Dates for 2010 open days will be shown here when available. On these days, admission is free for HWPS members. Annual membership on the door £5 adult/£8 household or £3 day.
York was historically a City surrounded by Windmills. Today,
Holgate Mill is the principal survivor. Built c 1770, it now occupies a suburban roundabout, at the summit of Windmill Rise, Holgate, in the vee of the junction betweeen the A59 and B1224, about a mile west of the City Centre.
Its sails and fantail, were removed in the 1950's but the millstones and much of the original metal machinery survived inside. The original horse and cart track to the Mill, still remains in narrowed form, as a snicket from Acomb Road, opposite the junction with New Lane.
A Preservation Society was formed in 2001, to restore the Mill. An A.G.M.is held each summer, and a Committee for the following year is elected.
Restoration began in July 2006, with external renovation and weatherproofing, reglazed windows and an electrical supply.
The cap and fittings were spectacularly craned off in October 2006. The exposed curb ring - a circular monorail track which the cap rests and rotates on like a turntable - was found to be fractured in several places, and its supporting timbers rotted.
A new curb ring and supporting oak timbers was craned on during August 2007. External scaffolding was removed two months later, to reveal the new lime rendering on the brick tower.This will be painted black during 2009.
The wooden beams which support the first floor and millstones, have had their rotted ends removed, and placed in new joist hangers. This enabled a forest of temporary props to be remove from the ground floor area beneath, to open this up as a useful working space. New stone paving was installed on the ground floor. The tentering machinery under the first floor could also be accessed and has been restored.
In 2008, the first and second floor floorboards were renewed. This includes a new, traditional style wall hugging staircase from the ground floor, to replace the earlier temporary steps. The latter occupied the site of the original sack hoist, which can now be partly reinstated, and fully so when the upper floors are also restored.
One of the four pairs of millstones are life expired and have been exchanged for refurbished ones. These will be electrically driven. A second pair will be dressed and wind powered. The other two pairs will be used for display purposes.
By early 2009, the upper floors were reboarded, lime rendering was applied to internal walls and a new safety fence was errected around the edge of the traffic island which the Mill stands on. An internal toilet has been built on the ground floor, which is a great relief to volunteers and visitors.
A new cap and fantail stage were assembled at a site near the Mill, and craned on in November 2009. The fantail and new sails will be added in 2010, to turn the restored Millstones.
Substantial grants have been received from private donors, businesses and grant making trusts, to supplement the approx £4,000 that we have raised locally each year, towards the final bill of over £600,000. We still need to raise about £50,000 to complete the project. Further donations are welcomed!
Visit our main website via the link below, for more information, including our 2010 events and open days. That site also has links to other Windmill sites around the UK.
The restored mill is also available for
pre-arranged visits by small groups. A charge will be made for each group visit, equal to that of public open days, to cover Insurance and running costs. Our Secretary's contact details are on the main website.
Last update 13th Dec. 2009
