Windmill

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High Salvington Windmill is reputed to have been built around 1756 although one is shown in the area on Budgen's map of Durrington dated 1724. The mill is a post mill – i.e. the body or buck rests on, and turns about, the post. It is possibly the oldest mill in West Sussex, and until the 1974 boundary changes it was the only post mill in W. Sussex, at which time Jill, Oldland, and Lowfield Heath mills were included. However, Lowfield Heath is now in Surrey. West Sussex County Council were keen to preserve High Salvington (a post mill) together with Halnaker (a tower mill), Shipley (a smock mill), and West Ashling (a combined Water and Windmill). This mill is the last of 8 mills around Worthing. Others were:

• Cissbury or Broadwater Mill, on the southern slopes of Cissbury.
• Cross Street Mill - initially by Worthing Central Station, but later moved to East Worthing.
• Highdown Post Mill - worked by John Olliver (Millers tomb).
• Highdown Tower Mill - now converted into a house on the Western slope of Highdown Hill.
• Navarino Mills - 2 mills (a smock and a tower mill) on Ham Road towards the sea.
• Heene Mill - South West of the junction of Grand Avenue and Mill Road. It was the oldest mill site in Worthing.

At High Salvington the miller’s cottage stood where our main gate is now located, but was demolished in1966 by Worthing Borough Council. The mill ceased to work commercially around 1897, after around 150 years. In 1959, the Worthing Borough Council bought the Mill for £2250. During the 1960's some structural repairs were carried out by Edwin Hole, millwrights. In 1976 a dummy sail blew off in a gale and the mill was found to be structurally unsafe. Also in 1976, the High Salvington Mill Trust was formed to investigate the possibilities of preserving the mill with later possibilities of fully restoring the mill. In 1984, for the first time since it had ceased working, the mill was officially turned on its post by local astronomer Patrick Moore. In the summer of 1987, the first pair of sweeps (the common sails) were erected. In October 1987 the single pair of sails turned unaided during the night of the hurricane. Slight damage occurred to the main steps, and a hairline fracture was made over one horn at the bottom of the post, which had to be replaced. During the summer of 1988 the spring shutter sails were erected. During 1990 the concrete roundhouse was demolished and a new wooden one built to the appearance of the one in existence in 1897. On 4th April 1991 the stones were set in motion to produce the first meal (flour) since 1897.