It was a delicate operation on one of the hottest days of the year.

But, under the expert guidance of Sussex millwright Paul Rigden, the huge 30ft sails have now been replaced on one of Britain's best known windmills has been restored after a two year absence.

Three strong support posts had to be placed inside Rottingdean windmill to stop the entire structure collapsing before the mill could carry the new sails.

Expert craftsmen were drafted in to create the sails, known as sweeps in Sussex, which were paid for with a £41,800 grant from the National Lottery.

The windmill on Beacon Hill, overlooking the village, is known throughout the world. Its silhouette is used as the trademark for publishers William Heinemann.

But the new sails do not mean the Rottingdean sails will be turning as they did throughout the 19th century, grinding the corn for flour, as the main machinery inside the mill has been taken away and its windshaft will remain fixed.

The replacing of the sails and restoration of the inside of the building is the culmination of two years of work to save the windmill and ensure it stands up to the elements on one of the most exposed parts of the Sussex coast.

It also means more people will get the chance to look around the mill, which was in operation from 1802 to 1891.

The grant was part of a Government commitment to preserving windmills, which are seen as a vital part of Britain's industrial heritage.

The windmill at Windmill Hill, near Hailsham, one of the largest windmills in the country and the tallest in Sussex, was given a grant of £577,000 from the same fund.

The grant has delighted the Rottingdean Preservation Society, which leases the mill from Brighton and Hove Council. The society is responsible for the upkeep of the windmill and has spent £58,000 on the mill's preservation.

The total cost of making and installing the new sails was £55,000, £13,000 of which was raised by the society.

John Cooper, of the society, said: "Now the fruits of the hard work people have put into preserving this windmill can be seen."

The will be open to the public on selected Sundays throughout the year. It will be open this Sunday, from 2pm to 4.30pm and on August 17 and September 21.