Shirley Windmill

Shirley Windmill is a five-storey brick tower mill built in 1854 and restored to working order, with its original machinery and two pairs of millstones still in place. It is one of only a handful of windmills open to the public in Greater London. Visitors are taken on a full guided tour that covers how the mill worked and how flour was milled in Victorian times, and interactive displays and models on the ground floor add to the story. It suits families with older children and school groups studying local history or industrial heritage, and younger visitors can enjoy the ground floor and the grounds if they cannot manage the steep stairs. Visits happen on set Open Days through the year rather than on a fixed weekly timetable, and refreshments are served on the green around the mill after the tour.