brixton windmill tour

Posted on 4th August 2021 Categories London History

By: Author Julianna Barnaby

Brixton Windmill – Discover the Secrets of London’s Last Working Mill

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Are you ready to discover the Brixton Windmill? 

I’ll let you in on a little secret – not even many locals living outside of its immediate vicinity know about this unusual landmark that serves as a reminder of the area’s former agricultural past. 

Venture away from Brixton station, past a small row of shops at the beginning of Brixton Hill and turn down a small dead-end road. It’s not until you’re almost upon the Brixton Windmill that it looms out from the maze of gardens and concrete flats that surround it. 

I have to be honest, I lived in Brixton for years without ever stumbling across this hidden gem. It took me researching my Unusual London book before I heard the whisper of the  London windmill that was built during the Georgian period and still standing in Brixton today. 

It took even longer before I finally got to venture inside on a tour to see and hear about the windmill first-hand from the passionate team of volunteers that run it. 

What’s the story behind one of the last of London’s windmills? Let’s explore. 

What’s the Story Behind the Brixton Windmill?

In the midst of the urban density and ever-widening scale of today’s city, it’s difficult to believe that once upon a time in the not too distant past this part of south London was a rural area: a patchwork of farms, woods and clean, wholesome air. 

Still, vestiges of this bucolic past do remain, cosily ensconced by the built-up sprawl. 

You’ll find one such reminder in Brixton’s little-known windmill, the last of 12 windmills that were situated in Lambeth and the last working windmill in London. 

Built in 1816 by the Ashby family, Brixton Windmill would originally have been surrounded by open fields – a far cry from the small gardens and looming shadow of HMP Brixton that are its current neighbours. 

Sitting on two acres of land, it was a successful operation, bringing in trade and industry to Brixton. It remained so until the 1850s when the development of the Brixton area started in earnest. 

The urbanisation of the area was a death warrant for the windmill – as the houses sprung up, they deprived the mill of the strong winds it needed to function and it closed in 1862 when the owners started milling further out of the city at a watermill in Mitcham instead. 

The Ashbys still used the Brixton mill for storage, but when the lease on the Mitcham mill ran out in 1902, they decided to fit the Brixton Windmill with a steam engine to power production and moved their operations back there. 

It remained in service until 1934 and then was purchased by Lambeth Council in 1957 who also opened the surrounding Windmill Gardens. These days it is operated by a charity – the Friends of Windmill Gardens on behalf of the council.  

As I mentioned, this is London’s last working windmill – a couple of times a month they power up the mill (these days it’s powered by electricity rather than wind)  to grind flour you can buy from their shop or a select number of stockists in London. 

They also donate over half of the flour milled on the premises to local food banks – supporting the community that has grown in the area over the centuries.   

How to Visit the Last Working Windmill in London 

Fully restored in 2011 thanks to some lottery funding, Brixton Windmill now holds open days from May to October and on occasional other dates throughout the year. 

Want to nab the opportunity to see the inside of the curious building? I’d highly recommend booking a spot on one of their mid-week or weekend tours.

Until last week I’d seen the windmill, but never had the opportunity to go inside. It was a fascinating few hours, hearing about the evolution of the windmill and all the work the Friends of Windmill Gardens do to keep running today. 

As London’s last working windmill, Brixton Windmill makes for an intriguing trip. Do so and you get to peek into the cutting edge technology of the past and learn about its evolution over time. 

Check Upcoming Tour Dates Here

Brixton Windmill – Practical Information and Map 

Where is the brixton windmill .

22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, London SW2 5BZ

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Brixton Windmill (Ashby's Mill)

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Brixton Windmill (Ashby's Mill) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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This 200-Year-Old Windmill At The End Of The Victoria Line Is South London’s Best Kept Secret

Did you know there was a working windmill in South London? Built in 1816, Brixton Windmill still produces flour — and it's open for tours on selected days of the year.

Despite literally being in Zone 2, a trip to Brixton Windmill feels like a countryside escape . The now grade II* listed structure was built in 1816 , when this part of South London was mostly fields, and it has retained a lot of the country charm. Officially known as Ashby’s Mill, after the family who milled here way back when, Brixton Windmill survived several years of ups and downs until milling ceased in 1934. After a series of false starts, and a proper restoration project, the windmill reopened to the public back in 2011.

Brixton Windmill, whilst not as prolific as it used to be, is still a working mill. In fact, it’s London’s last working windmill , and the flour they mill here is available to buy on open days and from local retailers. Between March and October, on the second weekend of every month, the windmill opens for guided tours. Lucky visitors who book in advance will get to go up inside the mill and learn all about the inner workings, checking out two sets of millstones: both the original wind-powered machinery, and the smaller stones installed by the Ashby family in 1902 that were driven by steam. Nowadays, the millstones both run on electricity and are used by volunteers to produce Brixton Windmill flour.

Not to be confused with The Windmill pub, also in Brixton, Brixton Windmill can also be a good place for a pint if you pick your days right. It’s home to the annual Beer and Bread festival , which attracts micro-brewers and artisan bakers for a celebration of all things wheat. Other special events include weekly, drop-in tai chi classes in the Windmill Gardens, and walks around the Brixton Hill area led by a Blue Badge Guide.

📍 Location: Blenheim Gardens, Brixton , SW2 5EU. Nearest station is Brixton. See it on Google Maps . 🕙 Opening hours: Brixton Windmill opens on the second weekend of each month, from March to October. 💷 Entry: tours cost £5 and last around 30 minutes. Shorter tours (around 20 minutes) are available for those who haven’t booked in advance, but entry isn’t guaranteed and you may have to wait. 👉 More information: from their website .

