Key step in plan to repair city windmill

Work to repair a Nottingham windmill that dates back more than 200 years will begin next year, with an expected cost of more than £750,000.

Green’s Windmill in Sneinton was originally built in 1807 and welcomes around 20,000 visitors every year as an educational centre.

Its sails were removed in November 2022 because of their deteriorating condition.

Until then it was one of a handful of working city windmills remaining in the UK, but its milling capabilities are limited until repairs can be done.

The work is expected to cost £761,227, with most of the money coming from the Arts Council England Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND).

Labour-run Nottingham City Council’s executive councillors decided to press ahead with repair work using the funding during a meeting on Tuesday.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service was told work will commence in early 2025 and take two years to complete.

Council leader Neghat Khan said the windmill is "one of Nottingham’s most cherished heritage sites".

The windmill was built in 1807 by a "Mr Green", who was a baker, and later inherited by his son, George.

The mill was abandoned on numerous occasions, including when George died in 1841 at the age of 47, as well as after a fire in 1947.

In 1985, the windmill and science centre opened to the public, and in 2012 the running of the site was put in the hands of the Green’s Windmill Trust, a registered charity.

The repair work will restore the windmill to its original, working state, while also making it safe again for staff and visitors.

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