Town’s old windmill

Last week’s follow up of a Biggleswade Conservative Club dinner named the late Bill Pryor as one of the diners. A well-known Biggleswade builder, he helped demolish the town’s old windmill.
Biggleswade Windmill PNL-150519-115911001Biggleswade Windmill PNL-150519-115911001
Biggleswade Windmill PNL-150519-115911001

Ken Page - who knew Bill well as they were in the same class at school - kindly contacted us with a history of Biggleswade Windmill and this photograph.

“There is a BHS plaque situated at 51 Osprey Road, quite close to the original location” explains Ken.

The windmill was the tallest and finest in Bedfordshire from 1859 to 1967 at nearly 70 feet high with five floors and a gallery around the cap.

It contained three millstones that could grind three tons of grain per hour. Two sails were removed in 1950 and the remaining two in 1954. It was demolished in a single day.

Says Ken: “The windmill was situated behind Franklin’s steam mill in Hitchin Street, now access to The Birds Estate (not South View). The access road to the windmill was south of Lillie View, 152 Hitchin Street, where a new house stands.”

The photograph was taken from the riverside path to Jordan’s Mill.

Thanks go to Ken.

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