Lovely walk on local public pathway with fantastic views of Windmill known variously as John Webb's Mill or Lowe's Mill.

Thaxted Windmill is a grade II listed tower mill on the edge of the historic hilltop town of Thaxted, about 6 miles south east of Saffron Walden. The mill stands 48 feet high, and is made of red brick, with four wooden sails.

The mill was erected in 1804 on land owned by John Webb, a successful businessman who owned a number of properties locally, including a brick and tile work, and the local Swan Inn. There were 4 other mills in Thaxted at the time, but these were traditional post mills, whereas Webb's Mill was built to a tower design (a post mill rotates the entire body of the structure around a central column, while a tower mill rotates a moveable cap to which the sails are attatched).

The family of millers who worked the mill were the Lowe family, and so the building is sometimes referred to as Lowe's Mill. Interestingly, one of the recent leaders of the John Webb’s Windmill Trust that runs the mill is a direct descendent of the Lowe family.

The building material was local brick, fired just half a mile away, and there were 3 sets of millstones. The mill was in operation for just over a century, but by 1907 it was uneconomic to keep open. The advent of efficient steam engines made wind power less appealling and more costly.

#red #windmill #sunset #uk #britain #england

Search Houseboats in Thaxted

Change your mind

Book hotels with free cancellation

deals illustration

Treat yourself

Sign in to save 10% or more on thousands of hotels

bed illustration

Be picky

Search almost a million properties worldwide

Check prices for these dates

Next weekend

27 Jun - 29 Jun

In two weeks

In one month

18 Jul - 20 Jul

In two months

15 Aug - 17 Aug

Houseboats in Thaxted

Pool

AED 473 total

includes taxes & fees

19 Jun - 20 Jun

Save an average of 15% on thousands of hotels when you're signed in

Sign up, it's free

Recent reviews of Thaxted hotels

Holiday Inn Express Harlow by IHG

5/5 Excellent

"Just seal at bottom of shower door needs replacing."

A verified traveler stayed at Holiday Inn Express Harlow by IHG

Posted 1 day ago

Explore a world of travel with Expedia

Explore a world of travel with Expedia

More Accommodation Types in

072a5f9e-a71e-4c98-b093-61b3a27753de282cd440-8978-4f91-b5e5-95a3fdd3c0e7