Harwich
and Dovercourt have a rather
urban feel today, and modern housing has almost seamlessly joined the two towns
together as one - but it hasn´t always been that way.
Dovercourt is actually older than Harwich. But Harwich preserve its historic
character far better than Dovercourt. Harwich seems only to have appeared on the
scene around 1150, but it quickly became a thriving port with, evidence
suggests, a certain urgency about the place. Harwich´s importance as a port is a
result of its location; protruding out as it does into the estuary of the rivers
Orwell and Stour, it commands the only safe anchourage between the Thames and
the Humber.
Wrabness
Nature Reserve on the
bank of the River Stour and has a fascinating history. The 52 acre site was once
a former mine depot established in 1921 by the Ministry of Defence. It was
closed in 1963.
A number of planning applications were
put forward until it was saved from development and bought by Wrabness Nature
Reserve Charitable Trust 15-years-ago. The site has now been taken over by the
Essex Wildlife Trust. The reserve is an important wildlife site - owls,
yellowhammers, whitethroats, turtle dove, song thrush, nightingales and
bullfinches can be seen.
There are also many wild plants such as
corn mint, hairy buttercup, sea aster and ox-eye daisy. There is good access
with a hard-core path around the reserve making it accessible for pushchairs or
with disabilities.
Colchester lays
claim to being the oldest recorded Roman town in England, existing as a Celtic
settlement before the Roman conquest. There is archaeological evidence of
settlement 3,000 years ago. Its Celtic name was "Camulodunon", meaning "the
Fortress of Camulos". (Camulos was the Celtic god of war.) This name was
modified to the Roman spelling of "Camulodunum" and the town was developed as a
major colonia in the early stages of the conquest of Roman Britain, possibly
with a view to its becoming the province's capital. It was sacked in the
Boudican revolt, and though it recovered afterwards and lasted throughout the
Roman occupation, its position as capital was assumed by Londinium.
Ramsey Windmillwas originally built in Woodbridge Suffolk. It
was the north westerly one of four mills on the Mill Hills shown on the 1838
tithe map. The mill was moved to Ramsey in 1842 by Henry Collins, millwright of
Woodbridge. The mill was working until the Second World War, and then left to
deteriorate until 1974 when a new owner set about restoring the mill.
Description
Ramsey Windmillis a post mill with a three storey roundhouse.
The mill was winded by a roof mounted fantail, similar to that seen at Icklesham
today. It has four double Patent sails. There are two pairs of millstones in the
breast and a third pair in the tail.
Trestle and roundhouse: The trestle is of oak. The main
post is 17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m) in length, 27 inches (686 mm) square at its
base. The mill was built with a roundhouse from the start. Having started life
in Suffolk, and being moved by a Suffolk millwright, the normal practice from
that county was followed, with the roundhouse having three storeys.
Body: The
body of the mill measures 16 feet (4.88 m) by 10 feet 4 inches (3.15 m) in plan.
The mill is 48 feet 6 inches (14.78 m) high overall. The Crowntree is 22˝ inches
(572 mm) square in section. The side girts are 9 inches (229 mm) by 14 inches
(356 mm) in section.Sails and Windshaft
Ramsey Mill has a cast iron
windshaft and four double Patent sails.
Machinery:
The wooden Head Wheel is of clasp arm construction, 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m)
diameter, with 90 cogs of 3 inches (76 mm) pitch. It drives two pairs of
overdrift French Burr milstone via a cast iron Wallower and Spur Wheel. The cast
iron Tail Wheel is 4 feet (1.22 m) diameter. It drives a single pair of
underdrift 3 feet 4 inches (1.02 m) diameter millstones via an Upright Shaft and
Spur wheel.
Fantail: Ramsey Windmill was winded by a six-bladed roof mounted fantail, which
blew off in 1939. The drive was down the back of the mill and thence to a ring
set above the join of the quarterbars to the main post.
Harwich
and Dovercourt have a rather
urban feel today, and modern housing has almost seamlessly joined the two towns
together as one - but it hasn´t always been that way. 
Wrabness
Nature Reserve on the
bank of the River Stour and has a fascinating history. The 52 acre site was once
a former mine depot established in 1921 by the Ministry of Defence. It was
closed in 1963. 
