Windmills of Yorkshire Part I - Holgate Windmill, York

This remarkable grade II listed five-sail windmill, fully restored and operational, was initially constructed by George Waud around 1770 and run by the Waud family until the mid 19th century. Originally situated in open countryside, it now stands on a roundabout within a housing estate in York.

During the mid-19th century, the mill underwent refurbishment, which included the installation of a steam engine, a granary and an increase in its height. In the early 1930s, electric motors replaced the steam engine to support the wind-powered milling; however, the mill stopped operating in 1933.

The York Corporation acquired it in 1939, but as housing developments expanded, the mill deteriorated. In the early 2000s, the Holgate Preservation Society was established and spent a decade restoring the mill to full operational status, allowing it to commercially produce and sell flour.