Rescue Ellis Mill
The Issue
Ellis Mill on Mill Road, Lincoln, is a Grade II* listed cultural icon built in 1798. It stands as the sole survivor of the nine historic windmills that once lined Lincoln’s hilltop ridge.
Right now, its future is in critical danger.
The current owner, Lincolnshire County Council, has publicly announced its intention to dispose of this much-loved community asset. Despite its historical importance, the Council has, in recent years, failed to maintain the mill. This has caused significant deterioration, with the building recently placed on Historic England's "Heritage at Risk" register due to extensive damp, failing brickwork, and decaying sails. Experts estimate that around £500,000 of restoration work is now required to return it to working order.
The solution:
We refuse to allow this historic landmark to face demolition or decay through local council neglect. The Lincoln Civic Trust—the very charity that stepped in to save and completely rebuild the mill after a catastrophic fire in the 1970s—stands ready to save it once again.
We demand that Lincolnshire County Council fulfils its legal, ethical and historical obligations to the people of Lincoln. The Council must make good on recent years of neglect by funding the restoration of Ellis Mill back to full working order. Once restored, ownership should then be legally transferred back to the Lincoln Civic Trust to be run as a community-led, sustainable asset, once more, in accordance with the fully costed business plan that Lincoln Civic Trust have presented to the Council.
(Please note: we are not seeking financial contribution from the general public.)
What We Demand From Lincolnshire County Council:
- Halt any private sale of Ellis Mill.
- Commit the necessary capital funding to immediately address the damp, brickwork, and machinery decay and return the Mill to working order.
- Grant the Lincoln Civic Trust a 99-year lease on the Mill, to ensure it remains preserved for future generations, heritage and educational purposes.
Sign this petition to tell the County Council that our heritage is not disposable!
930
The Issue
Ellis Mill on Mill Road, Lincoln, is a Grade II* listed cultural icon built in 1798. It stands as the sole survivor of the nine historic windmills that once lined Lincoln’s hilltop ridge.
Right now, its future is in critical danger.
The current owner, Lincolnshire County Council, has publicly announced its intention to dispose of this much-loved community asset. Despite its historical importance, the Council has, in recent years, failed to maintain the mill. This has caused significant deterioration, with the building recently placed on Historic England's "Heritage at Risk" register due to extensive damp, failing brickwork, and decaying sails. Experts estimate that around £500,000 of restoration work is now required to return it to working order.
The solution:
We refuse to allow this historic landmark to face demolition or decay through local council neglect. The Lincoln Civic Trust—the very charity that stepped in to save and completely rebuild the mill after a catastrophic fire in the 1970s—stands ready to save it once again.
We demand that Lincolnshire County Council fulfils its legal, ethical and historical obligations to the people of Lincoln. The Council must make good on recent years of neglect by funding the restoration of Ellis Mill back to full working order. Once restored, ownership should then be legally transferred back to the Lincoln Civic Trust to be run as a community-led, sustainable asset, once more, in accordance with the fully costed business plan that Lincoln Civic Trust have presented to the Council.
(Please note: we are not seeking financial contribution from the general public.)
What We Demand From Lincolnshire County Council:
- Halt any private sale of Ellis Mill.
- Commit the necessary capital funding to immediately address the damp, brickwork, and machinery decay and return the Mill to working order.
- Grant the Lincoln Civic Trust a 99-year lease on the Mill, to ensure it remains preserved for future generations, heritage and educational purposes.
Sign this petition to tell the County Council that our heritage is not disposable!
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Petition created on 5 August 2026