Reigate Mill Church

Reigate Heath Windmill was built c.1765, although a mill was marked on maps dated 1753 and 1762. The mill was last worked by wind in April 1862. In 1880, the roundhouse was converted into a chapel of ease to St Mary's Parish Church, Reigate, the first service taking place on 14 September 1880. The chapel is known as the St Cross Chapel. The mill was offered for sale in 1891, and in 1900 was bought by Reigate Golf Club, who leased the mill back to the church. In 1926, a sail broke. New sails were fitted in 1927 by a millwright from Crawley, and a dummy fantail fitted to the rear of the mill - a feature the mill never had during its working life! The sails blew off in 1943 and were not…

Reigate Heath Windmill is a post mill with a single-storey roundhouse. Winding is by tailpole. It originally had four common sails carried on a wooden windshaft, with the stones arranged head and tail. It was last worked with four double patent sails carried on a cast-iron windshaft, with the two pairs of millstones arranged side by side in the breast of the mill, driven underdrift by spur gearing. The wooden brake wheel is of clasp arm construction, with 104 cogs. This drove a cast-iron wallower with 33 teeth, carried on a cast-iron upright shaft. The spur wheel is also of cast iron, with 80 cogs. The stone nuts have 23 and 25 teeth respectively.

The roundhouse is open for church services one Sunday of each month during the summer, and there are occasional services at other times.