#12 'A history of Chailey in 50 images'

The 12th image in the weekly series and we stick - somewhat obliquely - with the 16th century.

This is Chailey Windmill a well known Sussex landmark situated to the north of the A272 on Red House Common with great views across to the South Downs. The mill was originally built in 1830 at West Hoathly and moved to its present site in 1864. The present smock mill is, apparently, the seventh mill to have been located on this site, the first was erected in 1596. This image is of course from my postcard collection and is postmarked 1910. All of the buildings are still present, although the barn has been converted into accommodation and there is now an avenue of trees running from near the barn to the right marking the boundary with the St George's residential block built in the 1920s. The conical yew tree whose top can just be seen to the left of the mill's lowest sail and slightly obscured by the chimney of the mill house, is said to mark the geographical centre of Sussex (east and west).

Previous entries in this history are on: 5th, 8th, 22nd and 27th January, 2nd, 11th, 17th, 24th February, 2nd, 10th and 18th March.