Wray Common Windmill: A History

Wray Common Windmill in 1893

In 1824, one Joseph Coulstock decided to take advantage of the area's commercial milling popularity and build what is today, the Wray Common Windmill. The mill was built on land taken by encroachment. In the early 19th century if you could raise a roof and build a fire in a day, you had the right to stay. It is therefore quite possible that the granary predates the brick tower.

The six-story solid brick tower is very likely to have been constructed using hand-made clay bricks formed and fired on site. The whole of the surrounding common land is predominantly clay and to add further credence, there is no record of a pond adjacent to the mill prior to 1824. Traditionally elm and ash foundations would normally be used but because of the abundance of the local Reigate stone this was used and the windmill has, as a consequence, remained perfectly stable.

During the 70-year working life of the mill, constant maintenance and upgrades of the mill's machinery and sails or sweeps would have taken place. A steam engine, and later an oil-powered engine, were added to power the mill on windless days. Both of these were housed where the new extension now stands. The bearing housing for a belt driven shaft can be seen on the exterior south western wall of the tower.

In 1895 the mill ground to a sudden halt. The 1.6 ton cast iron wind shaft with its ton of sails crashed through the support timbers and the inertia fractured one of the sails. The cost of repairs would have been expensive and with the industrial revolution running at full speed, economically unviable. It is around this time that the mill undergoes its first transition - to an agricultural building. The granary was at sometime certainly used as a cow shed. The ground floor of the tower became additional stabling and implement store and the first floor housed chickens. Extra storage was created as more and more of the internal machinery was removed.

Around 1928 the first set of 'dummy' sweeps were installed under the supervision of a famous contemporary expert, Rex Wailes. The fantail, stage and gallery may have had some repairs as well. A little later, 1933 or so, the ogee cap and spherical filial were replaced with a zinc alloy conical cap and semi-spherical filial. Thomas B. Hunt of Soham, Cambridgeshire, an experienced millwright whose nameplate remains exposed in the brickwork on the second floor, would have removed any remaining machinery at the same time.

With the exception of some Canadian airmen who bivouacked in the mill during the 2nd World War, the first time that the mill became a dwelling was in 1966 / 67 when a Mr. John Skinner, actuary and great British eccentric bought the mill and set about the first domestic conversion. An earlier lean-to at the tower end of the granary was demolished and a flat roofed link building housing a kitchen and bathroom joined the granary to the tower. Open tread stairs replaced the miller's ladders to the first and second floors where John designed and built an elaborate counter-balanced folding steps and hatch to offer some privacy to the third floor 'guest room'. The stories of John's capacity for wine, women and song are legendary and it is in his honour that the steps he made have been recycled and now lead to the wine cellar.

John remained at the mill until his death in 1996 during a morning session at the Panther Inn. His partner inherited and sadly let the mill dilapidate into a near derelict state. Repeated attempts by Reigate and Banstead's Conservation Officer to preserve the mill's failing fabric failed and in 2004 the owner was forced to sell to avoid crippling costs.

In 2004 the mill was purchased by Paul Baker, owner of the renowned 'Kinghams' restaurant in the village of Shere, and the restoration project began.