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Summary

A windmill placename that may be suggestive of the site of a mill

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Torbay HER: MTO10898

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WINDMILL (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD? to 1803 AD (Between))

Full description

Torbay HER record (SMR record). SDV361984.

On the original OS surveyor’s 2-inch drawings of 1803 (No. 33E, 1803-4) this hill is called "Willman Hill". Dark hatching has somewaht obscured the printing but it does appear to be "Willman" and not "Windmill". This may of course be a corruption either way. However on the published First Edition 1-inch OS map of 1809, which was based on the 2-inch survey, it is marked "Windmill Hill".

The 1840 Tithe Map, shows a ring of coniferous trees with the apportionment number 1244 but it is not annotated and there is no indication of a building on the map. This tree ring lies in a field, and it is this field which is listed in the apportionment under number 1242 as "Windmill Down" (DRO 1242). [1][2][3][4]

On the First County series OS 1:2500 of 1860 the site appears as "Windmill Hill" but on all subsequent maps it is "Windmill Hill Clump". This obviously refers to the deciduous plantation, now with slight scrub undergrowth. The site is a plausible location for a windmill being on an isolated hill summit at 165m OD, the highest in the area with magnificent 360 degree panoramic views but there is no trace of a windmill on the ground.[5]

<1> Moysey, C.F., 1940-41, Devon & Cornwall Notes and Queries, 21 (1940-1) p.176-177 (Article in Serial). SDV362440.

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<2> Minchinton, W., 1968-70, Devon & Cornwall Notes and Queries, p. 81 (Article in Serial). SDV362255.

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<3> Minchinton, W. & Parsons, S., 1971-3, Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries, p.108 (Article in Serial). SDV362421.

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<4> Minchinton, W., 1977, Windmills of Devon, p. 51 (Monograph). SDV362573.

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<5> Sainsbury, I.S., 1991, RCHME Field Investigation, 12/xi/91 (Personal Comment). SDV362064.

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Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7676 - Site Visit by RCHM 12 Nov 1991

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