Historic windmill restored after £30k repairs

The windmill was restored in 2002 but weather damage required it to be restored again

A historic windmill in Derbyshire has been fully restored following extensive repairs.

After being restored in 2002, Heage Windmill required further work due to weather-related erosion to the exterior stonework and increased damp inside the building.

Following consultation with Historic England, the Heage Windmill Society secured £30,000 in funding from the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) and the Headley Trust for the works to go ahead.

Work on the sails and cap was carried out in 2023, and now repair work on the stone tower has been completed, the society confirmed.

Restoration work on Heage Windmill has been completed

The mill is the last stone-towered, six-sailed windmill in England, and the only working windmill in Derbyshire.

Completed in 1797, the windmill sits atop a hill looking towards the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

Local heritage conservationist Andrew Churchman was tasked with carrying out the work to return the mill to how it would have looked in the late 1800s.

Following the repairs, the society said it hopes the site can "continue to educate and enthral whilst passing on the traditional skills of millwrighting and milling".