MAJOR restoration work is set to get under way on Hampshire’s only working windmill following a £94,000 grant.

Bursledon Windmill will be revamped thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund aimed at bringing the historic building back in to full operation.

Sails that were removed from the Grade II* listed building last year will be restored as part of the project.

Built in 1814, the five-storey windmill is the only English example of a traditional tower mill with its original timber machinery. But surveys have shown that the windshaft has reached the end of its operational life and needs to be replaced.

The original timber windshaft will become an exhibit in the on-site museum.

Part of the work will see the recruitment of around 20 volunteers who will be instructed in traditional milling skills and also support the management of the site in the future, helping to run guided tours, workshops and special events.

Meanwhile the nearby Grade II listed granary and a 16th century barn are also due to be will be augmented as part of the funding, which was awarded to Hampshire County Council and Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust.

Stuart McLeod, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund South East England, said: “This building is of national significance as a result of its unique qualities.

Its physical restoration will be augmented by volunteer efforts that will once more create a living, working example of the county’s heritage.”