I visited the 200-year-old windmill museum in East Yorkshire

Skidby Mill museum
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


East Yorkshire has plenty of stunning museums; whether it is William Wilberforce House, The Streetlife Museum or The Deep, there are plenty of options to get a fix of education.

One of the rare few places that I had yet to go to, however, was the Skidby Mill just on the outskirts of Cottingham. The renovated windmill now acts as a museum detailing the ins and outs of rural life throughout the centuries, and I had to tick it off on the museum list.

Parking was about 100 metres or so away from the courtyard. Surrounding the mill is a modern-looking play park, and within the mill courtyard is the heaving Sails Cafe.

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Despite only being open on weekends, I was the only visitor at the time. The clerk told me that it was a quiet day at the office for him. Entry for the museum was £2.50 for an adult, £1.50 concession, kids over five £1.25 and free for under fives. The friendly worker suggested I take a clipboard with a little quiz to fill in as I wandered around the mill.

Since the 1300s, windmills were a common sight around the Skidby area. The current mill which is now a museum has stood since the 1800s. Back in 1878, the mill changed to produce animal feed, which meant that the surrounds had to be build upon to house all the required machines.

Inside the Skidby Mill museum
Inside the Skidby Mill museum

These surrounding buildings now act as the foyer of the museum. The walk goes through how farming has evolved from the sowing of the seed to the ploughing of the land in its most basic form. Demonstrated with mannequins, the trail also has little hidden details for more keen-eyed people to find, whether it is little posters that detail where common phrases come from or little farmland mice.

The walk then leads into the loading bay and into the mill - where you learn more about Skidby Mill itself. It also becomes a lot more interactive, with television screens, puzzles and even a bit of dress-up for youngsters to get more hands-on.

More history on the mill follows. In 1954, wind power was obsolete and the machinery was adapted to run on electricity. The mill was sold in '62 and ceased operation in '66, being sold to the Beverley Rural District Council for £1.

Between 2008 and 2010, the mill underwent a huge rejuvenation project. This is documented on the second level of the museum - in the flour bagging floor, where you can get up close and personal with the cast iron machinery.

Inside the Skidby Mill museum
Inside the Skidby Mill museum

Remarkably, the mill machinery is completely intact and in full working order, although the sack hoist was removed 70 years ago. As part of ongoing renovations, part of it is blocked off. Plans were lodged back in July of this year to see the sails return, so we might get to see the museum in its entire glory before long.

Another museum ticked off the list, and this one definitely surprised me. It's one that I have heard very little of, probably because of the distance away. It's definitely worth checking out if you have a few hours to spare on a weekend, and it's very decent value for money.

Skidby Mill is open Saturday and Sunday 10 am-4 pm.