Restoration of Cley Windmill

During late February and early March I was asked along with Emma to photograph the restoration work of Cley Windmill at Cley-Next-The-Sea on the North Norfolk Coast. The work was a big undertaking, spanning three weeks, many man hours and the hiring of two large cranes which both managed to dwarf the windmill. Work like this hadn't been carried out since the mid 1980's so the sails and fantail were in much need of attention.

The first part of the renovation work, which lasted a week in itself was the removal of the fantail and base. The new wooden base was hoisted into position at the same time as the old structure was dismantled and lowered, but the fantail was taken away where it was overhauled and given a fresh lick of paint.

New parts being delivered by crane

The old fantail being removed ready for renovation

View from the ground

The next part of the renovation was the removal of the old wooden sails. Once these parts were taken away from the supporting structure, the windmill looked slightly odd, the classic lines and shape were missing. This was rectified with the arrival and fitting of the new wooden sails, the last part of the jigsaw.

One of the large cranes which dominated the skyline

The final day of work as the sails were carefully moved back into position drew quite a crowd, even a local TV crew, and it was quite a sight to behold as it was all put back together, hopefully to last another twenty to thirty years.    

The renovated windmill at Cley