its constituents. Oh well, I just heard it in the news and I don't know for sure if its still in planning stage or they have already started it.
