VIDEO: Havering celebrates the re-opening of its most famous landmark-Upminster Windmill.

The sun shone over Upminster yesterday, 14 September as the community came out to celebrate the re-opening of its stunning windmill.

The Upminster windmill stands proudly on top of the hill on St Mary’s Lane and has done since it was built in 1803. Yesterday, the community celebrated its restoration and re-opening and windmill trustee had the chance to share the journey it has had since closing in 2015.

The seven year restoration project has been led by a group of passionate volunteers and has led to the windmill now being returned to full working order. There is also a new visitor centre and educational facilities that will provide the local community the chance to learn vital Havering history.

The windmill is a Grade II listed smock mill, widely considered to be one of the best examples of its kind in the UK. It restoration began in 2015 and has seen a full restoration to bring it back to working order. Specialist and structural work was completed by the Dutch millwright, Willem Dijkstra. The mill’s cap was transported to Holland for refurbishment, and four new sails were constructed. The smock tower required extensive restoration and levelling to enable the cap to turn to wind, and for the sails and machinery to operate.

Volunteers from the Friends of Upminster Windmill have invested thousands of hours completing internal machinery, building a community garden, and researching the history.

Yesterday, saw the official re-opening where the community had the opportunity to see for ourselves the splendour of this windmill.

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