Destroyed windmill dismantled

The windmill at Chillenden was flattened by storms

A Grade II listed windmill that was flattened by high winds has been dismantled by cranes in preparation for restoration work.

The windmill at Chillenden near Canterbury, Kent, was blown over and destroyed during a storm on 26 November.

The mill, which was built in 1868, had been restored before the storm.

The same contractors who repaired it have been called in to take it apart.

It will take the IJP workers a week to dismantle the mill as each part has to be labelled in case it is decided to rebuild it in the future.

The timber is quite wet at the moment so we will dry it out while it is in the container to prevent possible rot setting in Peter Cobley, conservation officer

The post mill was believed to be one of just five of its kind in the UK.

It will be stored in a container in Reading for at least three months while Kent County Council, the mill's owner, decides its fate.

The council's Heritage conservation officer Peter Cobley, said: "We will store it safely away and decide what to do next.

"The timber is quite wet at the moment so we will dry it out while it is in the container to stop any rot setting in.

"Each part will be clearly identifiable so we have the option to rebuild it in the future."