For some odd reason, I like windmills.
I say 'odd' because I have no interest in how all the cogs and gears mash together to grind corn but I still like to visit. Maybe it's something to do with an interest in social history, maybe they just look photogenic.
With a deep blue sky as backdrop, Great Chishill windmill was certainly looking good when we stopped off for a few minutes on our journey home.
And it's a great place to stop and admire the view (again, as on Periwinkle Hill outside Barkway, I bet you can see Ely in the distance)
Even I could tell this wasn't a standard windmill with a static brick or stone tower, with sails that operate when the wind happens to be blowing the right direction, but I'm not sure what is meant by its description as 'an open trestle postmill'; one of only seven in the country!
What I did manage to glean from an information board is that the smaller fantail whirls round and operates a mechanism which moves the whole mill around to face the wind direction., and there are warnings that the mill might suddenly move. It didn't while we were there, but it's a clever idea.
If you're interested enough to want to find out more, including info about the group restoring it, check out the Great Chishill Windmill site here
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