Downfield Windmill is a Grade II* listed building in the East Cambridgeshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 1 December 1951. Windmill. 1 related planning application.
Downfield Windmill
- WRENN ID
- secret-tallow-summer
- Grade
- II*
- Local Planning Authority
- East Cambridgeshire
- Constituency
- Ely and East Cambridgeshire MP: Charlotte Cane (LD)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 1 December 1951
- Type
- Windmill
- Address
- Downfield Windmill, Windmill Close, Soham, CB7 5BG
- OS grid reference
- TL 608 717
- Coordinates
- 52.32033, 0.35798
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
Downfield Windmill is a tower windmill originally built as a timber framed smock windmill in 1726. It was raised in 1860 and underwent significant rebuilding after a storm in 1889. The windmill was restored in 1975 and is currently a working mill. It is constructed of brick and tarred, featuring four storeys with a capping that has been rebuilt in metal sheeting, maintaining the original ogee shape. The windmill has a renewed fantail and two sails. Most of the interior dates from the 19th century, but it includes some timber reused from the original 1726 mill, including part of the main shaft.
Local climate
Downfield Windmill sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 700 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 91% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 89% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 31 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 60% of listed buildings. Of these, 15 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- Related listed building consents — 1 application
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
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