1900 - 1914 Wind Mill and Steam Mill in Houghton Regis

The windmill and steam corn mill buildings in Houghton Regis. The mill, located at the end Mill Road, was photographed 1914 and shows it still working alongside a steam-driven mill. It played a role in processing local crops like wheat and barley, which were staples in the region

The wind-powered corn mill—specifically a tower mill—was in operation by 1802 in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire. It remained active until 1912, after which it was repurposed as a water tower.

The mill was part of a broader landscape of green lanes, farms, and chalk hills, which defined Houghton Regis’s rural character in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

There is a tragic historical account involving James Messenger, who was killed by a windmill in Houghton Regis. According to local heritage records, this incident occurred during the operational years of the Upper Windmill, which stood near Mill Road and was active until around 1912.

Bucks Herald, 26th February 1842. - “MAN KILLED BY A WINDMILL — Last week a man named James Messenger, was killed at Houghton Regis, by the sails of a windmill. It appeared that whilst about his work there he imprudently passed close to the sweeps of the sails to get to a door, and one of the fans struck him on the back part of the head. The poor man was struck to the ground with great violence and was picked up insensible. His master rendered assistance and forwarded a messenger to Dunstable for a surgeon, who, in examination found that there was no fracture of the skull, but the poor man was labouring under a severe concussion of the brain, and in a few days after he died.” (Extract from Houghton Regis Notes)

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