Lutton Gowts, Sneath’s Mill N.G.R. TF 436 243 The forlorn remains of this tower mill standing on the old sea bank, north of Long Sutton, are nationally important as they represent the earliest form of tower mill to survive in the UK.This Grade 1 is in desperate need of restoration and the Sneath’s Mill Trust needs our support as it applies for over £2million of HLF funding. Send emails to sneathsmill@btinternet.com or visit there website www.sneathsmill.org.uk.
The following is a description from Windmills of Lincolnshire by Jon Sass.
A re-used sundial stone is inscribed T. D. Ayliff 1779 recording its erection. Worked by wind until the 1930s, several attempts have been made to preserve it. The gabled roof and braced tail pole and winch were the norm on Lincolnshire tower and smock mills prior to 1780. The octagonal brick tower is unique in Lincolnshire and resembled the smock mill. A weather vane above the rear gable was a useful indicator before the advent of fantails. All the surviving internal machinery is of wood with crude cogs to the trundle gear of the clasp arm brakewheel, wallower and great spur wheels. Two pairs of stones were overdriven on the first floor and the wooden pinion and shafting to the former flour dresser survives. The wooden windshaft has an iron canister or poll end secured by a long tongue, wedges and iron ring clamps.
