At the time the windmill was built, Chesterton Manor
belonged to Sir EdwardPeyto (1590 -1643), a
prominent figure in early I 7th century Warwickshire.
Sir Edward had interests in architecture and
mathematics and knew several of the leading
architects of the day including Inigo Jones (1573 -
1652). There is no evidence however that Inigo Jones
designed the windmill and it is possible that Sir
Edward was his own architect.
Some of the building accounts for the windmill have
survived and we know the names of several of the
craftsmen, how long they worked and how much
they were paid. For example, John Richardson and
his son were employed as stone masons and were
paid 15s 6d for half a day digging stone at the
quarry and 15 days work at the windmill itself. It is
also recorded that sailcloth for the mill was bought
at 9d per yard from a Mr Saunders who supplied 97
yards for £3 12s 9d. Chesterton Windmill is unique,
both structurally and mechanically.
The mill is set on six pillars linked by semi-circular
arches. Originally there was a central timber structure
within this open space, containing a staircase and
storage area. The mill machinery itself is set on two
floors inside the stone tower -the lower houses the
two pairs of millstones and the upper the actual
driving mechanism. The sails have a sixty foot span
and carry 450 square feet of canvas.
The machinery was repaired in 1776 and again in
1860. Chesterton Windmill continued to be used until
shortly before the First World War when the winch
which turned the sails into the wind failed to operate,
and milling became impossible. The last miller,
William Haynes, moved to the windmill at Harbury
about a mile away.
Chesterton Windmill is now in the care of
Warwickshire County Council and is opened to the
public on an occasional basis by the Warwickshire
Museum. | |