There's been a windmill looking over Mountnessing for close on seven hundred years. Yet the fact that it is still fully functioning and in good condition is down to the valiant efforts of the Friends of Mountnessing Windmill - a small-dedicated team of enthusiasts who maintain and care for this prime example of a traditional wind powered mill. Formed in 1975 and led today by Chairman David Fisher along with a team of volunteers. They organise the mills open days and fund raise to continue their programme of restoration and maintenance. Most villages have a church for a
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a landmark, but not Mountnessing. For them says the groups Treasurer Linda Pargeter it's the Mill. "Because the village hasn't actually got a church as its centre, the windmill has become the focal point, over looking the village hall, school and playing fields." She said. The mill is also famous for another reason says David Fisher. Before the days of the by pass, when the A12 was |
Mountnessing Mill in all her glory.
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busy with traffic, he maintains. For many bank holiday travellers from East London heading for the coast, the sight of the Mill often meant the start of traffic jams though Ingatestone.
Just how long Mountnessing has had a mill is unknown, but historical records have revealed that the earliest recorded reference to a Mill was around 1311 when a Mill on this site along with five acres of land was sold. But the village could have had a mill even earlier as according to experts the slight mound on which the mill stands on was a common feature of early medieval mills.
How long the original mill lasted until rebuilding is not known, but the mill alongside what was then the old roman road can be seen on maps surveyed in the late sixteen hundreds, and again in the early seventieth century. But by 1774 it seems to have disappeared, whether becoming redundant through old age, destroyed by fire or even as was common during the middle ages, vanishing off the maps by being dismantled and removed to a new location.
Today's windmill, however can trace its history back to its construction in 1807 by Felstead Miller William Bentall. But within a few years the Windmill had changed hands with a fellow Felstead resident Joseph Agnis taking over as Miller. Times must have been good for Mr Agnis as within a few years he had invested in additional land and erected two cottages and a butchers shop. For well over a Hundred years the Agnis family continued to grind the local corn before at long last their mill became redundant in 1924. By then wind power was a thing of the past, and the business was in a decline. Even the building of a replacement building for a steam powered mill could not delay the end, for a few years latter the family eventually give up the business leaving the old derelict windmill to fall into decay.
The fact that the mill today is in such good condition is due to two factors. The first being the acquisition of the mill and surrounding land by the then Parish Council, followed in 1947 by the listing of the windmill as a grade two historic building. But by 1956 the building had fallen in such a state of disrepair that finding the level of finance to restore it was well beyond the means of the local Parish Council. But help was at hand with the sale of the mill to the Essex County Council for the nominal sum of One Shilling, a legal requirement that enabled them as new owners, to begin the task of restoration.
The major problem was still one of cost. They had the budget to restore the outer fabric of the building, but not the internal machinery. A concern to the Brentwood Civic Society, who took the view that the long-term future of the mill could only be assured by putting the mill back into working order and ensuring that it always faced into the wind. This would additional funding. A situation answered by the formation by the Civic Society of Friends of Mountnessing Mill who took on the task of financing the restoration of internal workings
Over the years they raised the funds, and organised work parties to lovingly paint, clean and replace rotting timbers to restore the internal machinery to full working order. Occasionally says the group's chairman, David Fisher. They even manage to let the mill earn its keep by lining the sails to the wind, and grinding a little corn, the resulting flour being sold on to visitors. It's then that David Fisher admits to being happiest. "Somebody said to me once that it was the ultimate big boys toy," he laughed, "and we are allowed to play with it." The windmill can't as yet produce much flour as it only uses one stone rather then the normal two. But he went on, "otherwise it's a complete, post windmill and providing there is enough wind, can start operating within ten minutes."
The friends of Mountnessing windmill like nothing better then to show visitors around their pride and joy and have this prime example of ancient industrial technology open during the afternoon of every third Sunday of the month. Plus several other occasions such as the village fate and by special arrangement for school visits, when if they're young visitors are very lucky and there is enough wind. It won't much persuasion to get the sails turning and the mill working. The resulting traditionally wind milled flour being available for sale.
Ends.
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