The Mill

The Mill is a tower windmill built in 1796, constructed using materials from the demolished late 16th century Shire Hall. It features a dressed stone conical tower, which was covered in scaffolding at the time of inspection. The entrance is blocked, but it was recorded as having the Royal arms from Shire Hall above, which were not found. An iron roundel above the entrance has the lettering: 1796/ MI. The windows, some of which are blocked, have wedge lintels with keys, and the cap of the mill is missing.

Inside, the mill retains heavily moulded floor beams of substantial scantling on each floor, possibly from the demolition of the Elizabethan Shire Hall in 1793. Some heavy timbers and trusses of the conical roof are still present. The mill was steam powered by 1847 and stopped working in the early 1880s, becoming derelict by the late 1930s. Despite its derelict state, the mill remains an important landmark in Stafford. The site is believed to be the location of the Norman Royal castle from around 1070, and the mill is sometimes claimed to stand on the foundations of the castle keep.