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Remains of Johnson’s Mill, Forest Road
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THIS house incorporates all that is left of the long row of thirteen windmills that stood along Forest Road. The last of them vanished from Nottingham about 1850, but one or two of them have survived their removal and may yet be discovered at Newton, Redmile, and elsewhere.
These particular buildings still left on Forest Road and shown in the picture were part of the offices attached to a mill occupied a century ago by a certain Mr. John Johnson, about whom an amusing story is told.
It appears that he was by no means a bigoted teetotaler, and he possessed a faithful horse which he was wont to ride into Nottingham market and which brought him safely home at the conclusion of the day’s proceedings. This went on for years until the poor horse became too old for his responsibilities, and the question of his successor became urgent.
Accordingly Johnson rode his well-tried friend over to the great horse market at Mansfield and sold him. With the money in his pocket Johnson walked round the fair looking out for a new mount, but found no animal that attracted him, and so retired to an inn to think things over.
A second and a third visit to the fair proved equally fruitless, and each abortive visit was followed by necessary refreshment.
At last, towards evening, Johnson found the very horse he was looking for, quiet and good tempered. Hastily paying the price asked, he mounted and rode home in the gloaming and darkening night. On arrival at his home he was too exhausted by his efforts to do more than to crawl into bed and fall soundly asleep.
Next morning when he inspected his new purchase he found that he had bought his old horse back again for five pounds more than he had sold it for!