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Waltham Windmill is a six-sailed windmill located in the village of Waltham, five miles from Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire, England. It is renowned in the area for having all six sails still in full working capacity, being one of the very few windmills like this in the United Kingdom.
The first mill on this site was built in 1666 and was a trestle post mill . The location was well set on the Brigsley Road with good transport into Grimsby and out towards the farms of the Lincolnshire Wolds. This mill was blown down in 1744, but soon replaced with another post mill to continue the job of the old. Unfortunately for the residents of the area, this one suffered a similar fate, being blown down in 1873.
Construction of the one that stands today began in 1878 and was completed by the accomplished water-colour painter John Saunderson from Louth, Lincolnshire in 1880. (A painting of Louth Parish Church (south elevation, and titled "Louth Cathedral, south elevation") remains to this day in his descendants family.) The new windmill was constructed of local brick and coated with a layer of tar as a seal against the elements. The six-storied mill had a greater capacity than the previous post mills and featured 6 double-sided sails, driving four pairs of grinding stones for the production of flour (two so-called greystones (peak stones, cut from rock of the Peak District) and two French quartzite stones).
In the 1920s, the sails were reconstructed to single-sided sails to increase its efficiency in light winds. It is said that during World War II whilst RAF Grimsby was being constructed the Air Ministry saw the Windmill as a possible waypoint for German Bombers. They went to see the Farmer who owned the mill and told him they would destroy it along with the Grimsby Dock Tower and Binbrook Windmill. The farmer then went to get his shotgun and chased them off his land and they only returned to construct the W.A.A.F. canteen. Grimsby Dock Tower survived due to it holding a Royal Navy wireless transmitter, however Binbrook Windmill was demolished. By 1962, Waltham Windmill was one of the last windmills in England to be fully operational by wind, but from this point until 1967, it was powered by electricity.
Within the grounds of the windmill, there are a miniature railway, a museum dedicated to Rural Life, Grimsby Telephone museum, an old sweet shop selling favourites from the 1920s to the 1970s, an Indian restaurant, and a café housed in the body of an old Great Northern Railway 6-wheel carriage. The windmill itself is still standing, and is funded by the Waltham Windmill Preservation Society and the Waltham Windmill Trust and various events are held throughout the year, ranging from Car-Boot Sales on Sunday mornings, mainly during the summer, to Classic Car Rallies, Airshows, and an annual firework display held on the first Saturday every November.
In 2001 the windmill cap and sails were removed so that they could be restored and repainted. The Windmill is also used as the symbol for Waltham's Infant and Junior Schools logos. In 2013 the windmill was restored at a cost of £30,000. [1]
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea. It is divided between the East Midlands and the Yorkshire and Humber regions. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north-west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders Northamptonshire in the south for just 20 yards (19 m), England's shortest county boundary. The county town is Lincoln, where the county council is also based.
North East Lincolnshire is a Unitary authority area with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. It borders the borough of North Lincolnshire and districts of West Lindsey and East Lindsey. The population of the district in the 2011 Census was 159,616. The administrative centre and largest settlement is Grimsby and the borough includes the towns of Cleethorpes and Immingham as well as the villages of New Waltham, Waltham, Humberston, Healing and Great Coates. The borough is also home to the Port of Grimsby and Port of Immingham as well as Cleethorpes beach.
Alford is a town in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, at the foot of the Lincolnshire Wolds, which form an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The population was recorded as 3,459 in the 2011 Census and estimated at 3,789 in 2019. It lies between the towns of Mablethorpe, Louth, Spilsby, and Skegness and acts as a local retail centre.
Heckington Windmill is the only eight-sailed tower windmill still standing in the United Kingdom with its sails intact.
Alford Windmill is a five-sailed windmill in Alford, Lincolnshire and the only surviving windmill out of four. Though the windmill has been restored to working order, it no longer supplies flour for sale.
The Lincolnshire Wolds Railway (LWR) is a heritage railway based at Ludborough station, near Louth, Lincolnshire, England and the only standard gauge steam railway in Lincolnshire open to the public. The line is part of the original Great Northern Railway (GNR), a rail system that opened in 1848 and once linked Grimsby, Louth and East Lincolnshire with London. In early 2002, 2009 and 2013 the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway received a top national award from the Heritage Railway Association for its heritage railway efforts.
Waltham is a large village and civil parish in North East Lincolnshire, England. It is 4 miles (6 km) south of Grimsby close to the suburb of Scartho and to the smaller villages of Brigsley, Barnoldby-le-Beck, and Holton le Clay. Less than 2 miles (3 km) to the east-north-east is the village of New Waltham. In the 2001 census, Waltham had a population of 6,420, reducing slightly to 6,413 at the 2011 census.
