
Fourteen members turned up on 11th October. It was a glorious, sunny day and we started with a cup of tea in the garden of the Visitors’ Centre while we learned about the history of the windmill from Robert.
Several volunteers had come in to guide us around the site.
Brixton Windmill was built in 1816 and was worked by the Ashby family until it closed in 1934. It was powered by wind for nearly 50 years and then by a steam engine (later replaced by gas) from 1902.
It was restored by London County Council in the 1960s but later fell into a state of disrepair which many of us remember. In 2003, the Friends of Windmill Gardens was formed. They resolved to bring back the mill and surrounding area for the local community to enjoy. With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Lambeth Council, the windmill was magnificently restored to become a working mill again and reopened in 2011. It now produces its own flour.

A Visitors’ Centre was built with a cafe and shop so that groups of all ages can visit. Nearly all of us climbed ladders to the top of the mill in groups of three and learned about mill technology and flour production. We were hugely
impressed by the restoration and strongly recommend a visit.
Thank you to the staff and volunteers who gave us such a good time and delicious cakes made with Brixton Windmill flour!
Sally Lynes, Southwark Local History Group