Bursledon Windmill

Visit this 'tower' mill and discover how the windmill works.

The Windmill is currently closed for restoration.

Please join us in November for our grand re-opening and our 200th birthday celebrations.

Explore the other buildings on the site: Chineham Barn, rescued from demolition, houses the ticket office and other visitor facilities. Hiltingbury granary, stores the grain. The pond, to water the farmers horses, has been re-dug in its original location.

The Windmill Visit

The first stage of major restoration work to Bursledon Windmill has commenced.

The sails and stocks of the windmill have now been removed as the first step to replacing the windshaft, which has come to the end of its natural life.

The wind shaft is the main supporting shaft to which the sails are attached and drives all the mill machinery. During this first stage of work your visit will be restricted to the stones floor of the tower. However we would be delighted to meet you to tell you about the exciting changes that are taking place. Other activities in the barn will be provided as usual.

After this first stage it is anticipated that normal access to the windmill tower can be restored. Admission during this initial period will be free. Donations welcome.

The windmill will be restored to full working condition by 2014 in time to celebrate its 200th anniversary.

Nature at the Windmill

The pond contains a large variety of animal and insect life some of which are described on the information board. We also have two pairs of ducks who occasionally visit the pond.

Take a short walk around Windmill wood next door. It is a young woodland habitat supporting a wide range of wildlife including woodpeckers.

See the film of the windmill grinding flour on a windy day, explaining how the machinery of the mill works and the other buildings on the site.

Try grinding flour by hand in the barn using the ancient saddle quern or the medieval rotary quern

Join us for event days – please note that on event days we will be offering different activities to those listed above.

Booked Group Windmill Visits (including schools), as described above can be made for most weekdays subject to availability.

Schools

Bursledon Windmill welcomes young visitors. Although we are closed to the public during the week, we open by arrangement for schools who have booked a visit.

Bursledon is a working mill using wind energy to make stone-ground flour. There are only 15 windmills in Britain which work regularly and our mill is unique in Hampshire as it’s the only complete windmill remaining in the County.

As well as our tower windmill, we also have Chineham Barn, Hiltingbury Granary, a pond and grounds. By using all the buildings and features of our site, we’re able to support a wide range of classroom topics.