For many the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings has organised National Mills Weekend (formerly "National Mills Day"), a celebration of Britain's milling heritage.

Wind and water are sustainable power sources, used for hundreds of years in Britain in the production of natural food.

There are currently more than 100 working mills capable of producing natural, stoneground flour and many of these will be open to the public during National Mills Weekend. In addition, over the weekend, a further 300 mills throughout the country will be welcoming visitors.

SPAB's Windmill Committee was formed in 1931 in response to an alarming decline in the numbers of the country's windmills. Later it included watermills within its interests, and it "encouraged the art of country milling". Still active today the SPAB is the only national amenity society dedicated to the protection of our milling heritage.

Some working mills are more than 300 years old yet still efficiently doing the job in the 21st century that they were built and designed for.

National Mills Weekend 2018 was held on Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th May.

Some mills work as commercial businesses, while others are run by enthusiastic volunteers. Fifty years ago, the windmills and watermills of this country were thought to be in terminal decline, but now there has been a renaissance in these wonderful reminders of our past.

In Sussex, windmills and watermills have not only produced meal flour, but have made gunpowder as those at Battle, or pumped water like the Coultershaw Beam Pump that once pumped water into Petworth. Many watermills in Sussex produced a variety of products such as linseed oil, cattle cake, oil dressed leather and drove fulling stocks for fulling wool. Today in Sussex, most of those that have survived are those that produced meal flour.

Morris dancers at Stone Cross Windmill Photo by David Jones   Open Day at Nutley Windmill : Photo by Nick Linazasoro

Details of Sussex Mills that planned to open to visitors on National Mills Weekend 2018 appear below.
MILL	DAY	OPENING TIMES	SPECIAL EVENTS AND COMMENTS
Argos Hill Windmill	SAT	2 pm to 5 pm
Lurgashall Watermill	SAT	10.30 am to 5.30 pm
Nutley Windmill	SAT	11 am to 5.30 pm	Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Uckfield & District Preservation Society. The Nutley Windmill Group (part of UDPS) looks after Nutley windmill, a Grade II* listed building that was built around 1700. All work carried out at the mill (including major structural work) has been carried out using the skills and expertise of our enthusiastic volunteers. The Society has earned a European Heritage Award for its work on the Mill.
Rottingdean Windmill	SAT	2 pm to 4.30 pm
Park Watermill, Batemans	SAT	11 am to 5 pm
Stone Cross	SAT	10 am to 4 pm
MILL	DAY	OPENING TIMES	SPECIAL EVENTS AND COMMENTS
Argos Hill Windmill	SUN	2 pm to 5 pm
Burton Watermill	SUN	10 am to 4 pm	Stoneground Flour and Hydro Power
Cobbs Watermill	SUN	11 am to 4 pm	The Tangye Engine will be running.
Coultershaw Beam Pump	SUN	11 am to 5 pm
Chailey Windmill	SUN	3 pm to 5 pm
High Salvington Windmill	SUN	2.30 pm to 5 pm	Guided tours. Exhibition & Amateur radio station. Refreshments.
Lurgashall Watermill	SUN	10.30 am to 5 pm
Michelham Priory Watermill	SUN	2 pm to 4.30 pm	Long Man Morris Dancing outside the mill from 2.30 pm
Nutley Windmill	SUN	10 am to 5.30 pm	Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Uckfield & District Preservation Society The Nutley Windmill Group (part of UDPS) looks after Nutley windmill, a Grade II* listed building that was built around 1700. All work carried out at the mill (including major structural work) has been carried out using the skills and expertise of our enthusiastic volunteers. The Society has earned a European Heritage Award for its work on the Mill. Radio station call sign GBZNW
Oldland Windmill	SUN	2 pm to 4 pm	Guides available to answer questions and milling will take place, wind permitting.
Park Watermill, Batemans	SUN	11 am to 5 pm
Polegate Windmill	SUN	11 am to 5 pm	Amateur Radio contact with other mills Long Man Morris Men visit at 12.30 pm Classic car display on the mill plat
Rottingdean Windmill	SUN	2 pm to 4.30 pm
Stone Cross Windmill	SUN	10 am to 4 pm	Morris dancers Sunday 1.30 pm to 2 pm
West Blatchington Windmill	SUN	11 am to 5 pm	Stationary Engines, Exhibition of model locos, Radio operators broadcasting in the exhibition room, Hand-made mosaics, Craft stalls, 2nd hand books and jigsaws, 'Good as new' stall, 'Hook a duck' and Kiddies Fun stall and other attractions The Black Powder Morris will be dancing at 2.30 pm Homemade cakes and refreshments Tours of the mill
Windmill Hill Windmill	SUN	11 am to 4.30 pm	Mish Mash Morris Dancers at 2 pm and 3.30 pm, plants, refreshments, guided tours, stationary engines, and other attractions.

The website of G4CDD Denby Dale Radio Club has details of Amateur Radio Stations broadcasting from Mills on National Mills weekend.

Is your Sussex Mill listed here ?

If not . . . . please click here

For further information, please visit the SPAB Mills Section website.