The Windmill

The Windmill is an early 19th-century smock mill, now used as a dwelling, with an attached house. It was altered in the 20th century. The mill is timber-framed, with plastered and weatherboarded elevations, and a fabric-covered cap. The attached house is also timber-framed, with weatherboarded elevations and a slate roof. The mill is octagonal, with the house extending to the northwest and a 20th-century wing to the northeast, forming an L-shaped plan. The mill is five storeys high, with a cap, while the house is two storeys high. The ground floor of the mill is plastered, featuring six 20th-century casement windows and a 20th-century door to the southeast. The remainder of the mill is weatherboarded with four 20th-century casements on each floor, and two loading doors on the first floor. Surviving features include the stocks, sails, and fantail gear. The cap is topped with a ball finial. The southwest elevation of the house has a three-window range of 20th-century casements and a 20th-century door, under a low-pitched roof. The mill is believed to have been built in Cressing around 1770 and moved to Terling around 1825, although this has not been definitively confirmed. Internal structural features suggest various alterations and the possibility of dismantling and re-erection. The mill was present in Terling by around 1818, initially designed for grinding bark, and was soon after converted for corn milling. It operated until 1960 and was the last working windmill in Essex. The machinery has been removed, but was fully documented.