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Village's windmill spins again thanks to volunteers

Brill Mill Brill Mill, lit but the sun but contrast against an imposing grey skyBrill Mill
Parts of Brill Windmill date back to the 15th Century

A windmill with parts dating back to the 15th Century has its sails regularly turning again for the first time in nearly 100 years.

The sails of the Grade II listed structure at Brill, in Buckinghamshire, have been upgraded after sustaining years of rot and weather damage.

Andy Fisher, chair of the Brill Society, who carried out the repairs, said: "As long as they're regularly maintained, the new sails should last for many years to come."

They will be manually spun by volunteers on the last Sunday of every month during summer months to keep the mechanism working properly.

Brill Mill A crane is helping people work on Brill WindmillBrill Mill
Work on the mill was completed in August

It marks the first time the sails have regularly spun since about 1927, which Mr Fisher called "incredible".

A windmill has been in the village, west of Aylesbury, in some form since at least 1276.

The sails' first spin took place on Easter Sunday, with a team of volunteers running in groups to push them along when they swooped near the ground.

The mechanisms inside are too old to be used.

Brill Mill Brill Windmill standing on top of a frost covered hill on a bright blue dayBrill Mill
The sails of the mill will be manually spun by volunteers once a month

Mr Fisher has promised more plans for the site over the coming years.

He has been restoring a nearby barn and plans to open the finished building as a visitors' centre for the mill.

Up until 1906, a second mill stood in Brill called Parsons Mill.

Mr Fisher hopes to raise funds to build a new fully-operational post mill on the site where it once stood.

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