Cliff Featherston of Upminster Windmill has sent us this striking photograph. It shows the cap frame during dismantling prior to renovation.
Cliff says that the cleverly-coloured image “shows well the degree of decay over 213 years due to wet rot, dry rot and death-watch beetle. On the left guiding the craning is Willem Dijkstra, Dutch millwright and main contractor, and guiding on the right is Paul Kemp, English millwright. In the foreground are FUW [Friends of Upminster Windmill] volunteers assisting. Dotted around the background are various parts of the mill: the Wallower gear; parts of the fantail beams; the cap back wall; sections of the cap circle, stocks, etc.”
Original image courtesy of Andrew Conway.