Last surviving historic climax windmill is undergoing repairs
THE repairs for the island's last surviving historic climax windmill are under way, after it suffered damage during Storm Ciaran in 2023.
Owned by German Occupation Museum director Richard Heaume, the windmill was first erected at Les Villets, Forest, before moving to Les Houards in 1920s.
‘It’s taken several months to repair because all the sails have had to be rebuilt in stainless steel,’ said Mr Heaume.
Storm Ciaran knocked out half of the sails and bent the remaining ones.
As part of the repairs the windmill is being painted.
It is the last one of its kind still standing.
There were once hundreds of windmills across the island before and throughout the Occupation, until the early 1990s.
‘The windmill was very badly damaged, that’s why we cannot possibly let it run freely at the moment as we cannot be sure of the weather,’ said Mr Heaume.
Last year the mill was taken down by BDM Services and rebuilt by Guernsey Sheet Metal.
It was repainted by John Biggs Engineering and re-erected by BDM Services earlier this month.
The climax windmill should last another 50 years, and the windmill repairs is only one of many things being restored for the Occupation Museum.
‘The windmill is an iconic feature to have for the museum because this was a common thing used during the Occupation,’ said Mr Heaume.
There will be an exhibition at the museum for Liberation Day, alongside a Liberation tearoom and many other plans.
‘We’ve got a unique dog statue which was the mascot of the HMS Bulldog which is going to be repaired, so that's going to be major publicity for the island,’ said Mr Heaume.
HMS Bulldog was the Royal Navy ship that came to the island on Liberation Day.
Climax windmill
The climax windmill is a multi-bladed wind pump that has its origin in Britain where it was made by Thomas & Son of Worcester.
It is known in the US and Canada as a ‘weathercock’ because it behaves much like a traditional weather vane, moving with the direction of the wind, climax windmills can still be found worldwide and are manufactured in the US, Argentina, China, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia.
