The History of The Windmill

Windmills have been on the site of The Windmill for over 400 years. A windmill played a very important role in the English Civil War - when Scarborough was besieged during the civil war in 1645 a windmill based here was used by Parliament's General Sir John Meldrum as an artillery observation post.

The present structure of The Windmill dates originally from 1784 when Thomas Robinson was given the "baylif’s" authority to build a new mill. The windmill sails worked until 1898 when, after storm damage, a gas turbine replaced them. The windmill finally stopped grinding corn in 1927 and gradually fell into disrepair. For the following 60 years, the windmill had a variety of uses including storing seed and newspaper distribution. The year 1985 almost saw the end of The Windmill when a developer applied for planning permission to demolish it and turn the site into flats.

Fortunately this was rejected and in 1988 Stephen Beecroft and Irene Mapplebeck bought the mill and turned it into a hotel. Tragically Stephen died shortly afterwards.

The Windmill is now a Grade II Listed Building circa 1784.

The latest chapter in The Windmill’s history was its purchase by us, Angela and Roland in 1997. Since purchasing the property we have built an upper flat in The Windmill, replaced the sales and dome, reduced the number of rooms overall but increased the quality and size of some of our rooms and introduced king-size four poster beds. We have also built display cabinets in the reception and dining room turning Roland’s vast collection of toys into a Contemporary Museum from the 1960s onwards.

Come and visit us at The Windmill and learn and experience more of this wonderful historic building and see the photographs and maps on the recent and not so recent past of The Windmill which are on display in our reception.