There seems to be a great deal of resistance in some areas to the establishment of windfarms, on the grounds that the windmills themselves are unsightly.

However, no-one seems to object to the presence in the landscape of traditional Post or Tower mills; indeed, they are often the subject of preservation efforts.

Now, architects at BorgCo have designed a wind-powered generator that is not only High Tech but High Gothic. Suitable for attachment to church towers or steeples, or available as a stand-alone installation, the great advantage of this new design is that it looks like it's been there for 500 years.
-- 8th of 7, Jun 14 2012

Or a steampunk one, and you could have cardboard cut-out of Fred Dibnah next to it.
-- not_morrison_rm, Jun 14 2012


"The Windmills Of Bolton" ...

Hmm, doesn't quite work, somehow.
-- 8th of 7, Jun 14 2012


Just stay calm, and repeat the names of the firemen under your breath ...
-- 8th of 7, Jun 14 2012


Just please, no dark eyeshadow, piles of black and white paint, or morbid clothing hanging on the vanes.

It might be a nice double use of cemetery space, though.
-- RayfordSteele, Jun 14 2012


I'm thinking of a gigantic Michael Jackson wind turbine, with three huge perspex rotors.

Inside the rotors are white panels, these flip down to the give the illusion of sleeves on two or the three rotors and while on the third rotor they flip up to let the rotor be see-through.

Could also be made to moonwalk by cunning use of pivots and cables, powered by an array of hamster wheels.
-- not_morrison_rm, Jun 15 2012


[+] well, I like the image of Gothic windmills. Add a little Hunchback of Notre Dame to it...
-- xandram, Jun 15 2012


What's a Post or Tower mill? Is there a translation into Amerikanski?
-- sqeaketh the wheel, Jun 15 2012


// Is there a translation//

Certainly. A 'post mill' was used for gangling oasted barley so that it could be pressed into rattings before being sent to the gelter mill. Post mills can be recognised by their alming vanes and circular benting. (As you can see, the word 'mill' is something of a misnomer in this instance.)

A 'tower mill', obviously, was used for milling spelted whissom to remove the spreck and leave the kerbel behind. You may know this process as kipling, I believe.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 15 2012


//You may know this process as kipling,

Surely you mean flenting?
-- not_morrison_rm, Jun 15 2012


Don't be silly.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 15 2012


Thank you - I have written this down. Now next time I visit friends in Oxford, I will be able to speak with confidence about these millings.
-- sqeaketh the wheel, Jun 16 2012



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