Brixton Windmill Open Days
Friends of Windmill Gardens open Brixton Windmill on the second weekend of every month from March to October. Brixton Windmill’s Open Days are a unique opportunity to learn more about this special landmark in our local history. On open days we offer guided walks and tours, and the café and shop will be open.
Guided Tours
On a tour of Brixton Windmill you will see two sets of millstones – the original wind-powered machinery, and the smaller stones installed by the Ashby family in 1902 that were driven by steam. Today they run on electricity and are used by our volunteer millers to produce Brixton Windmill flour. All tours are led by our team of volunteers.
The full tour is £5 and takes 30 minutes, and you must book in advance on our website. Tours usually get booked up very quickly (places are restricted due to the limited space within the mill) and open up to a month in advance. Cancellations and last minute availability are advertised on social media.
If there are no places available for a full tour, ‘turn up and go’ short tours are also available throughout the afternoon for a small donation.
Guided Walks
We currently have two local history walks on offer on Sundays and selected Saturdays: A Guided Walk of Brixton Hill and the Windmill to Windrush walk.
Guided Walk of Brixton Hill
Join Blue Badge Guide Liz du Parcq for a circular walk exploring the once rural street pattern of the Brixton Hill area. Hear stories of prisoners, trams, pubs and cinemas. Book online in advance.
Guided Walk – Windmill to Windrush
Join Lambeth Tour Guide Diana Bromwich for a walk from starting at the windmill. The walk follows part of the Roman Road and follows some of the course of the Effra River. We will talk of monarchs, authors, influencers and places of worship.
Find and more and book a walk here.
Windmill Gardens, Shop, and Café
Brixton Windmill Open Days are an excellent time to come down and visit the Windmill Gardens. The Windmill Gardens is a peaceful award-winning park overlooked by the grade II* listed Windmill itself. The heart of the local community, Windmill Gardens is home to a children’s playground, a wonderful mural depicting the past, present and future of Brixton Windmill, and a well-used ping pong table.
Windmill Gardens also hosts the Brixton Windmill Centre. Built by Lambeth Council next to the windmill and leased to the Friends, the centre opened early in 2020 and is used as a visitor centre for Brixton Windmill, an education space, and a community venue that is available to hire. On Open Days, the Centre operates a volunteer-run visitors shop and café.
Health and Safety
We love to welcome visitors to Brixton Windmill, and we hope you will enjoy learning about this unique building. As well as telling you about the windmill and its history, our guides and stewards are also there to ensure your safety – so please stay with them and listen to their advice and instructions to help get the most from your visit.
As a former industrial building, Brixton Windmill has potential dangers, including steep ladders, low beams and heavy machinery. It’s also a very small space, so the number of visitors at any one time is restricted. You will be asked to sign in on the ground floor.
Children are very welcome, but because of the steep ladders they are not allowed to go above the first floor if they are less than 1.2m tall. They must be able to climb the stairs by themselves. You will not be able to carry babies and young children on the stairs.
If you have mobility problems, health concerns or don’t like heights or climbing ladders, you may also prefer to remain on the ground or first floor. Please tell the guide or steward if you think you may have problems.
We hope you enjoy your visit!
Upcoming events
Tai Chi for Beginners
Thursday Morning Community Club
