Barnet Gate Mill

Arkley Windmill
Arkley Windmill
	Barnet Gate Mill.
Origin
Mill name	Barnet Gate Mill
Grid reference	TQ 217 953
Coordinates	51°38′35″N 0°14′35″W / 51.643°N 0.243°W
Operator(s)	Private
Year built	c. 1830
Information
Purpose	Corn mill
Type	tower mill
Storeys	Four storeys
No. of sails	Four sails
Type of sails	Two Patent sails and two Common sails
Windshaft	Cast iron
Winding	Fantail
Auxiliary power	Steam engine
No. of pairs of millstones	Three pairs

Barnet Gate Mill or Arkley Windmill is a grade II* listed tower mill at Barnet Gate in the London Borough of Barnet, originally in Hertfordshire.^[1] There is no public access.

History

Barnet Gate Mill was probably built between 1822 and 1840.^[1] A claim that it was built during the Napoleonic Wars (c.1800) has not been substantiated. Although steam had been added in 1895,^[2] it was working by wind until 1916.^[1] The mill was restored in 1930.^[3] A new cap, fantail and gallery around the cap being made. The work was done by Thomas Hunt, the Soham millwright. In a further restoration in 1985, the missing pair of sails was replaced.^[2]

Description

Barnet Gate Mill is a four-storey tower mill with an ogee cap which has a gallery. It has two Patent sails and two Common sails carried on a cast iron windshaft. The cap is winded by a fantail.^[2]

Machinery

The mill may have started life with two Common sails and two Spring sails carried on a wooden windshaft as the wooden clasp arm Brake Wheel has had to be fitted with packing pieces to enable it to fit the current windshaft, which being of iron is a smaller diameter than a wooden one would be. The Wallower is of cast iron, carried on a wooden upright shaft. This carries the Great Spur Wheel, which is of iron with wooden cogs and drove the two pairs of millstones underdrift. A third pair was added when steam power was installed. Only one pair of millstones remains today.^[2]