Bidston Hill - Windmill - Wirral-Wikiwirral

Bidston Hill - Windmill

Do you remember when?
Do you have a storey to tell of days gone by in the picture?

Big thanks to mattyc for matching and taking the pictures.

Attached picture 1201-wikiwirral-bidstonhill-windmill.jpg

Attached picture 1201-wikiwirral-bidstonhill-windmill.jpg

Originally Posted by wirral.gov.uk

Bidston Windmill

This brick built tower mill replaced a wooden 'peg' mill that was destroyed by fire in 1793, and was used to grind corn into flour for 75 years up until 1875. Although access was difficult for a horse and cart laden with sacks of grain or flour the top of the hill was the ideal place to catch the wind. In fact, it is believed that there has been a windmill on this site since 1596.

In this style of windmill the top or 'cap' could be turned so that the sails would face the wind, from whichever direction it was blowing. You can still see the large wooden chain-wheel which was used to slowly turn the roof around by a rack and gear system. The last miller to work in the mill was a Mr. Youds. Fortunately he did not meet the same fate as one of his predecessors. In those days there were two doors on opposite sides of the mill. As the sails could face any direction, and came close to the ground there were times when one door could not be used. The miller must have forgotten the position of the sails and he used the wrong door, was struck by the heavy wooden sail and killed.

With the introduction of steam powered mills, windmills felt into disuse. During the 1890's Bidston Hill was purchased from Lord Vyner for public use and in 1894 a Mr. R.S. Hudson paid for Bidston Windmill to be restored. Further work has been carried out over the years, most recently by the present custodians Wirral Borough Council. The windmill is open on the first Sunday each month between 2:00pm and 4:00pm, when much of the machinery can be seen and a fine view can be had from the top.

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Originally Posted by Mark

The windmill is open on the first Sunday each month between 2:00pm and 4:00pm, when much of the machinery can be seen and a fine view can be had from the top.

Didn't know that and I've just been up there today between them times and didnt see the door open or anyone around there?

Wish I had tried it now to see if it was open lol

No that was before they started renovating the structure, it wont be open again till next spring/summer iirc.

I think its been shut for some years now as it was deemed unsafe?

Silly council probably dont even know lol.

Here's some more photographs hotlinked from my website - im at me mums atm and dont have any here, will find some bigger ones to upt up later.

[Linked Image]

The third one was actually taken on a crappy phone back in 2005, I love the photograph, but a 1.3mp 6680 just doesnt do it justice quality wise. Yobs burnt all the bushes in front since, so its hard to replicate the shot, if at all even possible!

Thought I had some better ones on me server ready for a forthcoming website update but alas it seems not

I have very fond memories of that windmill. At weekends my Grandad used to take us for walks with his dog. Sometimes it was to 'The Greenies' which is a big field behind flaybrick Cemetary and between Tam 'o Shanters Farm (where we often played Cricket or went picking Blackberries), Sometimes we went to Birkenhead Park... on a few occasions we used to walk across the Nannygoats Mountains up into Boundary Road and over Bidston hill. I remember being about 6 years old and my grandad telling me that if I knocked on the door 3 times and ran round the windmill 50 times then the 'Witch' would come out... Crafty Old Sod... boy were us kids knackered when we got home LOL

Originally Posted by BMW Joe

Originally Posted by Mark

The windmill is open on the first Sunday each month between 2:00pm and 4:00pm, when much of the machinery can be seen and a fine view can be had from the top.

Didn't know that and I've just been up there today between them times and didnt see the door open or anyone around there?

Wish I had tried it now to see if it was open lol

.

Unfortunately it is no longer open due to insurance and safety issues.

This was also a place inhabited by the vikings, they even left some carvings behind one of a horse and I think one of a hammer.
Try this www.gavinrymill.com/wirral-vikings.html
But there are lots of others. You can see the carving in one of the granite rocks on the ground.

Dave Miller

A few of the carvings found on the hill are pictured in our bidston hill topic

Was on the hill this afternoon, and the ranger was in the Windmill. Had a nice chat with him, and a nosey around the windmill. He said it should be opening about Easter next year, if all goes to plan.

They will need to arrange volunteers etc to staff the windmill during it's opening days, and as soon as they have anything sorted, the opening times will be posted on the door of the windmill.

