One of my favourite things about living in this area is the abundance of history, from Mills with ground breaking inventions to ancient sites or the beauty of houses like Chatsworth; Derbyshire has a lot to offer the history enthusiast. Today I’m going to tell you why you must visit Heage Windmill. This easily overlooked attraction has a wealth of history and unfortunately it’s currently under threat!

The Grade II listed windmill was first built in 1797 and is the only six-sailed tower windmill in England! Sitting proudly on a hill overlooking the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site, it offers amazing views and the perfect location for photographers and walkers alike. It was completely restored in 2002 and now offers guided tours and freshly milled Heage flour.

My son and I took one of these tours, climbing the stairs (I say stairs loosely, while solid, they are quite steep) to see the inner workings of the mill. Our guide wore a full miller’s costume and encouraged my son to help him with various tasks (like pulling the flour between floors).

Unfortunately this beautiful attraction is under threat thanks to the discovery of wet rot. They are looking at a 90K bill! While grants are being sought they still have a 50K shortfall and currently the sails can’t turn until these repairs have been made. This means they need the support of the public to keep this lovely little Windmill alive.

How can you help?

The most obvious way is just to get over there and visit the mill! They are going to be opening every weekend 11am – 4pm until October. Adult admission costs just £4, and children £1.50.

Or if you’d like to make a donation to the repair fund then cheques made payable to HWS Trouble at Mill can be sent to:

Danny Ashley, Treasurer, Heage Windmill Society, 12 Woodland Way, Old Tupton, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S42 6JA

This little (it always seems quite tubby to me) windmill is a gem hiding away in Heage and is well worth a visit if you’re passing. I can also wholeheartedly recommend their flour for baking.

Further info:

To read all about the history of the windmill visit the official website here.

Take a virtual tour of the windmill by clicking this link.