Many Essex mills and windmills will be open to the public this weekend as part of the National Mills Weekend. Take this opportunity to visit some of these historic mills, many built in the 18th century and on the site of earlier mills, some of which were mentioned in the Domesday Book.

Opening times below, but check these sites for additional information.
Essex Count Council

Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

Alderford Street watermill
Open: Sunday 14.00-17.00

Ashdon windmill
Open: Saturday and Sunday 10.30-16.30

Aythorpe Roding windmill
Open: Sunday 14.00-17.00

Bocking windmill
Open: Sunday 10.00-17.00

Finchingfield windmill
Open: Sunday 14.00-17.00

Fyfield watermill
Open: Sunday 11.00-17.00

Mountnessing windmill
Open: Sunday 14.00-17.00

Stansted Mountfitchet windmill
Open: Sunday 14.00-18.00

Stock windmill
Open: Sunday 14.00-17.00

Thaxted windmill
Open: Saturday and Sunday 14.00-17.00

Thorrington Tide Mill
Open: Sunday 14.00-17.00

Alderford Mill
Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection.

The opening of the new Great Leighs Racecourse on site of the former Essex County Showground has prompted an interesting article on BBC Essex on the history of Galleywood Racecourse on Galleywood Common, the venue for Chelmsford Races from 1759 to 1935.

A series of 15 minute radio programmes from the BBC in which maritime historian Dr Robert Prescott reports on the search of the Essex marches near Paglesham for the final resting place of the ship aboard which Charles Darwin began to formulate the ideas which would eventually become his theory of evolution.

bbc.co.uk/radio4/huntingthebeagle
BBC Press Release

The thoroughly excellent Proceedings of the Old Bailey website has now extended its coverage with addition of 100,000 trial accounts published between 1834 and 1913, and has launched a new design for its website. This means the database now covers 1674-1913. Although the court was mainly the venue for trials involving London based crime, often Essex based criminals and witnesses appeared in its trials. Well worth a look.

More information on the new trial accounts.