The mill last worked just before the first world war. The rotting wooden upper portion of the mill, which is believed to be the only one in Kent built with five “sweeps” (sails), was demolished in the early 1950s for safety reasons. After serving for a while as a workshop and a scout hut, the truncated remains were locked up, suffering from a badly leaking roof and the collapse of the first floor.
At this low point, James Tasker, a structural engineer, was driving through the village when he noticed a sign advertising an auction of what was left of the smock mill (so named because windmills of this type were said to resemble the traditional farmer’s smock).
He knew exactly what he was looking at, and his experienced eye — together with a heavy dose of sentiment — convinced him that there was still a chance to revive its former glory.
“I thought to myself, ‘This needs to be a windmill again’. I found myself bidding against two other parties, but eventually we managed to buy the brick base and an acre of land for £22,000,” he says.
The mill, which needed to be almost totally rebuilt, sat outside the area in the village designated for housing.
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“Because of this, and the fact that we needed to find a use for the mill to make it viable, we initially looked at turning it into workshops, which would provide employment,” Tasker says. “It soon became obvious, however, that the idea didn’t stack up in financial terms.
“The only solution we could find was to turn it into living accommodation, because this would allow the property to become mortgageable.”
He envisioned returning the mill to something close to its original appearance, but that alone wasn’t considered sufficient for the local planning authority to grant permission.
An even more persuasive argument was required. It arrived with his plan not only to recreate the famous five sweeps, but to have them turning again in the wind, not to grind corn this time, but to generate electricity, so that the property would be self-sufficient.
“I’ve always been interested in that side of engineering,” he says, “and because the planning policy guideline in the area encourages the use of renewable energy sources, as does Kent county council, I knew it would count in my favour in terms of receiving permission for the rebuild to go ahead.”
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He was right. His concept received planning permission in 1997, with the stipulation that the sweeps were restored to working order.
This marked the start of a long, expensive process. Tasker asked whether the mill was listed, but the considered opinion was that there was too little left of the original. In a way this was a setback, since Vat can be claimed back on repairs to a listed building, but in other respects it was a huge bonus, since it meant far fewer restrictions on the design and the materials that could be used.
The aim had never been to make the mill exactly resemble the original design. This would have been impossible in any case, since the addition of details such as a fire escape, which are required by modern building regulations, meant that the sweeps would be unable to turn if they were in their original position.
Tasker used the resources available through his consulting engineering business to draw up a design that relied heavily on old photographs of the mill for its inspiration.
Changes were made, principally to the size and position of the cap that would carry the sweeps, to ensure that the building was fit for its new purpose.
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Although it was essential that the mill had a traditional appearance, every opportunity was taken to use modern materials, thus keeping construction costs down and ensuring that future maintenance would not become an issue.
The new upper portion of the mill was constructed with a steel frame, which was quick to erect and took up less internal space than a timber frame.
The cladding that was fitted to this had to resemble weatherboarding, but that would have been prone to decay and required expensive repainting every few years. The solution was Eternit, a fibre cement board that is low-maintenance and fire-retardant, ensuring lower insurance premiums.
Most spectacular of all was the plan for the new stocks — the arms of the sweeps — that would be the crowning glory of the reborn mill.
“Originally these would have been timber as well,” says Tasker, “but we decided to make them from tapered, hollow steel columns. I went to a company called Abacus, which makes gantries for lighting, because they were the only people who could make steel columns to the size required.”
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The sweeps were finally lifted into place last month, completing the spectacular reappearance of one of the area’s most outstanding historical monuments. Once again the mill offers spectacular views of a largely unspoilt countryside that has changed little since the days when it last worked for a living. The cost of converting the ruined windmill into a five-bed, two-bathroom home over seven storeys is an estimated £450,000 (£20,000 for the new sweeps alone, and not taking into account the work that Tasker’s company contributed).
Tasker is now putting it on the market for £750,000. “We’ve been trying to sell our other property in Sussex for some time,” he says.
“On the basis that we can’t afford to keep both, we’ve decided to put the mill on the market and see which one sells first.”
Does he think there will be a rush of buyers, eager to sample the delights of windmill living? “That depends,” says Tasker. “It’s certainly not the kind of house that would suit everyone, but if you love buildings of this kind, I’m sure you would love living here.”
Sandhurst Windmill is for sale with Humberts, 01580 765 858, www.humberts.co.uk