Welcome to Wilton Windmill Society as an Associate Member

Ivor New

Some weeks ago, we received an email from Charles Baxter who is a committee member of the Wilton Windmill Society and acts as a guide and miller.  He wrote:

“Although we are not sited in Hampshire, we are actually just 3.5 miles from your northern county border.  From your website and newsletters your group appears to be active and host interesting activities.  Is there a possibility that, long term, we might be able to become affiliated members?  Obviously, this would need consideration by your committee and agreement from our members.  It would be nice to think that any affiliation might have mutual benefits.”

Following conversations with other committee members it was agreed that we were sympathetic with this request and that as Membership Secretary I should lead discussions with Charles who would lead for his society.  As a result the Wilton Windmill Society is to become a member of HMG as an Associate Member.  This is a new class of membership that has attributes of both corporate and ordinary memberships.  The main points are:

·       Each organisation’s members will be treated as honorary members of the other organisation and be welcome to attend the other’s activities.

·       Newsletters, invitations, and other such communications will be sent to the other organisation to be distributed to their members.

·       Each organisation’s website will provide reference and links to the other’s website, together with some limited space for topical highlights and activity information.

The committee hopes that this will enable us to take a broader view of vintage milling as now we all have access to operational mills powered by both wind and water that mill and sell flour. 

So on behalf of all at the Hampshire Mills Group I would like to welcome the members of Wilton Windmill Society and we look forward to getting to know each other when circumstances make it possible. 

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Finally, we have a message from the society’s chairman:

“In 2021 Wilton Windmill will be 200 years old.  The Windmill Society would like to invite members to a celebration we are planning to hold involving a 'Sheaf to Loaf' day.  Sheaves of wheat will be threshed on site by a steam powered threshing machine, milled by the Windmill, and then baked into loaves by the end of the day.  Hopefully, by then, life will have returned to some sort of normality and the mill will be able to open as usual every Sunday and Bank Holiday during the summer season.  In addition to the major weekend celebrations we will be holding our annual 'Murder Mystery' evening and opening for Heritage Open Days.  Details of all events will be published early next year. Since lock-down we have managed to do three socially distanced milling sessions and have produced around 650kg of flour.  Our sales to local farm shops have been particularly welcome as recently flour has sometimes been difficult to find.”

Editor:  Wilton Windmill is owned by Wiltshire Country Council but run entirely by volunteers from the Wilton Windmill Society.  It is situated at SU 276617, high above the village of Wilton which is just off the A338 between Burbage and Hungerford.  (Do not confuse it with the Wilton that is near Salisbury!)

This magnificent granary, owned by the society, was rebuilt in the windmill field very recently.   Keith Andrews