For many years the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings has organised National Mills Weekend (formerly "National Mills Day"), a celebration of Britain's milling heritage.

Wind and water are sustainable power sources, used for hundreds of years in Britain in the production of natural food.

There are currently more than 100 working mills capable of producing natural, stoneground flour and many of these will be open to the public during National Mills Weekend. In addition, over the weekend, a further 300 mills throughout the country will be welcoming visitors.

SPAB's Windmill Committee was formed in 1931 in response to an alarming decline in the numbers of the country's windmills. Later it included watermills within its interests, and it "encouraged the art of country milling". Still active today the SPAB is the only national amenity society dedicated to the protection of our milling heritage.

Some working mills are more than 300 years old yet still efficiently doing the job in the 21st century that they were built and designed for.

National Mills Weekend 2024 was held on Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th May.

Some mills work as commercial businesses, while others are run by enthusiastic volunteers. Fifty years ago, the windmills and watermills of this country were thought to be in terminal decline, but now there has been a renaissance in these wonderful reminders of our past.

In Sussex, windmills and watermills have not only produced meal flour, but have made gunpowder as those at Battle, or pumped water like the Coultershaw Beam Pump that once pumped water into Petworth. Many watermills in Sussex produced a variety of products such as linseed oil, cattle cake, oil dressed leather and drove fulling stocks for fulling wool. Today in Sussex, most of those that have survived are those that produced meal flour. Many mills will be making contact using Amateur Radio volunteers

Morris dancers at Stone Cross Windmill Photo by David Jones   Open Day at Nutley Windmill : Photo by Nick Linazasoro

Below are details from those Sussex Mills who contacted us with their opening plans for National Mills Weekend 2024, held on Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th May. Sussex Mill owners and societies are encouraged to contact us with details of their plans for National Mills Weekend 2025
MILL	DAY	OPENING TIMES	SPECIAL EVENTS AND COMMENTS
SATURDAY
Chailey Windmill	SAT	3 pm to 5 pm	The Mill and Rural life Museum will be open. Parking is available on North Chailey Sports ground and access is from Mill Lane off the A272. There is no entry fee but donations are most welcome. This year we do not have additional attractions as unfortunately the Downland Radio Group cannot come. No toilet facilities.
Jill Windmill	SUN	10 am to 2 pm	The mill grounds will be open to visitors whilst our maintenance team are on site. Access inside the Mill body may be restricted from 11.30 am to 12.45 pm, as we have a pre-booked group of 28 people. No refreshments and no toilets.
Lowfield Heath Windmill	SAT	2 pm to 5 pm	Parking is available. £5 entry - children free. Toilet facilities. Tea & homemade cakes!
Nutley Windmill	SAT	2.30 pm to 5.30 pm	Nutley Windmill, Crowborough Road, Nutley TN22 3HY. No entrance fee but donations welcome. We have the West Kent Amateur Radio Society transmitting from Nutley again they try to other mills also transmitting this weekend both in this Country and Abroad.
SUNDAY
MILL	DAY	OPENING TIMES	SPECIAL EVENTS AND COMMENTS
Burton Watermill	SUN	11 am to 4 pm	There is free parking at the site and level access to the machine floor but only step access to the stone floor and toilets. There will be other engine driven pumps & mills present for the day. No refreshments.
Countershaw Beam Pump	SUN	11 am to 4. 30 pm	Entry is £4 for adults, children free. A pop up coffee shop will be operating. Features of the day: Just over 50 years ago flour was being milled at Coultershaw. Come and learn about the mill, milling and producing flour. We will have a display of working stationary engines, machinery - and a working traditional threshing machine. You can also visit Burton Mill, just 2.5km away, where the watermill will be working and producing flour. Access: There is wheelchair access over nearly all of the site including a view of the waterwheel. Paths near the river are uneven in places and can be soft after heavy rain. Toilets with wheelchair access.
High Salvington Windmill	SUN	2.30 pm to 5 pm	Entrance costs £1 for adults, free for accompanied children, with mill tours available for an additional £1. We expect to have members of Worthing & District Amateur Radio Club in attendance contacting other mills around the world. There is street parking and three small car parks within easy walking distance, in Bost Hill, West Hill and Honeysuckle Lane. There is no bus service operating to High Salvington on the Sunday.
Jill Windmill	SUN	2 pm to 5 pm	Refreshments and souvenirs. Tours of the Mill. Exclusive access to Jack Windmill for our Society Members. No toilets.
Lowfield Heath Windmill	SUN	2 pm to 5 pm	Parking is available. £5 entry - children free. Toilet facilities. Tea & homemade cakes!
Nutley Windmill	SUN	2.30 pm to 5.30 pm	Nutley Windmill, Crowborough Road Nutley TN22 3HY. No entrance fee but donations welcome. We have the West Kent Amateur Radio Society transmitting from Nutley again they try to other mills also transmitting this weekend both in this Country and Abroad.
Oldland Windmill	SUN	2 pm to 5 pm	No entry fee, access by footpath only, refreshments.
Stone Cross Windmill	SUN	12 noon to 5 pm	Disabled parking only at the mill. Entry by donation. BBQ, Tea and cakes. Stationary engines and live music.
Windmill Hill Windmill	SUN	12 noon to 4 pm	Access arrangements. Disabled friendly including a toilet. Entry fees. Nil. Additional attractions - amateur radio present, home made cakes and scones.