So fingers crossed guys!!

anyone else remember some kind of ritual taking place next to the windmill where a circular pagan/devil worship star shaped thingy (dont know what its called)was painted on the sandstone.

I was only young and it seemed very mysterious and scary at the time

Would this still work if they ever wanted to get it to?

Harry Neilson wrote in 'Auld Lang Syne' - "Later on, for some reason, these old stones were removed and now rest in Bidston Village ..... In 1933 I again entered the mill for the second time after a lapse of over half a century ..... the original mill-stones already mentioned have been replaced by replicas made of Portland cement".
I was in the mill in 2008 (as a volunteer preparing it for public opening) and was puzzled by the appearance of the millstones. One of them was partly fragmented. It looked like stones/cobbles encased in cement. Later I read Neilson's account and all was clear. The mill was renovated circa 1897, but only for visual effect. It was not intended to ever work again.

Are the originals still in Bidston village?

I don't know about the current location of the old millstones.
Neilson wrote in 1935 and stated that "One of them is at 'Park Lodge' in Eleanor Road, where it lies with a sundial in its centre, while the other reposes in the farmyard of Mr Wilkinson near the church".
There are two sets of (artificial) stones in the mill today; copies of the originals. Two sets equals four stones. Neilson only reports on two stones.

There is a millstone of unknown origin halfway down Rake Lane, Upton outside some newly built houses. It was unearthed when the houses were built about five years ago. Today it has a plant (a yucca, I think) growing through its centre. Could this stone be connected with the Bidston windmill? - it's a longshot (and I certainly don't want to create another piece of false history, there's plenty of that already) but the stone has come from somewhere.

Yes I agree it has arrived from somewhere,but then again with most of wirral being farm land and fields,this would suggest there maybe plenty of mills of all types and doing different jobs.

A quick look through local history books and websites will tell you that there where numerous windmills on the Wirral and as Dava2479 has said the Wirral was an agricultural area, the reason Bidston windmill is so prominent in local history is that it is the only complete one left (structurally) and it helps that it is in one of the most prominent positions on the peninsular.

You chaps are right, of course. Let me remove my suggestion of a possible association between the Bidston windmill and the Rake Lane millstone (enough myths already). Instead, let the report of the Rake Lane stone just stand as a piece of information. It's there for all to see (well it was there a year ago).

Attached picture Millstone Rake Lane 2007.JPG

Attached picture Millstone Rake Lane 2007.JPG

Nice pic Greasby_lad,but no matter where this stone is from it`s such a shame it`s being used in this way instead of being put on loan or donated to a museum.

these stones are at a job i am involved with in moreton they are from bidston windmill dont fink they are actually millstones

Attached picture 13012009024.jpg

wow, thats a well worn wheel, Im going up there today for a walk, i'll take some snaps !

Cool find Sonyj.

We will all have millstones round are necks by the time Gordon Brown gets voted out of office. ha ha

If you want to see a working mill I recommend a look at Llynnon Mill on Anglesey.

http://www.angleseyheritage.org/doc.asp?cat=1034

You can go right up to the top and some days they are actually grinding so you can see how its done.

They've also built some roundhouses on the land which are interesting to go look round. Kids would definitely like it. Not a bad price to pay either - always find Anglesey attractions a bit of a rip off - but this one was ok. The motor museum is definitely a rip off unless you absolutely have to see the cars etc. I have photos will post them up, from both the mill and the motor museum.

A mill stone has appeared recently at the sign in Bidston Hall Cottages (I think that they're called) that have recently been restored but has been pointed out before this could be from any number of Windmills that used to dot the Wirral.

If anyone's in Bidston village you can see it on the track that leads to Elenaor road past Bidston Hall.

yer seen it mate!

going up there later today so i will have a look ..cheers

Bidston Windmill will be open to the public this Saturday, 5th September, between 10:00am and noon.
Free admission, donations to the Friends group welcomed.
If it's a clear day, the views from the top are excellent.
The steps are ladder-style. There is a minimum height restriction i.e. no kids under a certain height which I think is 1.06m.
This will probably be the last open day this year (there's a possibility that it will be open on the first Saturday in October but - as said - this is only a possibility).