73:, for £1,175, the Kerby family continuing until replaced by the last commercial tenant, Walter Chester. The mill closed early in the 20th century by which time the technology was obsolete. The derelict mill was listed in the 1980s and compulsory purchased by North West Leicestershire District Council who sold it to Swannington Heritage Trust in 1994. The Trust refurbished the mill with the aid of a £70,883 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It was opened by Mr
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57:— a more primitive, less stable but far cheaper design where the entire mill body must be rotated to face the wind. Over the years all succumbed to fire, storm or decay, the last killing its owner when it collapsed in the early 1800s. Dismantled and reassembled nearby, the mill operated until 1895 when the components were sold.
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Next to the Gorse Field is
Califat Spinney which includes two engine houses from the coal mine that operated from 1855-1873. One of the mine shafts was called the Alabama shaft. Whilst the date is uncertain, it was practice at the time to name shafts after contemporary events, the
45:. The mill served a coal mining community. The structure is surrounded by the remains of ancient shallow coal mines and local maps show many footpaths and tracks made by the miners who walked between them. The mill and surrounding area is owned by the Swannington Heritage Trust.
81:. Both properties were part of Thringstone Civil Parish until its abolition in April 1936, Hough Mill being part of 70 acres transferred to Swannington whilst the New Inn was part of 98 acres transferred to Coleorton.
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At least five mills were built on high ground to the north of
Swannington and were operated by three local milling families, the Griffins, Chesters and the Kerbys. The earliest structures were
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in 1804. The mill was operated by his tenant, James Kerby who paid an annual rent of £30. In 1877, it was sold to John Hough, steward to the
Beaumonts of
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off the coast of
Cherbourg, France in 1864. A horse-drawn tramway carried coal from the Califat mine to the bottom of the Swannington Incline where the
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dating back to 1204. This is being turned into a nature reserve. The replica ginn engine (see photo, left) was funded by the
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John
Griffin built the present structure, replacing a nearby post mill and purchasing land from the
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The Trust also owns the adjacent 6 acre gorse field, part of an unfarmed ancient
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pulled the trucks to the top of the incline to continue its journey along the
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built in the late 18th century on the boundary with the village of
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141:"Hough Mill - An Early 19th Century Tower Mill"
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262:Grade II listed buildings in Leicestershire
186:. Leicestershire Industrial History Society
184:"Excavations:Califat Colliery, Swannington"
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257:Industrial buildings completed in 1804
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297:Tourist attractions in Leicestershire
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282:Grinding mills in the United Kingdom
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277:Tower mills in the United Kingdom
118:Leicester and Swannington Railway
85:Gorse Field and Califat Spinney
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211:- Swannington Heritage Trust
163:"Swannington Heritage Trust"
272:Windmills in Leicestershire
35:Swannington, Leicestershire
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287:Museums in Leicestershire
267:Grade II listed windmills
292:Mill museums in England
67:Enclosure Commissioners
22:Hough Mill, Swannington
233:52.749915°N 1.393461°W
143:. Swannington Heritage
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106:CSS Alabama
95:coal mining
79:Peggs Green
43:Thringstone
251:Categories
221:52°45′00″N
209:Hough Mill
55:post mills
224:1°23′36″W
190:17 August
168:18 August
71:Coleorton
101:company.
147:29 July
110:US Navy
39:England
91:common
124:Notes
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192:2012
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