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Brixton Windmill Open Days

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Brixton’s 200-year-old mill opens its doors for public tours from April until October. The guided tours are scheduled on the second weekend of each month.

See the original wind-powered machinery and take a walk through London’s industrial past. Spaces must be booked in advance at the Brixton Windmill website and can be done one month ahead of the date. Numbers are limited due to the restricted space within the windmill.

Tours last 30 minutes and must be booked in advance; note that stair climbing is required. If there are no places available for a full tour, ‘turn up and go’ short tours are also available throughout the afternoon for a small donation.

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Brixton Windmill Open Days and guided walk this weekend, 8th/9th July 2023

The Brixton Windmill will be running guided tours of the windmill over the weekend of 8 and 9 July, with their cafe and shop will be open throughout.

They are also taking bookings for their popular guided walk of Brixton Hill which starts at 1pm on Saturday 8 July , which provides a great opportunity to learn more about the wider history of the area.

Their website has more details:

Brixton Windmill Open Days Friends of Windmill Gardens open Brixton Windmill on the second weekend of every month from March to October.   Brixton Windmill’s Open Days are a unique opportunity to learn more about this special landmark in our local history. On open days we offer guided walks and tours, and the café and shop will be open. Guided Tours BOOK HERE  On a tour of Brixton Windmill you will see two sets of millstones – the original wind-powered machinery, and the smaller stones installed by the Ashby family in 1902 that were driven by steam. Today they run on electricity and are used by our volunteer millers to produce Brixton Windmill flour. All tours are led by our team of volunteers.   The full tour is £5 and takes 30 minutes, and you must  book in advance  on our website. Tours usually get booked up very quickly (places are restricted due to the limited space within the mill) and open up to a month in advance. Cancellations and last minute availability are advertised on social media.   If there are no places available for a full tour, ‘turn up and go’ short tours are also available throughout the afternoon for a small donation. Guided Walks London Blue Badge Guide Liz du Parcq guises these popular walks in the Brixton Hill area. Liz is a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide who has lived in Lambeth since 1970, was an elected Lambeth councillor for our local ward from 1974 until 1982, and is a life member of the Friends of Windmill Gardens.   The walks start from Brixton Windmill promptly at 1pm and last about 1.5 hours, depending on the walking speed of the group and the questions that come up.  You will need to book online in advance. You can learn more about Liz’s wonderful guided walks and book a space here. Windmill Gardens, Shop, and Café Brixton Windmill Open Days are an excellent time to come down and visit the Windmill Gardens. The Windmill Gardens is a peaceful award-winning park overlooked by the grade II* listed Windmill itself. The heart of the local community, Windmill Gardens is home to a children’s playground,  a wonderful mural depicting the past, present and future of Brixton Windmill, and a well-used ping pong table. Windmill Gardens also hosts the Brixton Windmill Centre. Built by Lambeth Council next to the windmill and leased to the Friends, the centre opened early in 2020 and is used as a visitor centre for Brixton Windmill, an education space, and a community venue that is available to hire. On Open Days, the Centre operates a volunteer-run visitors shop and café.

Brixton Windmill Blenheim Gardens Brixton, London SW2 5DA

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The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

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There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

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Guided Walks

• Brixton Windmill timeline
• Brixton Windmill in the 19th century
• Brixton Windmill in the 20th century
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The Friends organise this programme of open day tours and community events on behalf of Lambeth Council who own Brixton Windmill.

Find out about the many ways you can get involved in the Brixton Windmill.

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Our range of Brixton Windmill branded products to buy directly from our website.

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Getting to Brixton Windmill

The windmill is situated in a small park called Windmill Gardens.

The park is at the top end of Blenheim Gardens road.

Windmill Gardens 100 Blenheim Gardens Brixton Hill London SW2 5DA

TFL traffic controls

If travelling in a vehicle northbound down Brixton Hill, you are not allowed to turn left into Blenheim Gardens road, carry on and access the windmill via next left into St Saviour’s Road. (GLA 2021 No.0195 Experimental Traffic Order)

You can still turn right from Brixton Hill into Blenheim Gardens road.

Plan your journey: https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/

The following buses pass Brixton Underground and the Windmill: 45, 59, 109, 118, 133, 159, 250 and 333. Alight at  Blenheim Gardens . (Coming from Brixton tube station, it’s the third stop.)

By tube and train

Brixton Underground (Victoria line) – 1 mile

Brixton Train overground – 1 mile

Clapham North Underground  (Northern line) – 1.2 miles

Streatham Hill Train overground – 1.2 miles

The windmill is situated one mile south of Brixton on the A23, off Brixton Hill. There is no on-site parking. There is limited on-street parking on surrounding roads but from Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6.30pm you have to pay parking charges ( currently £3 an hour , maximum four hours) unless you have a valid permit. Parking at other times is free. If you are using  satnav , the postcode is SW2 5DA .

View local cycle routes and quietways on the  Transport for London  or  Cycle Streets  websites. From central London take the CS5/CS6 to  CS7  cycle superhighway route and leave at  Clapham North to continue via B221 Bedford Road/Kings Avenue, Lyham Road and through Blenheim Gardens estate. Or alternatively, leave CS7 at Kennington Park to continue via the busy A23 Brixton Road/Brixton Hill.

The Windmill is a 20 minute walk from Brixton tube, along the flat stretch of lower Brixton Hill.

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Brixton Windmill is usually open for tours on the second weekend of every month from March to October.

Windmill Gardens Blenheim Gardens Brixton, London, SW2 5DA

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