The only windmill in Hertfordshire that still stands and is listed as a grade II* building was built in 1681 and supported by a dendrochronological survey completed in 1998. The mill is located on an artificial mound near Ardeley, which is within the parish of Cromer, near which the mill has stood for nearly 800 years.
The Cromer Windmill was damaged around the year 1860, but was subsequently restored and used into the 1920s when windmilling was no longer economically viable and the mill fell into disrepair. Only a few repairs had been made in 1938, and sails had already been removed for safety until local residents appealed to save the windmill in 1964.
Soon after being formed, the Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust began restoring the mill. The work was conducted in four phases, with intervals of approximately ten years, as money became available In the final phase, she was fitted with shutters and striking gear to the sails and the internal machinery, which was then rebuilt. The mill was brought back to nearly full operational capability. But, the Trust decided to go through the second restoration cycle and repair the ladder and fantail, which were in need of replacement after nearly 50 years. The first phase of this project was completed in April of last year.
However, when the wind is just right, the sails will turn and the windmill begins to rotate.
