If anything is truly deserving of the, often overused, phrase ‘hidden gem’ - then it is definitely Holgate Windmill. It’s one of my favourite buildings in York - a city full to the brim with impressive architecture and a countless array of strong contenders to the ‘best building’ throne. And although the windmill may not have the obvious grandeur of say, the Minster, (but what can compete there really?) it does however have its own self effacing beauty - plus it oozes charm in every sail - how could you not crush on it?

Easy to find, if you know where to look, the mill is just on the outskirts of the city centre, in Holgate - comfortably nestled in suburbia - circled by semi detached houses, saloon car driveways, perennial borders and ornamental shrubbery.

Walk along Acomb Road, heading away from the city centre, and you'll see the disntinctive white sails peaking out over the trees and rooftops. Holgate mill is the oldest 5-sailed windmill in the country and these sails form so much of the mill's character and identity.

There's a snicket off Acomb Road, just opposite the Methodist church, that leads you straight to the mill. This snicket Is What remains of the original horse and cart track to the mill and is therefore the same way the mill workers and traders would have approached Holgate windmill.

Originally built in 1770 by the miller George Waud and revamped in the 1800s, Holgate mill is York's last surviving windmill. It was fully restored to its former glory with an official reopening in 2012 - making it the oldest working windmill in Yorkshire. It produces traditional stone-ground flour, which can be purchased from the mill every Saturday morning.

So if you ever find yourself in York and wanting to stray a little from the city centre: walk down Holgate Road until it meets Acomb, and swoon over some 18th meets 19th century architectural romance in the heart of the suburbs.