Brixton Windmill

The lowdown

It catches everyone by surprise, a real eighteenth-century windmill, sails and all, standing in a small park in the middle of Brixton. Built in 1816 when this was open countryside, Ashby's Mill ground flour for generations before the growing city surrounded and eventually stilled it.

Lovingly restored, it has even ground flour again in recent years, and the surrounding Windmill Gardens are a free and friendly local park. On advertised open days you can climb inside to see the restored machinery, but any day you can wander the grounds and marvel that this rural survivor is still here at all.