Lewes

The Man in the Mill

​On arriving at the Viva office today, I was told I could go with the editor (Charlotte) to see a man who has restored an 1828 Windmill called Ashcombe. As it was only located a few miles out, between Lewes and Kingston we headed off by foot. As always, we were thankful that the weather was bright and clear for the duration of the trip. As soon as we were out of the town, I could see the white windmill in the middle of the green landscape in front of me, and we started the twenty-minute walk towards it.
​As I approached the windmill, standing alone in the South Downes, it was hard to see how anyone could live in it, there not seeming to be enough room to house chickens let alone a family. Once we were a stone throw away from the mill, it was clear that the owner (James Tasker) in fact lived in a troglodyte below the mill, not in the mill itself.
James gave us a tour of Ashcombe and his underground home and showed us how it all functioned, as it creates electricity from the wind turning its six sweeps. We then took a pause in the tour to take photos for Viva Lewes magazine and ask any questions that came to mind. James being eager to answer anything that came his way. He told us how living in such an iconic location comes with drawbacks as many members of the public come and gaze at the fantastic reconstruction, forgetting, or not knowing that it is actually someone’s home. The Mill also attracted the attention of Channel 4 TV show Hunted as they searched the country for their “Fugitives”. Fortunately, the contestants weren’t found hiding in James’s Mill. 
Wheelie Bin Letter Box
​The heritage home had many unique features needed to make the mill feel and run like a home, such as the entire roof was made up of plastic baskets full of gravel to which turf is to be added in the near future making a rooftop garden. The reason it is made from baskets is that if there was a leak, the basket could simply be lifted, and the hole fixed. Another contraption is a green wheelie bin that had been converted into a post box. Its resemblance to a bin hadn’t gone unnoticed by the local dog walkers who have been using it as a regular bin. I suggested putting a sign on it or maybe painting it red. Lessons learnt: You can create a house from a windmill, but a bin will always be a bin.   
Author,
Written and photos by; Alex Hood