Set high above the village of Wilton with stunning views, about 9 miles south east of Marlborough in Wiltshire, Wilton Windmill is the only working windmill in Wessex which still produces stone-ground, wholemeal flour (available from the shepherd’s hut shop and local outlets).
After one of the sails snapped while milling in the Autumn of 2024, Wilton Windmill only had two sails for almost two years. The old sails were manufactured during the major restoration in 1975 and have been on the windmill for fifty years, with a few repairs along the way. Due to their poor condition, it was decided that the time had come to replace all four of the sails with new ones, which finally happened in August 2026.
The new sails look identical to the old ones but are subtly different. They are set at a different angle or ‘pitch’ and were manufactured using laminated rather than solid timber stocks making them lighter, stronger and more efficient, so they can mill in lower winds than before.
Since the new sails were fitted, Wilton Windmill has been milling locally grown wheat into flour once again, and some new volunteers have been training to become fully qualified millers.
If you would like to discover more about the Windmill, or get involved as a volunteer, please give Peter a call on 07366 418484, send a message to info@wiltonwindmill.co.uk or visit www.wiltonwindmill.co.uk
