Wimbledon Windmill Museum London
Founded in 1976, Wimbledon Windmill Museum is a place of extraordinary windmills in London’s Wimbledon Common. As one of the largest museums in United Kingdom, Wimbledon Windmill Museum has exhibitions for both the young and old generations to explore the renowned collections of windmills. This amazing museum fantastically tells the history of windmills and is well-known for its windmill collections, research, public programs, and visits. It was initially based on one floor but later on, it was expanded to two floors. The ground floor of Wimbledon Windmill Museum displays equipments showing the construction and development of the windmills in Wimbledon while the first floor contains utensils clearly telling the story of how the windmills operated and how grain was crushed to make flour. The Wimbledon Windmill Museum is a must visit for you if you are planning a visit to Wimbledon Village.
Visit Wimbledon Windmill Museum’s Website
Instructions
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History of Wimbledon Windmill Museum
John Watney, Honorary Secretary of the City and Guilds of London Institute for the Advancement of Technical Education, presented a proposal to construct a windmill in Wimbledon Common in 1799. However, the proposal was rejected as he was unable to make plans for the proposed mill.
Charles March, a carpenter of Roehampton, took an initiative in 1816 to get permission to make a windmill in Wimbledon. His application was approved in the very next year. The construction of the windmill was started on large scale but it then stopped working in 1864. For the next 28 years, no activities were carried out. The Common Messrs and Conservators were asked in 1892 to submit tenders for the mending of the windmill. Sanderson & Sons’ tender was the most impressive one therefore it was accepted.
The construction of the windmill was reported as being complete in November 1893 with a £50 contribution of the Royal Windmill Golf Club. After the trouncing of a sail in the 1920s, one more set of sails with smaller quantity of shutters was positioned on the mill.
The windmill was repainted at the end of the Second World War. However, the sails were clogged in 1946 due to unnecessary wear in the gearing but it was restored later and the sails started operations on 25 May 1957. The mill was renovated again in 1975 and turned into a museum. In 1999, the Heritage Lottery Fund successfully facilitated the Patent sails to restart their work. -
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Things to See in the Wimbledon Windmill Museum
The list of interesting things in the Wimbledon Windmill Museum is as given below:
- Windmills
- Mortar and pestle
- Stone saddle for grinding corn by hand
- Detailed model of the windmill as it was in its working days
- Hand quern for grinding corn by hand
- Farm implements
- Miller Dann's truncheon
- Part of the tool collection
- Another view of the tool collection
- Girl Guide Memorabilia
- Plaque commemorating Robert Baden-Powell
- Scouting memorabilia including early Cub Scout items
- Postcards -
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Tickets and Entry Requirements
The details of charge made for the admission to the Wimbledon Windmill Museum are as given below:
- Adults: £2
- Children: £1
- Concessions: £1
- Family Ticket (up to 2 adults and 4 children): £5
- For Educational and other Group Visits: £2 per head, with a minimum charge of £25.
- For school visits the charge only applies to children. However, there is no charge for accompanying staff.
Note: Visitors under the age of 16 will not be admitted unless escorted by an adult. -
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Operational Hours
Wimbledon Windmill Museum is operated by volunteers therefore their operational hours are limited to weekends. The museum remains open on Saturdays and Sundays from March until October. However, it remains open for group and educational visits throughout the year by appointment. Make sure to book an appointment through their telephone number or email address prior to your visit. The Museum remains closed from Monday to Friday. On Saturday, it operates from 2 pm to 5 pm. On Sunday, Wimbledon Windmill Museum opens at 11 am and closes at 5 pm. -
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Contact Details of Wimbledon Windmill Museum
In case of any query, information or an appointment, you can simply contact the management of Wimbledon Windmill Museum at the given below contact details:
Telephone Number: +44 20 8947 2825
Email Address: wimbledonwindmill@gmail.com -
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Location of Wimbledon Windmill Museum
Windmill Rd, Wimbledon, London, Greater London SW19 5NR, United Kingdom. -
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How to get to Wimbledon Windmill Museum
By Tube:
The nearest tube station to Wimbledon Windmill Museum is Southfields which is 1.6 miles away and by walk it can take more than half an hour or even more to reach, so availing a bus servie is the wise thought.
By Bus:
Parkside Hospital bus station is just 0.7 miles away from Wimbledon Windmill Museum. Therefore, you can get into bus number 93 to reach this stop and can walk from there onwards. Head north on Parkside/A219 towards Alfreton Close. Take a left turn after 0.3 miles distance from A219. Take another left turn and then take a right turn at Windmill Rd. Find your destination on your right hand side after 13 minutes walk. View Map
