Brighton and Hove is one of Britain’s windiest cities, so it seems only natural that the breezes should be harnessed to supply energy.

But almost a century will have passed since the last windmill closed by the time the new Rampion windfarm starts operating in the sea.

There were windmills on most stretches of high ground for many years before that but they had a precarious existence.

They were always being damaged by the very force they were putting to good use. They were also vulnerable to fire.

Often they were weakened by being uplifted and dragged from one site to another, some collapsing under the strain.

Only three windmills survive in the city and none are working. But they are beautiful and remind people of how vital they were before other sources of fuel were found.

Undoubtedly the most famous is Rottingdean Windmill on Beacon Hill, reputed to have been used by smugglers in its early days.

Built in 1801, it worked successfully for 80 years before starting to crumble. It was renovated in 1903 but needed further restoration in 1935.

Eventually the village preservation society took it over and has spent large sums of money on maintenance. Its outline has been used for many years by the Heinemann publishing company.

Patcham Windmill was built in 1884 and worked until 1924. It was sold for only £50 in 1928 and converted into a house.

It has needed further repairs on several occasions since then. Surprisingly there are good views of the Isle of Wight from it on clear days.

West Blatchington Windmill in Hove was built in the 1820s and was painted by John Constable a few years later. It was then in open countryside but suburbia engulfed it in the 1930s.

Hove Council took it over after a fire in 1936 and it has been restored extensively since then with a meeting room added. Run by volunteers, it is open to the public on summer Sunday afternoons.

There was a line of windmills near Dyke Road to take advantage of the prevailing south westerly wind. One of them near Seven Dials was moved to Clayton where it is now known as Jill Mill.

Preston Mill, at the top of Highcroft Villas, was moved there from Regency Square by a team of oxen in 1797. There was less success in moving another mill in Lennox Street to Woodingdean when it collapsed on the journey.

Tower Mill in the Round Hill area was bought in 1880 by Charles Cutress, a founder of Forfar’s bakery. He installed a steam engine to help it work better and after its demolition in 1913, the bricks were used to build houses nearby.

There was also a windmill at Clifton Hill which had to be moved as houses began to encroach on the site in the 1830s.

Mills needed skill to operate and of course they did not work on calm days. Bakers found it easier to buy machines for a reliable source of power. But with the rising cost of fossil fuels, using the wind is likely to be significant in Brighton again, only this time well away from the city.