“I laid the first brick of my mill” John Chaplin wrote in his diary. This simple entry marks the birth of Fulbourn Windmill in 1808. Standing proudly on Mill Hill it replaced a watermill lost to the draining of Fulbourn Fen.
Fulbourn Windmill isn’t just a windmill. It’s a testament to Cambridgeshire’s agricultural past. Its imposing octagonal shape a brick base and wooden superstructure rise 42 feet high. From its 160-foot vantage point you can even see Ely Cathedral on a clear day.
The windmill thrived during the Napoleonic Wars. High corn prices fuelled by the Corn Laws ensured prosperity for its owner. The mill served everyone from large landowners to the poorest villagers. They brought their gleanings from the harvest field to be ground into flour. The women’s gleanings a precious contribution to their families’ survival were often paid to the miller in flour. Mrs George Hancock once gleaned eleven bushels of wheat enough for two four-pound loaves a week.
This prosperity didn’t last. The late 19th century brought agricultural depression. Imported American wheat undercut local farmers. Steam mills were more efficient and reliable. Fulbourn Windmill’s role changed. It ground animal feedstuffs. By 1933 only 22 tons of grain were milled mostly barley oats beans maize and peas. Wheat made up only 9%.
Lightning struck Fulbourn Windmill twice in one storm in 1933. It split the mill from top to bottom. Repairs were costly. In 1937 the sails stopped turning. The windmill’s useful life was over.
The windmill fell into disrepair. But thanks to dedicated restoration efforts it stands today a reminder of a bygone era. A symbol of resilience and a captivating piece of Cambridgeshire history. It’s a story of prosperity decline and remarkable rebirth. A story written in brick wood and the whispers of the wind.