Heckington Windmill and station
Grade I listed windmill in Lincolnshire.
(Photos: Aug 2004, Words: Sept 2006, © urban75)


Originally built as a five-sailed windmill, improvements in 1890-2 saw Heckington Windmill fitted with eight sails, and it now has the honour of being the last remaining eight-sail windmill in Britain.

Orginally built in 1830 built by Edward Ingledew of Gainsborough for Michael Hare, the mill was worked for over 40 years by Sleighton and Joseph Nash until 1890, when a sudden tailwind destroyed the sails.

New owner John Pocklington introduced the eight-blade fantail, with the mill driving five pairs of stones and a circular saw, used to cut elm boards for coffins.

After Pocklington's death in 1943, all work at the mill ceased, with the County Council buying up the building in 1953.

Extensive repair work was undertaken in 1969, with more restoration work taking place in 2004.

The tarred five storey 16.8m high tower, tapers from 8.53m (the widest in Lincolnshire) to 3.35m in internal diameter, measuring 9.75m at the base.













Heckington Station and Signalbox



Right next to the windmill is Heckington station, featuring a fine 1859 station building.

A request stop on the line from Grantham through Sleaford to Skegness, the old building was saved from British Rail's ever-eager demolition gang by the Heckington Village Trust in 1975.

The building is now shared between the Heckington Village Trust's museum and a local business, with the old General Waiting Room containing a selection of local and railway displays, station nameboards, railway uniforms, cast iron warning signs, railway lamps and more.

The attractive signalbox is still staffed, with the signalman manually opening and closing the level crossing gates when required.


A timeless scene at Heckington Station!