Windmill to close for a year for repair work

The work is due to begin in November

A windmill in Nottingham that dates back more than 200 years is to shut for a year for repairs to bring it back into full use.

Green's Windmill, in Sneinton, was one of a few working windmills that remained in the UK until its sails were removed in November 2022.

Its milling capabilities are currently limited but once the repairs are complete, the windmill is expected to be in "full working order".

The Green's Windmill Trust said that although the mill building itself will be closed, the science centre and garden will remain open between 10:00 and 16:00 from Wednesday to Sunday each week.

The site will also continue to be available for school visits and parties, and will operate a "partial programme of public events".

The charity said work was scheduled to begin on 3 November and expected to last 52 weeks.

There will be no public access to the windmill building while the repairs are under way, "due to the nature and complexity" of the work, the trust added.

The Grade II listed windmill was owned and operated by mathematical physicist George Green, whose father built it.

It was abandoned in 1862 but in the 1980s it was restored and reopened to the public.

'Heritage preserved'

As part of the repairs, the windmill's white sails will be restored, the exterior brickwork will be repointed, and the interior will be stripped and repainted.

The trust said Nottingham City Council, which owns the building, had secured a grant of £685,000 to carry out the work from the Museum Estate and Development fund for maintenance repairs to historic buildings.

Jamie Duff, the trust's heritage officer, said the repairs would help "preserve the UK's milling heritage".

"Once the repairs are complete people across the county will see our famous white sails on the horizon and turning in the wind," he said.

"Visitors will once again be able to climb our historic mill and see how grain is turned into flour using traditional methods."