Windmill gets grinding for Milling Monday

Brixton Windmill is grinding again for the first time since 1934. This Bank Holiday weekend you can see how flour is being made in Lambeth’s last surviving windmill.

Volunteer Beth holding 1.5Kg of freshly milled flour that she milled herself. Photo by Owen Llewellyn  (Cygnus Imaging Ltd)
Trainee Beth Collier holding 1.5Kg of freshly milled flour that she milled herself. Photo by Owen Llewellyn (Cygnus Imaging Ltd)

Volunteers at Brixton Windmill have been refurbishing the historic building to get it grinding flour again, supported by donations from locals. On Bank Holiday Monday 4th May, they’re opening it up for everyone to see their progress.

The volunteers have been trained to operate the enormous millstones by a professional miller. The stones were installed in 1902 and are now powered by electricity instead of steam or gas – a modern advance which is apparently producing very high quality flour.

On Monday the Brixton millers will demonstrate how the mill works, and how they will be packaging and labeling the flour which they hope to sell to the public soon to raise funds for the upkeep of the windmill.

As if that isn’t enough flour-based fun for a bank holiday, Brixton Windmill is also holding the inaugural Great Brixton Windmill Bakeoff in Windmill Gardens! More info on their website.