Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building.A post mill of the late 17th-early 18th century. A mill has been seen on this site since 1596. The mill is built of tarred weatherboard, with the roundhouse being of the same materials. The mill ceased work in 1883, after being bought by a rival miller. The mill is now under reconstruction. Main construction periods 1596 to 1979 C17th & later windmill

Images

Monument Types

• WINDMILL (Post Medieval - 1596 AD to 1883 AD)

Full description

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The following text is from the original listed building designation:
ROLVENDEN BENENDEN ROAD 1. 5272 (south side) Rolvenden Windmill TQ 83 SW 7/268 16.8.62. II*
2. Probable late Cl7 or early C18 mill on the site of an earlier mill of 1596. It ceased work in 1883. Post type. Faced with tarred weatherboarding. Modern octagonal 'roundhouse' also faced with tarred weatherboarding but part of it now missing. Four restored sweeps. Tailpole extant.
Listing NGR: TQ8403631502 (1)

Description from record TQ 83 SW 14:
(TQ 84443157 - sited from HHR map) 5272 ROLVENDEN BENENDEN ROAD (south side) Rolvenden Windmill TQ 83 SW 7/268 16.8.62. II* Probable late C17 or early C18 mill on the site of an earlier mill of 1596. It ceased work in 1883. Post type. Faced with tarred weatherboarding. Modern octagonal 'roundhouse' also faced with tarred weatherboarding but part of it now missing. Four restored sweeps. Tailpole extant. (1-2) (TQ 84443157) Windmill (dis) (NAT) (3) TQ 838315. Rolvenden Post Mill (see illus) worked until 1883 and two sweeps were removed in 1885. The wooden round house was pulled down for firewood during World War 1. Although some repairs were carried out in the 1930s, it stood derelict until 1956 when restoration work began. It now stands complete with common sweeps, brick roundhouse, tail pole and new weatherboarding. The interior contains much of its machinery, including two pairs of stones. There is no direct evidence as to when the mill was built but it is probable that it was in 1772, the date carved inside the mill. There is documentary evidence of a mill house here in 1556. The mill mound is probably even older. A mill at Rolvenden is shown on maps of 1596 and 1719 and all county maps since 1736. No mill is shown in 1680 or 1736. (4-6)

TQ 838315. Rolvenden Post Mill (see illus) worked until 1883 and two sweeps were removed in 1885. The wooden round house was pulled down for firewood during World War 1. Although some repairs were carried out in the 1930s, it stood derelict until 1956 when restoration work began. It now stands complete with common sweeps, brick roundhouse, tail pole and new weatherboarding. The interior contains much of its machinery, including two pairs of stones. There is no direct evidence as to when the mill was built but it is probable that it was in 1772, the date carved inside the mill. There is documentary evidence of a mill house here in 1556. The mill mound is probably even older. A mill at Rolvenden is shown on maps of 1596 and 1719 and all county maps since 1736. No mill is shown in 1680 or 1736. (7-9)

Historic England archive material (10)

<1> DOE (HHR) Dist of Ashford Boro Kent Aug 1979 79 (OS Card Reference). SKE40184.

<1> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<2> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 2nd Ed 1980 498 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37945.

<3> OS 1:10000 1979 (OS Card Reference). SKE48165.

<4> Windmills in Kent 1979 16 photo (BJ & JM Turpin) (OS Card Reference). SKE51337.

<5> Windmills of Eng 1976 106-7 illus (RJ Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE51359.

<6> Windmills of Kent 2nd Ed 1979 64-6 (J West) (OS Card Reference). SKE51392.

<10> Historic England, Archive material associated with Rolvenden Mill (Archive). SKE55557.

Sources and further reading