THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE —  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

GLASS PLATE NEGATIVE OF FINDON WINDMILL?

Copyright Valerie Martin 2006

At the end of May 2006, I had a visit from the late John Pelling.   He had this very interesting photograph that had been made from a glass plate negative with the label stating that it was the "Findon Windmill".... what a lovely portrayal of a windmill in a state of dereliction....

Let's have a look at the surrounding countryside and see if we recognise anything in the way of contours of the land, flint walls and houses.....

Note the chimney to a dwelling on the far left.    Also the tall metal "pipe" in the foreground.   Any ideas?

In January 2009, Barry Pyatt suggested.... "The metal pipe in your glass neg picture of the mill is, I believe, a foul water venting pipe ... we had several of these in South London where I spent my early years.

The clue, to me, is the top ferrule and flange top detail, coupled with the larger base, which sometimes had a door in it for maintainance work on the drain below.

If this is the nature of the pipe, it would suggest to me that the pictured mill was adjacent to a road, since those vent-pipes were generally in the side-walk.

A civil engineer aged 70 could probably tell you !!"

Could this be the Findon Windmill?    But if it is not the Findon Windmill.... which windmill is it?   Does anyone know?

Who took this picture and documented this as "Findon Windmill" if it is not?

Pam Stepney throws in an opinion"....."Dear Valerie....It would be nice to think that the chimney to the left was that of Mill Cottages Findon but I think it is more likely to be the chimney of the Miller`s cottage at Ballards Mill Cissbury / Broadwater whatever it was called.

Pictures of Ballards mill show the roundhouse to be flint built whereas the roundhouse in you picture is dark in colour.

Not sure what to think.

Have looked at other pictures of Sussex windmills and cannot see another ventilation pipe.  Pam."

So we agree, it is definitely not the Findon Windmill on the downland to the east of Stable Lane....... I am leaning towards the Cissbury Windmill too..... but I must admit that I can't see any pipes in the images I have of that windmill either.   

I surmise that the photographer came the picture the bland title of "Findon Windmill" because it was the only windmill actually standing at that point in in the Findon area.  

Continue if you would like to read about the Cissbury Windmill (otherwise known as Offington Windmill, Ballard's Mill and Broadwater Windmill).

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.