The corn-growing county of Essex was home to over 200 windmills at the peak of the milling industry in the mid-nineteenth century, of which twenty-three survive. In this book author Ian Yearsley explores the history of windmills in Essex, including images of those still standing today and those lost to the past. He examines how the windmills worked and explains the differences between the three main types of windmill – post, smock and tower – and how and why these came about. The book follows the growth and decline of windmill construction through the years and the heritage movement that saw many local windmills saved. Details are given of all of the surviving windmills in Essex, as well as many of the lost windmills in the county.

This fascinating picture of an important but often forgotten part of the economy and heritage of Essex will be of interest to all those who live in the county or have known it well over the years, as well as those interested in the uses of renewable technology in centuries past.