Debden Windmill was built in 1796, replacing a Post mill which stood nearby. It was insured in 1797 by William Thurgood for £500 including the going gears and stock in trade. The fantail was blown off the mill on 26 March 1882 and the cap and sails were blown off on a Sunday in October 1887.[1] Repairs were completed by 15 March 1888.[2] The mill was working until 1911, in which year the sails and windshaft were removed. The mill was used as a scout hut in the 1930s and was little more than a shell in the 1950s. In 1957, a new cap was fitted and the mill converted to residential use.[1]
For an explanation of the various pieces of machinery, see Mill machinery.
Debden Windmill is a four storey tower mill. When working it carried a conical cap with a gallery, winded by a fantail. The windshaft was cast iron and carried four double Patent sails which rotated clockwise. The Brake wheel was wood, driving a cast iron Wallower carried on a wooden Upright Shaft. The wooden Great Spur Wheel drove three pairs of millstones.[1]
^ abcdeFarries, Kenneth (1984). Essex Windmills, Millers and Millwrights - Volume Three - A Review by Parishes, A-E. Edinburgh: Charles Skilton. pp. 110–112. ISBN0-284-98642-9.
^ abFarries, Kenneth (1988). Essex Windmills, Millers and Millwrights - Volume Five - A Review by Parishes, S-Z. Edinburgh: Charles Skilton. p. 122. ISBN0-284-98821-9.
