Bidston Windmill
Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy datesTemplate:Infobox Windmill
Bidston Windmill is situated on Bidston Hill, near Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England.
HistoryEdit
It is believed that there has been a windmill, on this site, since 1596.<ref name=wirralmbc>Template:Citation</ref><ref name=kemble>Template:Citation</ref><ref name=allerton>Template:Citation</ref> The mill was ideally placed to catch the wind and was able to produce over Template:Convert of flour every 3 to 5 minutes.<ref name=allerton /> However, the mill was difficult to access by cart. The previous structure, a wooden peg mill, was destroyed by fire in 1791<ref name=kemble /><ref name=allerton /><ref name=ordnance>Template:Citation</ref> (although some sources state 1793).<ref name=wirralmbc /> During a gale, the sails got out of control and the friction produced by the revolving wooden mechanism caused the entire mill to burst into flames.
The current building was built around 1800 and continued working as a flour mill until about 1875.<ref name=wirralmbc /> After falling into disuse the windmill and the land, on which it stands, was purchased by Birkenhead Corporation and restored from 1894.
There is a plaque on the windmill, which reads as follows:
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The building was badly damaged in 1927, once again. A public subscription was then raised, in order to carry out the necessary repairs.<ref name=ordnance /> The windmill has been reconditioned several times, since. During 2006, the roof of the windmill was replaced as part of a refurbishment program, in order to maintain the structure.<ref name=kemble />