The above image is © Wayne Liptrot
Address: Caxton Rd, Bourn, Caxton, Cambridge CB23 2SU
Bourn Windmill is an open trestle post mill at Bourn in Cambridgeshire, England, built during the reign of Henry VIII. It is a Grade I Listed building and a Scheduled Monument.
Perched in lovely countryside to the west of Cambridge it is owned and cared for by local charity Cambridge Past, Present & Future, who enlist the help of a team of volunteers to support the opening and care of the mill.
The sails of the mill have to face squarely into the wind and to achieve this the entire mill is rotated around the central post – a surprisingly easy, but dramatic, task for two or three people. There are only around 50 trestle post mills left surviving in the UK, 5 of which are in Cambridgeshire.
In 2021, scientists attempted to age the timbers in the mill and concluded that the tree that provided the huge timber for the main post in the mill was cut down during 1513-49, making it the oldest wood in any mill in the UK. The mill ceased work commercially in 1927 and was preserved in 1932. Also in 2021, it was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register as being in danger of collapse.
Once a month during the summer, the now restored Windmill is opened and guides will show you how the windmill works and tell you the history of this fascinating building. Click here for details of events, opening times, entrance fees & facilities during the 2026 summer season. The mill is approximately 26 miles from Saffron Walden (40 minutes by car).
See also the story of Fulbourn Mill, Cambridgeshire and its restoration.