The sails of an 18th Century windmill are to be set to a mourning position following the death of the Queen.

The top sail of Holgate Windmill in York will be moved to just beyond its highest point, in line with milling tradition marking a funeral or death.

Richie Green from Holgate Windmill Preservation Society said it was a mark of respect for "one of the greatest women that's ever lived".

The mill, built in the 1770s, is the only working windmill in Yorkshire.

The Grade II-listed building currently produces about 50kg (8st) of flour a week which is sold to people and restaurants.

Mr Green said: "We are going to put the top sail to just past vertical, which is a mark of respect.

"This is something that has been with the windmill tradition for a very long time."

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He continued: "Usually it's done with four-sailed mills. The Dutch only have four-sailed mills so they have quite a large vocabulary for the positioning of the sails.

"For five sailed mills it is a bit trickier, so we just have ones where for a celebration it is to go just before vertical, and if somebody dies, it goes to just past vertical."

He said the sails would remain in the position throughout the official period of mourning, apart from when the windmill was in use.

"There will be milling in between times, and then we will be re-setting it," he said.

The windmill originally produced flour from the 1770s to the 1930s but fell into disrepair until the society began work to restore it in 2001.

"We were given a voluntary service award in 2017 and we were very lucky to go to one of the garden parties to see the Queen herself, and it was delightful," Mr Green added.

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