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Did you know there are four windmills in Greater London? One of them – Shirley Windmill – in Croydon has just reopened to the public for the first time in three years. The 170-year-old mill is run by a team of volunteers, and, on a good day, has a smashing view from Wembley to Windsor.
Hidden off Croydon's Upper Shirley Road, in the middle of Postmill Close, the towering structure comes as quite a surprise among the houses on the ordinary street.
Built in 1854, the mill processed grain until it shut down in 1892. After falling into disperair it was bought by a wealthy landowner in 1920s, before eventually being sold to the Croydon corporation in 1950. After that, John Ruskin school was built around the structure. The school was closed and demolished in 1990, but Shirley Windmill was kept up.
Now it’s owned by Croydon Council, but a group of volunteers called the Friends of Shirley Windmill are in charge of opening the mill to the public and running tours.
The formerly working mill gives a fascinating insight into Croydon’s past as a rural area. Frank Paine, one of the Friends of Shirley Windmill’s earliest members, told MyLondon: ‘Shirley wasn't built up until the 1920s, it was all farmland – Croydon was an agricultural town. When the Crystal Palace was built there would have been a magnificent view from here.
‘It sat untouched for many years. When it was part of John Ruskin, bizarrely the boys were never allowed to go into it, I believe it was used as a gym store.’
Shirley Windmill is hosting seven free open days throughout the summer up until October. Two have already taken place, but the next one is happening on July 2. After a hiatus from the pandemic, this is the first time in three years the mill is running a full summer programme.
Shirley Windmill. Postmill Close, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 5DY. Free.
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