A
Famous Landmark:
The Shirley Windmill
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A
Famous Landmark: |
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The
first windmill was built on the site around 1810; a Mr. Alwen had the
lease on the Shirley property from 1812 and the freehold from 1825. The
original windmill burnt down in 1854. |
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The
JRGS site in 1993,
during its transformation into a private housing development. |
Photo: Stephen Lander. |
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A vintage
photograph of unrestored windmill |
From
the April
1961 JRGS School Magazine |
Christmas 2001 |
December 2001, during |
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There have been a number of restorations over the years, first in 1927 by George Givan, who had purchased Shirley Court and the windmill. In 1952, Croydon County Council purchased the mill and the grounds from Mrs. Annie Givan to build the new JRGS. Threatened with demolition when the new school was built, the mill was protected by its listed status and strong public interest. It was used as a changing room/storage facility until the school closed.
The
possibility of the windmill becoming a museum had been mooted since 1977,
but it was not until August 1996 that London Borough of Croydon announced
a grant of £218,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for this purpose.
Working with Friends of Shirley Windmill, the grant money has helped
restore the mill to working order. |
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