Wind and horsepower

This was once a tall windmill with six sails. It was built in 1709 to pump water to a pond in Claremont Square, three streets away from here.

The windmill was part of London’s biggest water supply network, but it didn’t work very well. Soon after it was built, it was replaced by a horse-powered engine. Over time, the building was lowered and it fell into disrepair.