Building record MDR8572 - Former Windmill, Windmill Lane, Belper

A tower windmill was constructed above the town of Belper in 1796. In 1801 it was offered to let, when it was described as 'almost new, two pairs of stones, dressing machine'. A photograph taken prior to 1891 shows it to be a squat tower mill with three floors, a dark ogee cap and a fantail and staging. It had two common sails and two spring sails. The mill was listed by Farey and appears on Greenwood's map of 1825. An advertisement of 1851 states that the mill was equipped with a pair of French and a pair of Derbyshire stones, a flour machine and a drying kiln. The 1884 OS map shows the mill to be disused and in 1891 all the machinery was removed and the tower was converted into a house, which is still occupied. (1)