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| The little-known profession keeping windmills alive | The little-known profession keeping windmills alive |
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| Suffolk Millwrights encouraged anyone interested in the profession to visit its team | Suffolk Millwrights encouraged anyone interested in the profession to visit its team |
| Windmills up and down the country are adored and admired - but not everyone knows about those working behind the scenes to ensure these historic structures are kept running. | Windmills up and down the country are adored and admired - but not everyone knows about those working behind the scenes to ensure these historic structures are kept running. |
| In Suffolk, two millwright companies work across the county and beyond to design, craft, erect and maintain windmills and their sails. | In Suffolk, two millwright companies work across the county and beyond to design, craft, erect and maintain windmills and their sails. |
| Timothy Whiting runs Suffolk Millwright based in Dennington while James Forsyth runs Norfolk Millwright based near Southwold. | Timothy Whiting runs Suffolk Millwright based in Dennington while James Forsyth runs Norfolk Millwright based near Southwold. |
| Both men, who collaborate with each other and are passionate about their craft, believe they are some of the last remaining millwrights. | Both men, who collaborate with each other and are passionate about their craft, believe they are some of the last remaining millwrights. |
| Timothy Whiting set up Suffolk Millwright in 2011 to help restore, repair and maintain windmills in the UK | Timothy Whiting set up Suffolk Millwright in 2011 to help restore, repair and maintain windmills in the UK |
| Speaking about how he joined the profession, Mr Whiting said: "I grew up in Friston which has one of the finest post mills in the country and I was working there as a cabinet maker. | Speaking about how he joined the profession, Mr Whiting said: "I grew up in Friston which has one of the finest post mills in the country and I was working there as a cabinet maker. |
| "I trained as a cabinet maker in Ipswich and that's where I met Vincent Pargeter, who was an Essex millwright, and he had come to give the windmill an MOT. It all went from there. | "I trained as a cabinet maker in Ipswich and that's where I met Vincent Pargeter, who was an Essex millwright, and he had come to give the windmill an MOT. It all went from there. |
| "He came into the workshop and asked if I would help him on various projects and I never looked back." | "He came into the workshop and asked if I would help him on various projects and I never looked back." |
| Mr Whiting said working windmills were "hard to find these days", but he had worked on a vast number all across the country from Merseyside to Kent. | Mr Whiting said working windmills were "hard to find these days", but he had worked on a vast number all across the country from Merseyside to Kent. |
| James Forsyth became a millwright after originally working on building ships | James Forsyth became a millwright after originally working on building ships |
| The millwrights work to keep windmills, that are often hundreds of years old, operational | The millwrights work to keep windmills, that are often hundreds of years old, operational |
| Mr Forsyth, as well as sub-contractors including Alex Hunter, all initially started as shipwrights before he started to repair his own windmill where he lives. | |
| "I recruited the guys that are here now who were formerly at the International Boatbuilding Training College which is no longer anymore," he explained. | "I recruited the guys that are here now who were formerly at the International Boatbuilding Training College which is no longer anymore," he explained. |
| "We worked on that mill to start with and started to progress. | "We worked on that mill to start with and started to progress. |
| "Because we had so many requests to carry on working on other people's mills, local authorities mainly, we decided to set up a large workshop here in Suffolk to continue that work." | "Because we had so many requests to carry on working on other people's mills, local authorities mainly, we decided to set up a large workshop here in Suffolk to continue that work." |
| Mr Forsyth has been a millwright for the past seven years and after setting up his business and he now works on mills in Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Kent. | |
| Mr Forsyth believed he, as well as Mr Whiting, are just two of four millwright companies in the UK, but he added there may be individual millwrights still working on their own. | Mr Forsyth believed he, as well as Mr Whiting, are just two of four millwright companies in the UK, but he added there may be individual millwrights still working on their own. |
| Mr Whiting said once people heard of his work they often became greatly interested | Mr Whiting said once people heard of his work they often became greatly interested |
| Mr Forsyth and his team worked on Toft Monks Mill in Norfolk including on its fantail | Mr Forsyth and his team worked on Toft Monks Mill in Norfolk including on its fantail |
| Part of being a millwright involves crafting and then transporting the sails which can sometimes be more than 20 metres long (65ft). | Part of being a millwright involves crafting and then transporting the sails which can sometimes be more than 20 metres long (65ft). |
| Mr Whiting explained specialised lorries were needed to transport them, along with escorts, to help manoeuvre the roads. | Mr Whiting explained specialised lorries were needed to transport them, along with escorts, to help manoeuvre the roads. |
| In one instance, Mr Whiting said the team had to deliver a sail by barge as they were unable to get it to the windmill via roads. | In one instance, Mr Whiting said the team had to deliver a sail by barge as they were unable to get it to the windmill via roads. |
| Suffolk millwright keeping windmills alive | Suffolk millwright keeping windmills alive |
| Mr Whiting said he loved his job for a wealth of reasons. | Mr Whiting said he loved his job for a wealth of reasons. |
| "It's wonderful to come out here - we've got a workshop that's based on repairing machines that are 200 years old," he said. | "It's wonderful to come out here - we've got a workshop that's based on repairing machines that are 200 years old," he said. |
| "These sails will soon be carted out, we'll have massive lorries here taking them out, we'll have cranes on site, so it's all the big-boy toys really. | "These sails will soon be carted out, we'll have massive lorries here taking them out, we'll have cranes on site, so it's all the big-boy toys really. |
| "It doesn't get any better than that." | "It doesn't get any better than that." |
| Mr Forsyth said people had "absolutely no idea" what his profession was when he explained he was a millwright, but he echoed Mr Whiting's love for the trade. | Mr Forsyth said people had "absolutely no idea" what his profession was when he explained he was a millwright, but he echoed Mr Whiting's love for the trade. |
| "When we finish one we don't really want to leave it," he added. | "When we finish one we don't really want to leave it," he added. |
| "We've lovingly brought it back to life, it's like leaving one of your children behind." | "We've lovingly brought it back to life, it's like leaving one of your children behind." |
| Norfolk Millwright worked on these sails for Stelling Minnis Mill | Norfolk Millwright worked on these sails for Stelling Minnis Mill |
| Get in touch | Get in touch |
| Do you have a story suggestion for Suffolk? | Do you have a story suggestion for Suffolk? |
| Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, external, Instagram, external and X, external. | Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, external, Instagram, external and X, external. |