After a gap of over 97 years, earlier this month, Swaffham Prior’s two windmills turned their sails once again together!
We bring you two videos to celebrate this momentous occasion! The video below shows the two mills turning together for the first time earlier this month. Below that, we share a short film celebrating the restoration of the mill.
2023!
No, your eyes are not deceiving you – the mills turn in different directions, a quirk of history! Fosters Mill is on the right of the picture (home of the Priors Flour), the Smock Tower Mill is on the left of the picture. Built around 1870, it worked until 1927 when it was struck by lightening in a severe storm. That night brought it’s life to an end until July 2023 when, after two stages of restoration, it was able to turn once again!
1927
The Smock Mill directly in front of the camera, Fosters Mill, behind.
Absolutely brilliant – really heartwarming. Do you know when they will be turning together again?
It takes a very windy day to get the sails on the Smock Mill turning until the shutters and striking gear are fitted. I imagine that will be done over the end of the summer / early autumn, so to be safe – we are looking towards the latter part of 2023!