The Ghost of the Miller’s Boy Trail Run, Wednesday 28th October 2026

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Our second Trail Run will start and finish at The Maypole PH in Thaxted (CM6 2LT) with starts between 6pm and 7pm – our registration desk will be in the beer garden. With your registration you will receive a drinks voucher for The Maypole.Running Route will be provided on the night and will take you past the historic John Webb’s Windmill which remains under restoration. All profits go directly to the restoration of the Windmill. Please register in advance using the QR code or via www.essextrailevents.com/local-events-calendar.

Walkers welcome.

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It is said that the Windmill in Thaxted is haunted by the ghost of a Miller’s Boy. The story goes that during the grim Victorian period, the poor boy, Tom Rayner, suffered a fatal accident when he was drawn into the unguarded cogs of the Windmill’s powerful machinery.

According to local legend, the boy’s ghost appears in the Windmill grounds around Halloween. Visitors and locals have reported hearing terrible cries and the sound of someone weeping. Eyewitnesses have claimed to have seen the boy wandering around the Windmill searching for someone who never appears.

And, so the legend of the poor Miller’s Boy lives on, adding yet another haunting chapter to the long history of Thaxted Windmill.