Guide Recalls Rough Times for Shirley Windmill
The fascinating history of Shirley Windmill is revealed in a new guide to the mill and the surrounding area, edited by Frank Paine.
Published by the Friends of Shirley Windmill, the book traces the history of the site from 1808 when William Alwen built the first mill here through to the present day.
William's original structure was a large, wooden, post mill, which the Alwen family worked for 46 years before it was destroyed by fire in 1854.
To help prevent this tragedy happening again, William's grandson Richard erected a tower mill on the site mainly built of bricks. These were probably purchased from local brickfields in nearby South Norwood and Woodside.
Some of the other building materials used and the milling machinery came from a disused mill at Stratford, in East London. During restoration work in 1927, an old oak beam with the date 1720 inscribed on it was discovered, indicating the date of some it re-incorporated into their new mill.
Sadly for Richard, he rebuilt the family mill at a time when windmills were slowly becoming uncompetitive.
In the mid 19th century, steam powered roller mills were capturing a larger share of the market as they produced finer, whiter flour, much preferred by bakers. This continuing trend affected the profitability of the Shirley mill. Nevertheless, the Alwen family continued milling until the late 1880's when the mill was bought by Alfred Rayson.
Alfred fared little better than his predecessors. Unable to for human consumption, he used the mill mainly for manufacturing animal feed.
Milling at Shirley finally came to an end when Alfred died in 1892 and the once handsome structure entered a period of gradual decline.
During a violent storm in 1899 the mill was struck by lightning. A further lightning bolt hit the sails in 1906, putting in doubt the adage that lightning never strikes twice !
Fortunately, the prompt action by the Croydon Fire Brigade prevented the mill from being totally destroyed.
For years the mill stood in a state of semi-dereliction both broken and damaged.
As the suburbanisation of the area slowly spread across the surrounding farmland, it seemed the developer would soon demolish Shirley's most famous landmark.
However, the old mill was saved from destruction by the philanthropy of a wealthy local resident George Givan. He purchased the site and began restoration work on the windmill in 1927. It is thanks to George's generosity that the mill survives today for future generations to enjoy.
Thanks to the efforts of the Friends of Shirley Windmill, the building is now open to the public in the summer.
In the winter months, the public can enjoy an armchair tour of the structure through the recently published guide which costs £3.99 including postage and packing and is available from The Friends of Shirley Windmill, 39 Addiscombe Road, Croydon CRO 6SA (Tel: 020 8406 4676), or from the Clocktower Gift Shop.