Windmill homes don’t appear on the market very often but they cause a lot of buzz amongst house-hunters when they do. Estate agents Bruce Mather are offering a lucky buyer the chance to live in a unique three bedroom home converted from one of Britain’s biggest windmills. The Maud Foster Windmill is over 200-years-old and dominates the skyline over the Lincolnshire market town of Boston. Standing at over 80ft (24m) tall, the seven-storey, five-sail windmill is one of the largest operational windmills in the country. The quirky property sports three spacious bedrooms and two large bathrooms, making it an ideal family home nestled on the river banks of the Maud Foster. Two of the building’s seven storeys are currently home to a shop and a flour business, with a former café located on the first floor. The windmill was built in 1819 for Isaac and Thomas Reckitt, who ran it up until 1833 when it was forced to close due to several years of poor harvests. In 1987 the mill was bought by James Waterfield and his family who restored it to full working order and turned it into the “most productive windmill in England.” It still boasts its original floor beams and mill machinery from 1819 and retains its Yorkshire sash windows and red and gault brick features. Bruce Mather is offering the property for sale for £650,000 for just the mill or £998,800 with the five-bedroom mill next door included. A spokesperson said: “There is scope with the former first floor café to perhaps change use, subject to the relevant planning permissions, and open the business on a full-time basis. “To the back of the building there is a staircase which winds up several floors with bedrooms off it to an incredible loft style penthouse which is fabulously decorated and some wonderful features, bragging character throughout, currently arranged with three bedrooms. “There are two workshops downstairs as well a garden to the back and ample parking to the front. “Available to buy on its own or together with the grand five bedroom Mill House (at a discount £998,800) this much loved working building requires a new caretaker to take it through the next few decades of its history. “All viewings strictly by appointment”.
