The windmill in the middle of Southsea | Nostalgia

Here we see members of the Saxe-Weimar bowling club at the junction of Waverley Road and Lowcay Road, Southsea.
By Bob Hind
Published 3rd Feb 2021, 18:21 BST
Members of the Saxe-Weimar (now Waverley Road) Bowling Club in 1913 with the windmill overshadowing everything.Members of the Saxe-Weimar (now Waverley Road) Bowling Club in 1913 with the windmill overshadowing everything.
Members of the Saxe-Weimar (now Waverley Road) Bowling Club in 1913 with the windmill overshadowing everything.

The club was, in 1913, overlooked by the windmill where Moulin Avenue now stands.

Located alongside Saxe-Weimar Road the road name was changed to Waverley Road during the First World War to dissociate it from Germany.

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The club is now called Southsea Waverley. It was formed in 1895 and, as Southsea was a holiday resort, a special rule was introduced for tourists to play under a Temporary Members’ Rule at 2s 6d (12p) a month.

The same windmill from Wisborough Road, Southsea.The same windmill from Wisborough Road, Southsea.
The same windmill from Wisborough Road, Southsea.

The club was overlooked by the windmill off Napier Road in a very short cul-de-sac called Dock Mill Cottages. The area where it stood is now called Moulin Avenue, off Wisborough Road, Southsea, Moulin being French for windmill.

In the view along Wisborough Road we see the windmill in all its glory. It was built by dockyardmen and dockyard employees formed a co-operative in May 1796 known as the United Society. The idea was to build a windmill and bakehouse to supply cheaper flour and bread for poor families.

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