This film is part of Free

Ploughing at Fulking and views of Shipley Mill

Frank Gregory captures rural West Sussex in this charming film from 1969 - featuring Shire horses at a ploughing match and excellent views of a spinning Shipley Mill

Amateur film 1969 4 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Screen Archive South East

Overview

We start at Fulking, in West Sussex, where a ploughing match is in progress. A pair of Shire horses are coupled up to a plough and with the farmer guiding the blade, they cut neat furrows into the ground. The farmer then poses with his horses before we move to the windmill at Shipley. There follows a series of shots showing exterior and interior views of the working mill, as well as glimpses of the machinery that drives the windmill's sails and views of the village beyond.

Shipley Mill is a relatively young windmill, dating from 1879 when she, for all windmills are known as 'she', was built for Mr Fred Marten by a Mr Grist - a millwright from nearby Horsham - for an eventual cost of £2500. Not only is it the youngest windmill in West Sussex, it is also the largest. Owned at one time by the writer Hilaire Belloc, Shipley Mill continued working until 1926. Various restoration schemes have ensured that the mill can still be seen working. Shipley Mill starred in 22 episodes of the BBC TV series 'Jonathan Creek', starring Alan Davies and Caroline Quentin, where it served as the lead character's home.