Members of the public are invited to attend a consultation evening to learn about plans to preserve and restore John Webb's Windmill in Thaxted.

The project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, aims to repair and conserve the structure of the building and its millwrighting machinery.

A community consultation event is being held so the project team can engage with people who live in Thaxted and the surrounding villages and reflect their interests and enthusiasms.

The consultation event will take place on Friday, February 9 in the Church Hall, Margaret Street, Thaxted from 7pm to 8.30pm. 

Attendance is free but places must be booked by emailing johnwebbswindmill@gmail.com.

Mark Rickards, secretary to the Trustees of Thaxted Windmill CIO, and project manager Anne Mason hope that many people will take advantage of the opportunity to learn about the plans for repair, access improvements and interpretation and educational materials.

Anne explained: "We need ideas and suggestions for community involvement and what people would like to know more about."

Mark added: "The application for delivery phase funding will be made at the end of June, and involving people in the heritage of the windmill is a crucial part of the process so we hope there will be widespread report for the consultation evening."

A short survey about the plans for the windmill is available on the trust's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/johnwebbswindmillthaxted/.

John Webb's Windmill, originally built in 1804, was restored from 1973 onwards and is the only remaining windmill in Thaxted.

It is usually open to the public during the summer months, but is currently closed for repairs.

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The windmill was built on farmland owned by John Webb to satisfy a growing demand for flour at a time of agricultural expansion. It was constructed from local materials - with the bricks made and fired half a mile away in the Chelmer valley.

After operating for more than 100 years, the mill was declared uneconomic to work in 1907 and failed to sell at auction.

It briefly became a scout and youth centre, then was derelict by the 1950s before restoration began in the 1970s.