Bel Royal windmill
Bel Royal windmill
The time of the erection of this mill has not been traced, but it was likely to have been between 1830 and 1840. The windmill is shown in prints by Ouless dated 1840 and 1842, and it can also be seen in a lithograph dated 1841 by J and E Harwood, of Fenchurch Street, London. This latter print does not show the house or store alongside the windmill, but both of Ouless's do, but at that time there was no boiler house or tall chimney stack.
1884 illustration
This feature, a tall brick chimney, and an engine and boiler house in front, can be seen in a water colour sketch by Isabella Struthers done in 1884. This illustration is by far the most reliable evidence as it is reproduced from an actual photograph of St Aubin's Bay taken from a spot on the hillside just above Magnolia, and its date is somewhere about 1860. From this picture it is easy to identify the exact spot which the windmill and its buildings occupied, for the house Midbay and the coastel tower, both still standing, define the limits of the site. The windmill itself must have stood at the eastern end of the four Bel Royal Villas houses, on the ground now occupied by Bel Royal Lodge, while the long store building must have made room for the block of villas. Still further west the boiler and engine house situation now forms part of the garage of Mr B Pitcher.
(Note: The tower was demolished when the Germans blew it up during the Occupation)
The approach to the mill was by way of the lane, still existing, leading from St Aubin's Road by the side of Hazeldene (then the Hotel de la Paix) and now used as a back entrance to Bel Royal Villas and as a roadway to Mr Pitcher's garage. After passing the mill, the lane led down on to the beach, where Bel Royal slip was afterwards erected, for Victoria Avenue was not laid out until much later.
The windmill was of the same type as that at St Peter, with self reefing whips and automatic turning gear, and from the fact that a steam engine was added some time before 1860 it is clear that business was brisk at that period.
From the position of the steam plant it seems probable that some millstones were housed in the long building in addition to those in the windmill. It is recorded that it was the custom in the last century for the miller to see his farmer friends just before harvest time and bargain, over a glass or so of Marsala, for the grinding of his crop of grain. In its latter days the miller at Bel Royal mill was Mr Renou£
The end of the mill came rather suddenly in 1886. The property at that time belonged to Mr Gosset, who was involved in the Jersey Banking Company failure. The whole concern then passed into the hands of Emile Voisin, who at once pulled down all the buildings and erected on the ground the present terrace of houses.
