One of the city’s most distinctive landmarks will be open to the public again this year on selected days.

Windmill Open Days

Bradwell Windmill, which featured on the first set of postcards and adverts for life in the new city, will  be open on some Sunday afternoons, as well as for National Mills Weekend and Heritage Open Days.

On each occasion opening times are from 1.30-4.30pm – giving local people the chance to see the results of a programme of refurbishment.

Allowing for government regulations the windmill will be open on the following dates:

Sunday, July 25

Sunday, August 29

Saturday, September 11 & Sunday, September 12 (Heritage Open Weekend)

Sunday, September 26

Sunday, October 24

How to find the Windmill and parking

Postcode: MK13 7UE

Parking is in Nightingale Court,  off Wheelers Lane. There is no access to the mill from Mill Lane (off Bradwell Road).

Please be aware

• The mill is a working machine not just a building. Care should be taken when moving around the premises as some surfaces are greasy and some have a risk of splinters;
• There are low beams and trip hazards along with steep, narrow stairs;
• Only a limited number of people can access the upstairs at a time – so you may have to wait;
• Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult;
• There are no toilet facilities available
• Admission is free but donations towards the upkeep are very much welcome!

Bradwell Windmill History

Bradwell Windmill is thought to be the second windmill built in Bradwell village, replacing an earlier post mill on the site of Summerfield School. Post mills were built around a central post in order that the whole structure could be turned so the sails caught the wind.

The mill we now see just off the V6 Grafton St was erected around 1805 and just about made a living for the families that owned it, milling grain for local farmers. However, it was less reliable than the area’s water mills, for example along the Ouse at Old Wolverton, and by the 20^th century it was derelict. The Council acquired it for just £80.

Its return to health was achieved through a partnership between the building’s stewards, Milton Keynes Museum, and Milton Keynes Council, who funded the work of millwrights Owlsworth IJP.

Like the Museum itself, Bradwell Windmill is maintained and operated by volunteers.

For satnavs the postcode that gets people to the mill is MK13 7UE; parking is in Nightingale Crescent, off Wheelers Lane. There is no access to the mill from Mill Lane (off Bradwell Road). Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.