THE task of fitting new sails to an historic York windmill has been completed – paving the way for it to start once again grinding flour.

Work on installing the 35ft blades to Holgate Windmill came to an end yesterday as part of a painstaking £550,000 restoration of the Grade II-listed building, which dates back to 1770.

The finishing touches to the project, led by the Holgate Windmill Preservation Society in partnership with City of York Council, will be carried out in the new year, after which other mill operators are to visit the site to demonstrate how to bring it back into working use.

The windmill’s previous sails were fully removed more than 50 years ago, having not been used for decades. The scheme will make it the only windmill in England with five double-shuttered sails and a fantail to ensure they are permanently facing into the wind.