Monument record DRK 009 - Drinkstone Smock Mill

Small smock mill, built in the late C18 on top of an earlier horse mill near the post mill (DRK 004). The sails were removed in about 1915, after which power driven stones were installed. Worked in this form until late 1960s. Now (1978) disused and decaying. There were two common and two spring sails carried in a wooden poll end and two pairs of stones. The `beehive' cap was originally turned by hand but later had a fantail above the rear gable (S1). NGR altered from (S1) after (S2)(S3). Group of buildings shown on (S2) with circular mill in middle, building added to NE side by 1904 (S3). Circular

A 1779 insurance policy refers to the previous horse-powered mill on the site of the present smock mill. Initially iy was though that the 16-sided briock and timber-framed base of the smock mill formed part of the horse mill however careful examination in 2016 confirmed that the base was rebuilt on the exact site of the horse mill when the windmill was erected towards the end of the 18th century. This is the only smock mill in the country which does not have a brick base immediately below the timber-framed tower. It is possible that the 16-sided base has reused timbers from the horse mill as the framing is quite different to the smock tower. The smock mill worked by wind until about 1900 later assisted by steam power, later assisted by steam power. During the late 19th century a fantail was added toautomatically turn the cap and sails to face the wind, prior to this the cap was turned manually. The oak frame cap is laregly intact but little of the original roof structure survives. Around 1900 the windmill was dismantled: the sails and antail were removed and all wind-driven machinery taken out. The first floor was also removed and a replacement floor constructed at a higher level. New machineery for milling animal feed was installed, driven by a paraffin oil engine in a new engine shed. By the early 1930s the tower had been clad in felt to jeep out the weather. Commercial nilling ceased in the late 1960s (S5).