Chesterton Windmill

We are delighted to confirm that work to install the four new sails at Chesterton Windmill was officially completed on Wednesday 2 April.

Warwickshire County Council has worked closely with construction and heritage consultants, Chana Projects, and the millwright specialists at Owlsworth Conservation, throughout the project to complete the successful installation of the windmill sails.

Here are a few progress photos kindly provided by Chana Projects of the trellis-style sail frames being added onto the stocks. The stocks form the central X shape of the sails.

Following a final site inspection on Wednesday 2 April, the project team have removed all equipment from the site - allowing the first opportunity to capture some new photographs of Chesterton Windmill with its sails.

Ayub Khan, Head of Libraries, Heritage and Culture, and Registration Services at Warwickshire County Council, said:

Chesterton Windmill is an iconic monument both in Warwickshire’s landscape and as part of our country’s history. The restoration of the windmill’s sails means a lot to the local people who visit and photograph the site often, and we are all delighted to see the sails stand proudly on the windmill once again.

Heritage and culture is important to our county and our sense of belonging here in Warwickshire. It’s so important that we maintain and care for our county’s history, as it means that special monuments like Chesterton Windmill will continue to be enjoyed now and by future generations to come.

Following a final site inspection on Wednesday 2 April, the project team have removed all equipment from the site - allowing the first opportunity to capture some new photographs of Chesterton Windmill with its sails.

We kindly ask all those interested in visiting the windmill to see the new sails to keep to the grass paths and avoid entering the surrounding fields.

Update 2 - March 2025: Earlier this month security fencing was installed around Chesterton Windmill in preparation for works to begin. On Thursday 13 March, the project team officially began work on site.

The first major job, once all the sails components had arrived, was to hoist the two large - and very heavy - wooden stocks into position on the windmill. The stocks form the central X shape of the sails. They are both nearly 12 metres long, and weigh around a quarter of a tonne each.

As developments continue to take place on site over the next few weeks, we kindly ask all those interested in watching the progress of the project to do so from a safe distance on the grass paths and to avoid entering the surrounding fields.

Update - March 2025: Cllr Christopher Kettle, Warwickshire County Councillor for Feldon, and Ayub Khan, Warwickshire County Council's Head of Libraries, Heritage & Culture, and Registration Service, were invited to see the progress to Chesterton Windmill's stocks and sails in December 2024.

The sails are being built by Owlsworth Conservation, the principal contractor for the sails restoration project, at their site near Reading.

Cllr Chris Kettle said: “The visit to Owslworth's site in December was a great opportunity to discuss with the team and observe first-hand the specialist skills required to create the stocks and sails for Chesterton Windmill. I could see that the restoration of the sails was in safe and knowledgeable hands, and it will be a great moment to witness the sails back on the windmill in 2025 so that it can stand proudly once again along Warwickshire's skyline. This current restoration builds on the previous major restoration of the Windmill in 1971, again by Warwickshire County Council, when my late father was the Councillor for what is now the Feldon Division”.

Ayub Khan added: “Chesterton Windmill is an iconic monument both in Warwickshire’s landscape and as part of our country’s history, and it has been an exciting day speaking with the project team to understand how the frames of the sails are coming together. It won’t be long until the sails are back on the windmill and it’s going to be a very exciting day to watch their installation”.

At the December site visit, all of the whips, which attach to the stocks, had been morticed out ready to accept the sail bars, and all of the sails bars had been fitted into their sails frames. The team had also progressed how much of the sail frames had received the relevant Kreidezeit white paint coatings.

In January 2025, Owlsworth Conservation successfully completed all of the different components for Chesterton Windmill’s sails, including the four sail frames, the stocks, the metalwork, and lightening protection tape. These components have now been safely moved into storage and are ready for installation.

You may remember a few months ago that we submitted a planning application to Stratford-on-Avon District Council for the replacement of the sails. We are pleased to share that in February this application was approved!

This means that the project team have been able to focus on arranging the logistics for the transportation of the sails, and onsite installation of the sails, at Chesterton.

From Tuesday 4 March, security fencing is being installed around Chesterton Windmill. This is in preparation for works to begin.

We kindly ask all those interested in watching the progress of the project to do so from a safe distance on the grass paths and to avoid entering the surrounding fields.

Update - October 2024:

Over the summer, and safely outside of the bat hibernation period, surveys were carried out at Chesterton Windmill to determine the scale of its bat roost and identify any potential impacts this may have on the planned restoration work. This is because it is illegal to obstruct or remove bat roosts, even if bats are not using them at the time.

The surveys identified a small but long-established roost, mainly consisting of brown long eared bats. Bat droppings also helped to identify long-term use of the roost, rather than there being a high number of bats.

The surveys also confirmed the main entry point for bats to access the roost, which is at the point where the sails would normally attach to the windmill. The contractor will factor this into the installation of the sails to ensure we maintain appropriate year-round access for bats to continue using the windmill as a roosting space.

More recently Owlsworth Conservation, our principal contractor, has received all of the materials required in order to start building the windmill’s new stocks and sails.

The stocks are being built first, which are the large wooden beams to which the windmill's sails will be attached. The following photos have kindly been provided by Owlsworth Conservation:

This build is currently on schedule, and the build of the four news sails, which will attach to the stocks, will then follow. To prepare for installation of the sails, the project team have submitted a planning application to Stratford-on-Avon District Council for the replacement of the sails and, subject to planning approval, their installation is expected to take place early next year.

---

Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) project team is delighted to share that the Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC) application, sent to Historic England for their consideration on behalf of the Secretary of State, has been approved. This means WCC now has the relevant permissions in place to progress the replacement of the sails restoration work, all whilst ensuring the planned work is appropriate and sympathetic to the windmill’s character.

The approval of SMC also means the project team have been able to progress the procurement process and receive tenders from multiple contractors. Following consultation within the project team, Owlsworth Conservation has been confirmed as the Principal Contractor for the manufacture and installation of the new Chesterton Windmill sails. Work will now begin on sourcing the materials required to prepare building the new sails.