Caron Higgins

Caron Higgins became involved with Bradwell Windmill in the 1970s after joining Milton Keynes Development Corporation as Assistant Buildings Conservation Officer. Having grown up near Outwood Mill in Surrey, she already had a strong interest in historic mills and conservation. Her interview for the post centred on Bradwell Windmill, and her technical knowledge — including discussing sail types — helped secure the role.

Bradwell Windmill became her main project. When she first visited, the building was in poor condition: overgrown, weathered, and with a deteriorating cap allowing water ingress. The Corporation had a responsibility to stabilise and restore it, initially focusing on making it watertight before aiming for a more complete reconstruction.

Caron managed budgets for interior works, liaised with contractors, and coordinated volunteers. Stone restoration was carried out by local builders, while specialist millwrights, Thompsons of Alford, Lincolnshire, reconstructed the cap and sails using traditional techniques. She recalls visiting their workshop, where original measurements were preserved in floor markings. Heavy timber components were lifted into place on site, sometimes testing crane limits. Local foundry Towcester Castings recast essential metal rollers for the cap’s unusual “live and dead” curb mechanism — a combination of metal rollers and greased hardwood pads.

The mill presented technical challenges. Its main shaft was slightly twisted, and it contained rare features, including a fireplace — highly unusual in a flour mill due to explosion risk — and universal joints in the cap’s turning mechanism. Much original metalwork survived, though wooden gear teeth had to be painstakingly remade.

Restoration took roughly two to three years. Although structurally complete, the mill was never fully commissioned for regular working. Spring sails were installed but not permanently fitted with shutters, as safe operation would require a trained miller on site. Caron emphasises that a windmill is not simply a building but “a housing for a machine.” Without regular movement and management, mechanical distortion and deterioration occur.

After leaving the Corporation in 1985, she remained informally involved, even responding when lightning damage in the late 1980s or early 1990s caused sails to fall. She later gave tours and talks, helping sustain local interest.

For Caron, the windmill represents one of the defining projects of her career — technically fascinating, collaborative, and unique — though she believes its long-term survival depends on active stewardship and knowledgeable care.