Building record 2938/1/1 - Barby Corn Mill (& WWII Home Guard Observation Post)

A brick tower mill built in the early 19th century. It ceased working circa 1875. The windmill was used as a World War II Home Guard observation post. In WW2 the owner became CO of the LDV and donated the good conditioned brick windmill as an observation post. Listed.

{1} Tower windmill. During WWII the owner and CO of the Local Defence Volunteers (later the Home Guard), donated the tower mill for war use as an observation post.

{2} Disused Tower Mill. Early C19. Blue and red brick, no roof. 3 storeys. Original doorways and windows (mostly blocked) with flat arched brick openings. Interior not inspected.

{4} The brick shell of a three-story tower corn mill, about 10m high and 8m in diameter at the base. It was built c.1830 to replace an earlier post mill; the sails were blown off in the 1870s. Milling continued until the early 1900s using a steam engine housed in a separate building (the latter was demolished in the late 1970s). Work started on restoration of the tower in 1997.

{6} In WW2 the owner became CO of the LDV and donated the windmill as an observation post. Four square holes were knocked out just above the line of the second floor windows. Replacement flooring was also installed, the supporting beams being cemented into the original mortices

{7} Undated photo.

{10} Windmill used as Home Guard observation post. All the windows were blocked up and new floors added. Four holes, for observation, were knocked out above top floor blocked windows.Tower windmill. In WW2 the owner became CO of the LDV and donated the windmill as an observation post. Four square holes were knocked out just above the line of the second floor windows. Replacement flooring was also installed, the supporting beams being cemented into the original mortices. Barby WindmillTower windmill.

<1> STAINWRIGHT T.L., 1991, Windmills of Northamptonshire and the Soke of Peterborough: A History of Twentieth Century Sites, 27 (unchecked) (Book). SNN100318.

<2> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 4/46 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<3> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F04 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<4> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2001, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage Of Northamptonshire, p.9 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN104759.

<5> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2011, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage of Northamptonshire (2nd Edition), p.12 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN107622.

<6> Council for British Archaeology, 2006, Defence of Britain Archive (Archive). SNN111841.

<7> Photographs of buildings in Barby (Photographs). SNN111891.

<8> Historic England, Undated, BARBY CORN MILL, BARBY, BF002877 (Archive). SNN112948.

<9> Bryan, AA, 1998, Windmill Gazetteer for England, p. 21 (Gazetteer). SNN113560.

<10> Migrated Defence of Britain Project database record originally compiled from various sources (Database). SNN112922.

<11> Historic England, Undated, Defence of Britain, DOB01 (Archive). SNN112947.

Record last edited

Jun 21 2024 9:31AM