Whilst not technically a Hall or Castle, Tuttle Hill Windmill is an historic local building which occupies a prominent position on the Oldbury-Hartshill ridge overlooking the River Anker floodplain upon which Weddington Castle was situated. It is a well-known building of interest in Nuneaton, and for this reason the building is included in this section.
Tuttle Hill Windmill stood for many years as one of the most prominent features on the Nuneaton Ridge. It was built in the best windy position on the hillside 450 feet above sea level. The mill and farm was part of the Caldecote estate. In 1842 the estate covered 438 acres and also included Higham Grange which extended to a further 365 acres. The Caldecote estate once rented out a water mill, a steam mill and the Tuttle Hill windmill and its associated farm which covered 34 acres. The mill provided magnificent views over the surrounding countryside, but its lofty position created major maintenance problems for it over the years. (The adjacent land was let to Boons Granite Quarry Ltd. on a lease from 1st January 1916 for 21 years. A royalty was paid to the Caldecote estate for every ton of granite, gravel and sand sold of 3½d per ton. Boons workings were absorbed into Judkins Tuttle Hill Quarries in the 1950’s).
The mill we can see in these photos was built in 1821 although a previous mill on the same site was originally erected one hundred years earlier.
The Tuttle Hill Windmill has a red brick tower and was built in 1821. It originally had 4 common sails but was rebuilt after a storm in 1905, with iron machinery and 5 sails - in order to improve safety the five new shorter sails were fitted which captured the same amount of wind but minimised the risk to the miller, his family, and farm workers entering the mill. The Windmill stopped working after further storm damage in 1936. This was a significant event as it was the last working windmill in the Borough and one of the last in Warwickshire (indeed its historical interest goes back to the C18th: there had been a flour mill on this site since the 1720s).Thomas Wright (1877-1936) was the miller at the time of these photos - in 1924 he paid £148. 0s. 6d. Per rent on the mill and farm.
Later the contract was let to a specialist firm from Preston, Lancashire:- Blezzard Brothers who posed for these photos (in white coats) and with Tom and Sid Wright as well as a regular visitor to the mill - Tom Burgoyne (in the Bowler Hat). On the 9th January 1936 another gale blew and damaged one of the five sails. Two months later on 7th March 1936 Thomas Wright passed away. Members of the family said he died of a broken heart at the loss of his pride and joy, the last working windmill in North Warwickshire. Afterwards the mill was powered by electric motor- on the 8th June a new electric motor was fitted to the Windmill to grind corn electrically. It ceased grinding corn in February 1976.
The disused Windmill now lies in the grounds of a private house, and is only visible from a perimeter footpath though a wire fence (see (c) Richard Kay photo below)
You can view the Warwickshire County Council Historic Environment Record on Tuttle Hill by clicking here.
Tuttle Hill Windmill stood for many years as one of the most prominent features on the Nuneaton Ridge. It was built in the best windy position on the hillside 450 feet above sea level. The mill and farm was part of the Caldecote estate. In 1842 the estate covered 438 acres and also included Higham Grange which extended to a further 365 acres. The Caldecote estate once rented out a water mill, a steam mill and the Tuttle Hill windmill and its associated farm which covered 34 acres. The mill provided magnificent views over the surrounding countryside, but its lofty position created major maintenance problems for it over the years. (The adjacent land was let to Boons Granite Quarry Ltd. on a lease from 1st January 1916 for 21 years. A royalty was paid to the Caldecote estate for every ton of granite, gravel and sand sold of 3½d per ton. Boons workings were absorbed into Judkins Tuttle Hill Quarries in the 1950’s).
The mill we can see in these photos was built in 1821 although a previous mill on the same site was originally erected one hundred years earlier.
The Tuttle Hill Windmill has a red brick tower and was built in 1821. It originally had 4 common sails but was rebuilt after a storm in 1905, with iron machinery and 5 sails - in order to improve safety the five new shorter sails were fitted which captured the same amount of wind but minimised the risk to the miller, his family, and farm workers entering the mill. The Windmill stopped working after further storm damage in 1936. This was a significant event as it was the last working windmill in the Borough and one of the last in Warwickshire (indeed its historical interest goes back to the C18th: there had been a flour mill on this site since the 1720s).Thomas Wright (1877-1936) was the miller at the time of these photos - in 1924 he paid £148. 0s. 6d. Per rent on the mill and farm.
Later the contract was let to a specialist firm from Preston, Lancashire:- Blezzard Brothers who posed for these photos (in white coats) and with Tom and Sid Wright as well as a regular visitor to the mill - Tom Burgoyne (in the Bowler Hat). On the 9th January 1936 another gale blew and damaged one of the five sails. Two months later on 7th March 1936 Thomas Wright passed away. Members of the family said he died of a broken heart at the loss of his pride and joy, the last working windmill in North Warwickshire. Afterwards the mill was powered by electric motor- on the 8th June a new electric motor was fitted to the Windmill to grind corn electrically. It ceased grinding corn in February 1976.
The disused Windmill now lies in the grounds of a private house, and is only visible from a perimeter footpath though a wire fence (see (c) Richard Kay photo below)
You can view the Warwickshire County Council Historic Environment Record on Tuttle Hill by clicking here.
(Photos: Tom Burgoyne Collection, courtesy of Ian Burgoyne / Notes courtesy of Jean Lapworth / Alan Cook / Reg. Bull Family Archives / Courtesy of Ruby Atkins / Daphne Langley / NLHG Archives)
