Lacey Green Windmill - Information for Visitors

2012 OPENING TIMES

In 2012, the windmill will be open to the public from 2 pm to 5 pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Sunday 6th May to Sunday 30th September.

Bank Holiday Open Days: Mon 7 May, Mon 4 & Tues 5 June, Mon 27 Aug (all 2-5).

For National Mills Weekend we will be open on Sun 13th May only (from 11-5).

The admission charges from May 2012 are £2.00 per adult, and £1.00 per child (aged 5 to 15).

It is necessary for visitors to park in Pink Road, and then walk up the path to the windmill, as we have no access for visitors' cars. At the entrance, there are 3 steps down into the basement of the windmill. Inside, all four floors can be visited, however the access between floors is only by fairly steep steps and ladders. Unfortunately, this all makes the mill rather inaccessible to most disabled people. As a historic listed building with limited space, it is impossible to alter this situation. However disabled visitors are welcome to come and see the outside of the windmill, and many have found their visit rewarding. As soon as possible, I intend to make a portfolio of photographs available, so that people who cannot go inside the windmill, can at least see a flavour of the interior.

Visitors should be aware that we have no catering facilities at the windmill. We just sell a few postcards, small books about mills, pencils and mugs, as well as our own booklet. This is available by post - please click here for details. There is a display of photographs in the basement of the mill, showing some of its history over the last century, including the restoration that has been carried out since 1971. Volunteer wardens are on duty when the windmill is open, they will be pleased to try and answer any questions, and show people around the mill.

The windmill is at the north end of the village of Lacey Green. The village is on the Chiltern escarpment, 2 miles south of Princes Risborough. For those who use maps or electronic means of finding their way around, I list the following details:

The Latitude and Longitude coordinates are X=481900 and Y=200730. These might need various prefixes in different systems.

A pdf version of the above map (which can easily be printed) is available by clicking here (set to open in new window or tab)

EXPLORER MAPS: The windmill is just at the base of Map 181 (Chiltern Hills North).

For on line maps of local area please use one of the following links (the links are set to open in new windows or tabs)

On either of them, you will be able to zoom in or out, whilst keeping the windmill at the centre of the maps.

Lacey Green is most easily accessed from the A4010, the main road between High Wycombe and Aylesbury.

IF TRAVELLING FROM THE NORTH, or Aylesbury, drive through Monks Risborough on the A4010. On reaching Princes Risborough (with Tesco in front of you), turn left at the first roundabout (A4010), and turn right at the second roundabout. Continue on the A4010 which is signposted to High Wycombe. After leaving the edge of the town of Princes Risborough, take the first turning on the left (signposted to Lacey Green). After a sharp bend to the right you will climb up the hill. At the top of the hill turn left into Pink Road, where you will see The Whip pub. Park on the left hand side of Pink Road. Immediately beside the right hand side of the pub, you will find a path to walk up to the windmill.

IF TRAVELLING FROM THE SOUTH, or High Wycombe and the M40 Junction 4 (from London direction), drive by the A4010 (from Handy Cross) and A40 to West Wycombe. At the Pedestal roundabout (with a Shell garage on your right) turn right onto the A4010, signpostred to Princes Risborough and Aylesbury. After passing under a railway bridge, take the first turning on the right, through the village of Bradenham, passing the village green on your right. Continue up through the woods to the top of the hill at Walters Ash. Turn left at the T junction. You will pass RAF High Wycombe on your left and a section of straight road will lead you to the southern end of Lacey Green village. Drive through the village until you see that the road is going to start going down the hill. At this point turn right into Pink Road, passing The Whip pub on your right. Park on the left hand side of Pink Road. Just to the right of the pub, you will find a path to walk up to the windmill.

IF TRAVELLING FROM THE WEST, or Thame and the M40 Junction 8A (from Birmingham direction), drive from Thame on the A4129 to Princes Risborough. On reaching the town itself (and Tesco on your right), take the second road off the first roundabout (which is the A4010, and turn right at the second roundabout. Continue on the A4010 which is signposted to High Wycombe. After leaving the edge of the town of Princes Risborough, take the first turning on the left (signposted to Lacey Green). After a sharp bend to the right you will climb up the hill. At the top of the hill turn left into Pink Road, where you will see The Whip pub. Park on the left hand side of this road. Just to the right of the pub, you will find a path to walk up to the windmill.

