Monument record MDR11144 - Windmill (site of), Rushy Lane, Risley

The windmill was close to Risley village on the west side of Rushy Lane. It is not shown on Burdett’s map of 1767 but was present in 1798 as shown by an advertisement in the Derby Mercury: ‘To be sold by private contract, a windmill with two pairs of stones, machines, sack tackle etc, situate in the parish of Risley.’ In 1804 it was again advertised in the Derby Mercury of the 9th, 16th and 23rd February as follows: ‘Estate at Risley – Messuage and barn 46 acres – a windmill on premises to be sold with our without the estate.’ It must have remained on the market for some time because in 1810 the following advertisement appeared in the Derby Mercury of 15th March: ‘Sale of Risley mill, house on premises of Mr John Fox, miller, near Risley, furniture etc, farmers and millers utensils.’ The windmill is included in the list of Derbyshire windmills prepared by John Farey, 1808, and also appears on maps for 1825, 1835 and 1836. The mill was again offered for sale in the Derby Mercury of 5th August 1835 as follows: ‘Post mill at Risley, sails, stones machinery, late in the occupation of Robert Elliott, field available if required, about five acres.’ No further information has been found and the site does not reveal any evidence of the presence of a mill. (1) The mill is not shown on a map of 1722. However, several fields to the south of the later site are named 'Mill Field Close' and a field to the south east is Windmill Plott, indicating the presence of a windmill somewhere in this area, probably closer to Risley than the late 18th century mill. (2)