Historic landmark to be restored

The mill was built in 1740 by the Duke of Richmond and Gordon

A £25,000 project has begun to restore an historic West Sussex windmill that dates back to 1740.

The cash will pay for timber to replace rotten wood in the cap, sails and shaft of Halnaker Windmill, which stands on the South Downs in Chichester.

The historic structure, owned by West Sussex County Council, was the main flour mill on the Goodwood Estate but stopped processing corn in 1905.

It is now used as a resting or meeting place for ramblers.

The mill is a famous landmark in West Sussex and was used by World War II pilots as a navigational aid when they returned to the county's airfields.

A council spokesman said: "We are carrying out this vital work because Halnaker Windmill is too popular and well known as a landmark in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty just to leave neglected."

Scaffolding has been put up around the mill for the duration of the repairs.