Royal Air Force Grimsby or more simply RAF Grimsby is a former Royal Air Force station located near Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England. The site was operational during the Second World War as part of RAF Bomber Command initially as a satellite station for the Vickers Wellington bombers of RAF Binbrook. By early 1943 the station was equipped with Avro Lancaster bombers of No. 100 Squadron RAF.
Sibsey is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated at the junction of the A16 and B1184 roads, 4 miles (6.4 km) north from Boston. Sibsey Northlands is to the north of the village. The Prime Meridian passes just to the west of Sibsey, crossing the Stone Bridge Drain canal. At the 2001 census, Sibsey had a population of 1,996, reducing to 1,979 at the 2011 Census.
Ludborough is a heritage railway station in Ludborough, Lincolnshire, England, which is the base of the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway. The station, which was previously part of the East Lincolnshire Railway, closed in 1961 to passengers and 1964 to freight, but was taken over by the preservation society in 1984. The first trains from the station to North Thoresby, to the north, ran in August 2009, the first for 47 years. There are proposals to extend the line further in both directions towards Holton-le-Clay and Louth.
Waltham was a railway station on the East Lincolnshire Railway which served the villages of New Waltham and Humberston in Lincolnshire between 1848 and 1964. It was originally named Waltham and Humberstone, but Humberstone was dropped soon after opening. The line through Waltham remained open for freight until December 1980.
Holton-le-Clay was a railway station on the East Lincolnshire Railway which served the English villages of Holton-le-Clay and Tetney in Lincolnshire between 1848 and 1964. It was originally named Holton-le-Clay and Tetney, but Tetney was dropped soon after opening, even though the station was more conveniently sited for that village. The line through Holton-le-Clay remained open for freight until December 1980, but could be reopened by the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway as its northern terminus.
North Thoresby is a heritage railway station in North Thoresby, Lincolnshire. The station, which was previously part of the East Lincolnshire Railway, closed in 1970, but has since been reopened by the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway. The first services to the station from Ludborough, to the south, ran in August 2009, the first in 47 years. The LWR aims to extend the line further in both directions, northwards as far as Holton-Le-Clay and southwards to Louth.
Utterby Halt was a railway halt on the East Lincolnshire Railway which served the village of Utterby in Lincolnshire between 1905 and 1961. The station, which opened as part of a new motor train service between Grimsby Town and Louth, is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a ganger killed on the level crossing in 1953. The line through Utterby remained open for freight until December 1980.
Fotherby Halt was a railway halt on the East Lincolnshire Railway which served the village of Fotherby in Lincolnshire between 1905 and 1961. The station was opened on the site of a previous station named Fotherby Gate House which had closed in 1872. The second station closed in 1961, but the line through it remained open for freight until December 1980. The line through the station could be reopened by the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway as part of its extension south from Ludborough to Louth.
Trader Mill is located in the village of Sibsey, Lincolnshire. It's one of two windmills which were grinding flour for the local community. Rhodes Mill has been converted into a house. Built in 1877 by Saunderson of Louth in the typical Lincolnshire style, since then it has been restored and is now owned by English Heritage and managed by an independent party. It is a six-storey windmill with complete gear, six sails and fantail which still works today. It is a Grade I listed building.
The East Lincolnshire Railway was a main line railway linking the towns of Boston, Louth and Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England. It opened in 1848. The ELR Company had leased the line to the Great Northern Railway, and it was the latter which constructed the line and operated it, as its East Lincolnshire Line.
Weelsby Road Halt was a railway halt on the East Lincolnshire Railway which served the Weelsby Road area of eastern Grimsby in Lincolnshire between 1905 and 1940. The station was opened as part of a new motor train service between Grimsby and Louth. It was the site of major works in 1933 when a plate girder bridge was constructed to replace a level crossing, enabling road traffic to pass underneath through a subway. The station closed in 1952 following a period of temporary closure during the Second World War. The line through Weelsby remained open for freight until December 1980. The trackbed was later reused by Humberside County Council to construct the A16 Peaks Parkway which now runs through the site. Building of the road put an end to the aspirations of the Great Northern and East Lincolnshire Railway plc to reopen the line as a heritage railway.
Hainton Street Halt was a railway halt on the East Lincolnshire Railway which served the Welholme Road area of Grimsby in Lincolnshire between 1905 and 1961. The station was opened as part of a new motor train service between Grimsby and Louth. The station briefly closed in 1939 as a Second World War economy measure, but reopened in 1940. The line through Hainton Street remained open for freight until December 1980. The trackbed was later reused by Humberside County Council to construct the A16 Peaks Parkway which now runs through the site. Building of the road put an end to the aspirations of the Great Northern and East Lincolnshire Railway plc to reopen the line as a heritage railway.
Louth North railway station is the future southern terminus of the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway where it will occupy a new site on the Fairfield industrial site.
Source: Great Grimsby Library Records Office
