As a place to live, Wimbledon is enduringly popular. For two weeks every year, the eyes of the sporting world are firmly focused on this attractive area of south-west London.
But as local residents will tell you, there is much more to Wimbledon than its annual lawn tennis championship.
Wimbledon Common pulls in locals and visitors alike all year round. Walkers will gather here, but people also come to the Common to see one particular landmark: the Wimbledon Windmill Museum.
The Wimbledon Windmill Museum has been standing on Wimbledon Common for two hundred years. Built in 1817, it is celebrating its bicentenary year this year. To mark the occasion, entry to the windmill will be free for visitors during the summer weekend opening.
From Mill to Museum
The life of the windmill as a working mill seems to have been comparatively short.
It was built in 1817 and ceased working as a commercial mill in 1864. During this year, the miller was evicted from the Common by Earl Spencer who wanted to enclose the land for his own use.
Between 1864 and 1976, the mill suffered dereliction and then renovation before becoming the iconic tourist attraction it is today.
Although the museum does attract people from far and wide, it is a popular attraction for the people who live in and around Wimbledon -and rightly so.
Not just a Museum
As well as being a museum, various events are held here throughout the year for locals and tourists to enjoy.
The museum organises summer weekend activities for children. These events are held throughout the summer and details of these are announced nearer the time they are to be held. The summer weekend opening begins on March 25th.
Easter Monday will be a fun day out for the family, along with the opportunity to learn how to bake bread.
In June, there is the Wimbledon Village Fair, where the museum has a stand for everyone to visit.
September hosts the Commons Open Day and London Open house Day. Both are guaranteed to be a great day out for everyone who attends these events.
The Wimbledon Windmill museum rounds the year off with a carol concert at the mill. Here, people can sing Christmas carols and sample free hot drinks and mince pies.
All these events happen while the museum continues in its role as a place of activity and education.
The Windmill Museum is just one of the attractions that gives Wimbledon its village-like atmosphere, and why many people look for houses to let in Wimbledon Common. Wimbledon’s defining attraction is that you can live in an almost semi-rural area while being close to central London.
