'At risk' windmill cap and sails to be removed

The sails and cap will temporarily be taken off Lincoln's last remaining windmill in an effort to save it.

Ellis Mill, which was built in 1798, is the last of nine that once stood on Lincoln's Yarborough hill. It is now on Historic England's at-risk register.

Lincolnshire County Council, which owns the Grade II listed building, is planning to remove the mill's cap and sails and install a temporary weatherproof structure to maintain its structural integrity.

A campaign group, which is keen to take over the running of the building, said it would mean the loss of an "iconic image" in the city until it was repaired.

The mill last operated fully in 2020 and has only opened to the public occasionally since then.

Historic England visited the mill in March and said it had "damp, damage to exterior brickwork and failing paintwork" on the wooden cap and sails.

Deputy council leader Rob Gibson said work would take place "in the coming months" and would "maintain the structural integrity of the mill for the future".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has been told the work has not been scheduled yet and may take until 2027 to start due to the shortage of specialist millwrights.

Lynn Ritson, from the Ellis Mill Rescue Group, said: "The iconic image of this beautiful structure, well known to so many people on the approach to Lincoln, will no longer sit on the skyline in its present state and will sadly be represented by just the brick tower.

"We are still very much willing to take over the restoration and future operating of the windmill if Lincolnshire County Council will hand it over to our charitable trust."

The council said it was developing a strategy for the future of the four windmills it owns in Lincoln, Heckington, Burgh-le-Marsh and Alford.

Gibson said: "Having talked to all of the groups involved with these mills, I know how passionate they are about these heritage sites.

"It's really important to me that the windmills have a sustainable future and, wherever possible, we'd like those communities to be involved in their running.

"To do this, we need to make sure the plans are realistic and robust. If they are not, we put the windmills themselves, and potentially taxpayers' money, at risk."

He said the council was getting closer to making decisions on some of the sites and would be announcing them soon.

An online petition warning against any private sale of the mill has been signed more than 2,500 times.

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