IF TRAVELLING FROM THE EAST, or Great Missenden and Chesham, you would be advised to have a detailed map available. It is perfectly possible though to approach Lacey Green through Great Hampden. After passing the Pink and Lily pub, you will find you are on the edge of the Chiltern escarpment, falling away to your right. You are now on Pink Road, at the end you will find The Whip pub on your left. Park on the right hand side of this road. Just to the right of the pub, you will find a path to walk up to the windmill.

A pdf version of these instructions (which can easily be printed) is available by clicking here (set to open in new window or tab)

At the time the windmill is open, on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, Lacey Green is served by Arriva Buses on Route 300, which run hourly. The route is from High Wycombe Bus Station, via Hughenden, to Lacey Green, to Princes Risborough, and then via Butlers Cross and Stoke Mandeville to Aylesbury Bus Station.

A new timetable (in operation from 15th May 2011) shows that buses run at the following times:

Alight at The Whip bus stop, and you will be very close to the end of the path to the windmill, which (from the road) is just to the right of The Whip pub. The stop on the windmill and pub side of the road is for the southbound buses to High Wycombe. The stop on the opposite side of the road is for northbound buses to Princes Risborough and Aylesbury.

Click on Route 300 for a current timetable (in pdf format) from the Bucks County Council Travel Info web site. Please note that the on-line version of the timetable may refer to "Loosley Row, The Whip" instead of "Lacey Green, The Whip". (the link is set to open in new window or tab)

A pdf version of these instructions (which can easily be printed) is available by clicking here (set to open in new window or tab)

Princes Risborough Station is served by Chiltern Railways services between London Marylebone and Banbury, continuing onto Birmingham Snow Hill.

The average journey time from Marylebone is around 50 minutes, on Sundays there are around 3 trains an hour. From Banbury the journey time is around 40 minutes, on Sundays there are around 2 trains an hour.

Click on Chiltern Railways to look up the options of suitable train times, or even download their whole timetable booklet. (the link is set to open in new window or tab)

Lacey Green Windmill is 2 miles from Princes Risborough station, but to walk by road is not really advisable as some of the road is very narrow. A large amount is also uphill, so not easy for all. There are unfortunately no easily identifiable footpaths as an alternative.

Please note that taxis are not normally available at Princes Risborough station on Sundays, but it is not a long walk from the station to the A4010, where the 300 bus runs, as detailed above, although note that this is only an hourly service when the windmill is open.

Turn left out of Princes Risborough station building, then the access road turns to the right, then turn right passing a couple of shops on your left, follow Station Road round to the left. Turn right into Poppy Road. At the end you will come to the main A4010 road. You will need to cross this road to the bus stop on the opposite side for buses on Route 300 towards Lacey Green and High Wycombe.

As detailed above, buses on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays (from 15th May 2011) leave this bus stop at around 27 minutes past each hour. Buses to return you to Princes Risborough leave Lacey Green at 24 minutes past each hour.

A pdf version of these instructions (which can easily be printed) is available by clicking here (set to open in new window or tab)

In these days of people seeking sustainable means of transport that are friendly to the environment, then I have to mention that the Chiltern Way footpath passes very close to Lacey Green Windmill, in fact over the farm on which the windmill stands, and over a stile right beside the bus stop mentioned above, where buses on Route 300 stop on their way from Aylesbury to High Wycombe.

So if you feel like walking to the windmill then there can be no finer way of exploring the Chilterns as well, than via the Chiltern Way which is a footpath of around 180 miles (or 300km) that the Chiltern Society has established around the Chiltern Hills. Of course, if you intend walking from a great distance, then you will have the added challenge of timing your walk to arrive at Lacey Green Windmill during the three hours that we open on around 25 days each year.

A pdf version of these instructions (which can easily be printed) is available by clicking here (set to open in new window or tab)

We now have Brown Tourist Signs directing visitors from the A4010, and once they arrive in Lacey Green, a sign directs them down Pink Road for parking, and another sign shows the location of the footpath to the windmill. As we are only open on around 25 afternoons each year, the signs are folded away at times the windmill is closed. We are very grateful to the Chilterns Conservation Board for their assistance, enabling us to have these signs fitted. For further information on the Chilterns Conservation Board, click on: Chilterns AONB (set to open in new window or tab)