Heckington Windmill

Over het museum

Heckington Windmill was built in 1830 as a five-sailed tower mill for Michael Hare. A severe thunderstorm in 1890 blew off the cap and sails. In 1891 the site was bought by the miller John Pocklington, who repaired the mill the following year. He fitted a cap, eight sails and machinery that came from a windmill at Skirbeck in Boston, and he reused the bricks of that mill to build the miller's house at the front of the site. The Pocklington family lived at the mill for more than a century.

The mill stopped work in 1946 and decayed until Kesteven County Council bought it in 1953 and made it safe. Restoration followed in 1986, when the sails turned again for the first time in about 40 years, and further major repairs were made in 2004. Ownership passed to Lincolnshire County Council in 1974, and the mill is run on a voluntary basis by Heckington Windmill Trust. The trust says it is the only surviving eight-sailed windmill in the country.

The miller's house opened as a tea room and visitor centre in 2009. A Heritage Lottery Fund grant allowed the trust to renovate the site, replace all eight sails in 2014 and complete a new visitor centre, tea room, bakehouse and facilities in 2017. Storm damage then stopped the sails from turning again, and the trust expects repairs between 2027 and 2030. Meanwhile flour is still ground on site with an oil-engine-driven set of stones, electric stones and portable farm mills driven by engines, and a small museum collection records the mill, the Pocklington family and local industrial heritage.

Hoogtepunten

• Grade I listed tower mill with eight sails, said to be the only one surviving
• Flour ground on site and sold in the mill shop
• Granary Visitor Centre with a lift and an interactive audio-visual display
• Stationary engines and a steam engine used to power farm mills
• Miller's House tea room and on-site brewery

Vaste collectie

• The Windmill and Granary Visitor Centre – The tower mill with its milling machinery on six floors, and a visitor centre showing the history of the mill and its collection of local photographs and objects.

Beheerder

Heckington Windmill Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Entry covers the windmill and the Granary Visitor Centre. Booking is advised, especially for a guided tour.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

A mobility lift takes visitors from the ground-floor ticket entrance to the Granary Visitor Centre, which gives level access to the ground floor of the windmill. The visitor centre, tea room and brewery are accessible, and accessible toilets are in the Miller's House and in the main toilet block next to the car park. The car park has a gravel surface held by a plastic grid so that wheelchairs can be pushed. The upper floors of the mill are reached by steep wooden steps; an interactive audio-visual display is provided for visitors who cannot climb them. Guide dogs are permitted across the site.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Speeltuin / speelhoek

Children can join a mouse hunt in the windmill and receive a badge and certificate. The enclosed garden at the Miller's House has play equipment and a climbing frame. The Mini Millers children's activity group meets in the bakehouse, and school visits and a windmill challenge badge are offered.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The village is just off the A17, 5 miles east of Sleaford; the mill is on the south side of the village and is signed with brown signs. Bicycle racks are provided and cyclists are welcome.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

The Miller's House Tea Room serves homemade cakes, savoury lunches, drinks and ice cream, with seating in two historic rooms, a garden room, the garden and the courtyard. Afternoon tea can be booked. The on-site 8 Sail Brewery sells beer, and the mill shop sells stone-ground flour, gifts and souvenirs. Well-behaved dogs on fixed leads are welcome on site and in the tea room conservatory and garden room, but not inside the windmill.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Zakelijke evenementen
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

The trust offers site and room hire for business meetings and events, including a package with refreshments and wedding receptions. An education space can be used for group activities.

Je bezoek plannen