Union Mill

Union Mill in Cranbrook is a white weatherboarded smock mill, and is said to be the finest example in England.

The Grade I listed building sits in a prominent position in the attractive Wealden town. It is in the Cranbrook Conservation Area, and provides a local landmark and visitor attraction to the town.

At 70ft high, it is the tallest mill in Kent and the tallest smock mill in the country. It has 7 storeys, including a brick base 3 storeys in height.

The mill was built in 1814 for Henry Dobell and is the only surviving mill in the county built by Humphrey the millwright.

Dobell went bankrupt in 1819, and the mill was taken over by his creditors and became known as the Union Mill.

In 1832, the mill was bought by George and Henry Russell and it stayed in their family until 1957. Following a successful fund-raising appeal by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, the mill was acquired by Kent County Council in 1961.

The mill has been restored to full working order and volunteers at the site still grind corn using wind power.

It was opened to the public in 1982 and is looked after by the Cranbrook Windmill Association.