The post mill on Reigate Heath was said to be built in 1765, although it was possibly earlier, for a mill is shown on the site on Bowen's map of circa 1753 and Rocque's map of Surrey of 1762. In the first half of the nineteenth century the mill was held by Michael Bowyer who also worked, according to the Tithe map of 1845, the Wonham Watermill, one mile to the west. The mill remained in the family until Sarah Bowyer sold the mill to Henry Lainson in 1868, when William Quait was miller. The mill ceased to grind about 1870. In 1880 the brick roundhouse of the disused mill was converted into a chapel of ease to St Mary's Parish church, Reigate. The chapel, named St Cross Chapel, was opened for services on 14th September 1880, and has continued to this day when services are held throughout the summer.

The mill was offered for sale in 1891, but it was not until 1906 that the Golf Club purchased the freehold of the piece of land that contained the Golf Club House, the millers' cottage and mill. The mill was then leased to the church by the club. The repairs to the mill were undertaken by the Golf Club and, in 1926, when a sail broke it was replaced by them. The tail pole was replaced by a dummy fantail, put in the position of the former striking wheel, and the ladder at the rear of the mill was removed.

During the 1930s the mill was kept in reasonable repair, but in 1943 the sails were blown off and these not replaced for over twenty years. In 1949 the mill was again repaired and made watertight. During the next few years a desire was expressed by local people for the mill to return to her original character and so, in 1952, she was inspected by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. A report was made, but the Golf Club were finding the task of repairing and maintaining the mill too much, and so in August 1962, the Borough of Reigate Town Planning Committee approved the purchase of the windmill. The money was raised and a new set of four sails were fitted, each pair with a span of 65 feet and a width of 8 feet, with the weather increasing from five degrees at the top and thirty degrees at the heel. The repair work was completed by June 1964, the body was tarred, a flight of oak steps was fitted at the rear and a pine tail pole was added. The whole of the work was undertaken by the Council's own workmen.

Inside the mill a considerable amount of machinery is still in position. When working, the mill drove two pairs of stones in the breast - a pair of peaks on the left and a pair of French burrs on the right. Both these pairs of stones were underdriven. The mill also had, at one time, a pair of stones in the tail, where the circular housing for the bed stone in the stone bearers can still be seen.

The Windmill Church is now under the wing of St Mary's Parish Church. Services at the Mill are held on the third Sunday in the month at 3 pm. from May to October inclusive, and there is a lovely Carol Service before Christmas by candlelight and with decorations.

Extensive renovations to the sails and the exterior of the Mill were carried out by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council between May and November 2000.