Yorkshire windmills

Local history is taking a back seat at the moment as I am spending hours outside in the garden. It is the time of year when everything, including the grass, is growing and it is good to see that plants which I thought had died over winter, are now coming to life. This is especially true of the fuchsias, many of which were in hanging baskets and are just beginning to leaf up.

But I did also spend some time last week looking at local windmills. I was booked to give a talk at the Marshland Local History group who meet in Swinefleet village hall.

I have always been interested in windmills and their history. So it was a pleasure to put together a presentation which began  with pictures of Ellerker mill and then moved to Newport, Gilberdyke, Yokefleet and Howden before crossing the Ouse.

 One of the most interesting mills is the Anti Mill between Newport and Gilberdyke which was built in the 1790s so that people could buy pure flour which had not been adulterated.

Having crossed the river we looked at the windmills of Airmyn and Cowick before moving into Goole for a quick look at Timms' Mill, now part of the Morrisons; site and Herons' mill at Shuffleton before moving to the Goole Fields mill and into the Marshland.

Here the audience were very helpful as I showed pictures of mills at Swinefleet, Ousefleet and Adlingfleet and they talked about where they stood.

It was a good evening and even I was surprised  as I put the talk together just how many windmills there were in this flat Yorkshire landscape.

This multi view postcard, dating from 1908, of the Gilberdyke area shows both Gilberdyke and Newport windmills