Sibsey Trader Mill is a Grade I listed building, now in the care of English Heritage. It was built in 1877 by Saundersons of Louth to replace a small post mill. Until storm damage in 2018, this six storey building was a working mill producing a wide variety of its own flours. It is currently under restoration and hopefully will one day again be the working mill it once was.
There is a small entrance fee to climb the the mill itself, but it is possible to enter the ground floor (up a few steps, sorry, no disabled access) without charge when the mill is open. If open a visit here can give a good insight into the structure of the mill. There is also a footpath which runs through the site, so even when the gate is closed there is still access, although if arriving by car you will need to park elsewhere. The mill is a wonderful local landmark but from the balcony it is possible to see plenty of other local landmarks. Most notably "The Stump", aka St Botolph's Church in Boston, but generally simply known as the Stump; Pilgrim Hospital (aka the Blue Box Hotel - I'm not sure if this is an affectionate term or not, but refers to the blue cladding on the main building), and another windmill in Sibsey.
There is however no need to enter the site if you prefer not to. All five logging requirements are possible without entering the mill or using the footpath.
There is a tea room on site housing an wonderful collection of clocks (only accessible when open). If you like chiming clocks you are in for a treat if you visit on the hour! I personally love the sound. My grandfather clock came from there and moving away from the history of the mill for a moment there is a story to this. When my grandad died he left each of his grandchildren some money. We wanted to do something special with this. For some reason both me and my husband had always wanted a grandfather clock and this seemed a very appropriate way to use the money. We went to the mill, we saw the clock, we heard the chime and we both agreed this was the one. Some time later my dad phoned and heard the clock chime in the background. He asked what it was. I told him it was our grandfather clock but didn't mention why or how we had bought it. The first thing he said was "Did you know your grandad always wanted a grandfather clock?" I didn't and we were both deeply moved to realise that the one thing we had chosen to do to mark his passing was one thing he had always wanted to do himself. I love that clock, it means a lot to me.
Sibsey mill has also featured in the CBeebies programme Baby Jake. Although the views of the mill have been altered for TV (such as the windows which have been added for the ten brothers and sisters that live there!) it does still show the mill as the fine structure it was at the time, the lovely worn old stone steps leading into the mill and views of the footpath across the fields at the back.
I hope that gives an brief insight into the history of the mill from functional workplace, to listed building, to TV star, to place of storm destruction and now regeneration. The logging requirements I have chosen deliberately include some things that will change as the restoration continues. I look forward to being able to receive answers that show that work has restarted and the mill is on its way to its former glory.
To log this cache please send me a message with the following information:
1 How many sails are there CURRENTLY on the windmill?
2 What colour is the mill AT THE MOMENT?
3 What is the phone number ON THE GATE at the co-ordinates (not the one on the information board)?
4 Take an interesting photo from the co-ordinates and add this to your log. This can be of the mill or in a completely different direction if you prefer. This may include yourself, your caching party, your GPS or none of these. I would just like to see that you were there and found something interesting there.
5 Optional - There is another mill in Sibsey, a Grade II listed building, now converted to a residential property. (This information can be found online and on some maps, there is no need to visit this private residence). What is the name of his mill?
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.