Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II listed building. Main construction periods 1849 to 1849. Tower windmill built 1849. It continued working until damaged by enemy fire during World War Two in 1943. Now only the tarred brick tower with projecting roundhouse on ground floor remains, the cap and sails missing

Monument Types

• WINDMILL (Post Medieval to Modern - 1849 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 34 SW 90:
[TR 3330 4435] Guston Mill [NAT] (1) Swingate Mill, Grade II, Hangmans Lane. Windmill tower. 1849 for John Mummery. Tarred brick tower mill, with projecting roundhouse on ground floor and boarded door. Irregularly placed wooden casement. Cap and sweeps missing, some machinery reported still existing. Worked by the Mummery family for 73 years, ceased working 1936 (see B.J. and J. M. Turpin, Windmills in Kent, 22). (2) [TR 334 444] The windmill is situated 400 metres north-east of the A258 on a side road leading to Guston village (see Illustration Card).The mill was constructed in the mid 19th century. It became idle in 1930 and was bought by a Mr Tomsett who worked it by wind until 1943. Milling by wind was discontinued during the Second World War when one pair of the patent sweeps was badly damaged by enemy fire. The last major work on the mill was undertaken in 1947, when the war damage commission financed the repair of one pair of sweeps. The mill was eventually powered by an electric motor for a short period. An exceptionally well-built mill in its day, it did a good trade for manyyears and continued grinding animal feed by wind into the 1940's. Thefour patent sweeps drove three pairs of stones. It has been struck bylightning at least twice since 1900, on one occasion the links in the sack hoist chain being welded together. Today only the tarred brick tower remains, without a cap but otherwise in good condition. The windmill is situated 400 metres north east of the A258 on a side road leading to Guston village. (3-5)

Additional Info (6,7).

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TR 34 SW GUSTON HANGMANS LANE north side
5/17 Swingate Mill 22.8.66 GV II
Windmill Tower. 1849 for John Mummery. Tarred brick tower mill, with projecting roundhouse on ground floor and boarded door. Irregularly placed wooden casement. Cap and sweeps missing, some machinery reported still existing. Worked by the Mummery family for 73 years, ceased working 1936 (see B J and J M Turpin, Windmills in Kent, 22).
Listing NGR: TR3330244358 (8)

Historic England Archive Material: BF002505 SWINGATE MILL, GUSTON File of material relating to a site or building. This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate.

<1> OS 6" 1986 (OS Card Reference). SKE48382.

<2> DOE(HHR) Dist of Dover 1987 7 (OS Card Reference). SKE40944.

<3> Ind Arch of SE Eng 1978 43 (AJ Haselfoot) (OS Card Reference). SKE44232.

<4> The Windmills of Kent 1979 44-46 (J West) (OS Card Reference). SKE50547.

<5> Windmills in Kent 1979 22 (BJ and JM Turpin) (OS Card Reference). SKE51343.

<6> RPS Coulston, 1993, Proposed pipeline route A1 preliminary archaeological and ecological review of the proposed aligm't (Unpublished document). SKE6817.

<7> RPS, 1995, St Margarets, Cliffe, to Brickfield Cottages, Water Pipeline: Archaeological Monitoring Report (Unpublished document). SKE7105.

<8> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading