Windmill
Category
Models
Date
Unknown
Materials
Wood and paint.
Measurements
1260 x 1210 mm
Order this imageCollection
Snowshill Manor and Garden, Gloucestershire
NT 1339180
Summary
Model; Windmill - Wind toy, of millwright construction. Numerous wooden soldiers painted red with black hats and trousers and wooden arms. Designed so that with movement of the sails, via cogs and pulleys, the soldiers spin round and their arms rotate in the wind. The toy is displayed on a large wooden stand. The mill is painted white as are the four sails which are complete with canvas cloth. Thought to be very similar in construction to a European post mill. In notebook no.5, page 106 (1340945.5) Charles Wade refers to: 'Large Garret no.85 Old Post Miller Wood Toy. Interesting millwright construction of curved struts & beam to base. Shows the old form of sails, with their canvas shown here furled to "Sword Point" less sail was termed "Daggerpoint". All canvas was "Full Sail". inside are wooden wheels driving belts to groups of figures of soldiers, 30 in all. Two look out of the Mill windows alternately & four turn a crank. Supported on a pole with a "Top" carried on "Cross trees" and "Trestle trees" as in a ship.' Includes sketch with dimensions. Charles Wade includes a pencil sketch of a post mill in his Yoxford notebook (1340944 SNO.MISC.955) on page 75-77. He also describes the construction in detail, including sketches of the mechanisms as well as the mill itself.
Provenance
CPW item 85 Given to the National Trust with Snowshill Manor in 1951 by Charles Paget Wade.
References
Wade, 1944: Charles Paget Wade, Contents of Snowshill Manor. Volume 5 Second Floor, 1944, Page 106