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Norfolk’s Windmills by river, road and rail

A5 size, paperback, illustrated, 74 pages
PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY 2008

PRICE £6.99 + £1.50 P&P

The book describes and illustrates more than 30 corn and drainage windmills, including Norfolk’s tallest, largest, smallest, newest and most unusual examples.

It describes some of the personalities behind the mills – the millers and the millwrights – and also looks at Norfolk’s modern alternatives to the traditional windmill.

Illustrated with 80 colour & sepia photographs, and 16 original maps and line drawings.

More information about the book, and sample pages, can be found at www.bonwick.co.uk

Copies can be ordered online via PayPal at the above web address.

Please direct enquiries to luke@bonwick.co.uk or telephone 07733 108409

The ‘Land of the Windmills Project – Phase 1’

The ’Land of the Windmills’ which was a partnership project between the Norfolk Windmills Trust, Broads Authority and Norfolk County Council is now complete.
The project has received Heritage Lottery Funding as well as grants from WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd.) and Broadland District Council. The projects aim was to restore two mills and a steam engine house on the Reedham Marshes and another mill at Ashtree Farm along the Acle Straight.

Polkey’s Mill has been restored to full working order and it will be possible, wind permitting, to demonstrate the mill to the public during publicised open days. Cadge’s Mill has received a new cap. The Steam Engine House which turned out to be a very interesting building has been restored and now houses an exhibition on drainage mills. The Steam Engine House was found to have its original 1880 corrugated iron roof which is quite rare and made from wrought iron rather than steel.

Ashtree Farm Mill has received a new cap and sails but due to the time constraints of the project and the workload on the millwright it was impossible to complete the mill to full working order.

Although the Heritage Lottery Funded project has now finished the Trust still have the landscaping works to complete at the Reedham site. The landscaping plans are now being drawn up and we hope that they will be implemented in the spring.

Hardley Mill

Hardley Mill Trust Ltd has received funding to restore the mill to full working order and to build a visitor centre as well as moorings. The total project cost is £332,000. Funding has been received from Leader +, WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental), South Norfolk Community Fund, Mr and Mrs J Capps, Fitzmaurice Charitable Trust, Chet Valley Development Partnership and the Friends of Hardley Windmill.

Work is progressing well and below is a summary of what has been completed on site so far. In order to construct the cap and curb, it has been necessary to equip the Nissan hut with an even concrete floor as well as install various power sockets for easy access for the power tools.

To make it possible to work on the top of the mill in the dry, a four foot wide steel ring has been constructed and set on top of the mill to give working space under the mills temporary roof. A “Spiderman” installed the required lightning conductor at the same time as the roof had been removed.

In September a 44 ton lorry arrived from Denmark to deliver the laminated sail clamps and stocks. The operation caused great apprehension, especially for the lorry driver, on account of the restricted space and the soft ground for such a heavy load. The gate posts had to be sawn off, to provide access and egress, but thankfully all went to plan.

The pontoon units have arrived, which will form a landing stage for visitors to moor their boats. Once the mill is open to the public, there will be a visitor centre and toilets on site.

To build the visitor centre, a test pile was drilled to obtain the ground condition and the required depth for the piles on which the visitor centre would be built. The visitor centre is now built and when fully finished will have a sedum turf roof.

The well seasoned French oak has been cut and shaped which will provide the base for the cast iron track and the construction of the cap will begin shortly.

As regards the impellor better known as a ‘turbine’, this has just been dismantled and will be worked on in due course. The windshaft and curb have just been delivered from the foundry and the whole project is due for completion by November 2008.

St Olave’s Mill

During the gales in January the mill was unfortunately tail-winded. A gust of wind hit the back and side of the cap from behind and lifted the cap and left it pivoting on the curb. Whilst working out the best way to remove the cap and sails another period of strong winds brought the cap and sails down. The remains have now been removed from site and it will be next year before any work can begin on rebuilding the cap and sails.

Stracey Arm’s Mill

The mill is due to undergo a major programme of work which will include the jacking upright of the mill. The Trust has let a contract for some brickwork repairs ahead of the jacking operation. A contract has also been let for sub soil testing to find out what the sub soil is like so that the Engineer can design the length of piles required before going out to tender for this phase of the works. Work is expected to begin shortly.

Once this major operation is complete, works can then take place on the cap and sails.

The Millwrighting Bursary Scheme

The Broads Authority obtained £714k of HLF funding in April 2006 to assist with the regeneration of Broads Heritage Skills. The two areas identified that most needed this support was Reed & Sedge Cutting and Millwrighting. The scheme is now up and running and 5 trainees are now well into the first year of a 3 year course to learn about mill maintenance. The scheme is managed by the Broads Authority but lead support is being provided by the Norfolk Windmill Trust through their technical advisors. Over the 3 year course the trainees will learn about essential maintenance and repairs including, painting, brickwork repairs, joinery and engineering. They will complete an NVQ Level 3 in Building Maintenance (with a strong heritage focus) with scheme partner Easton College. The project has enjoyed support from the remaining local millwrights and it is hoped that by the end of the scheme there will be 5 new people who can assist with the day to day maintenance of our mills. To date the trainees have worked on a number of the trusts mills under the close supervision of two millwrights and the Trusts technical advisors.

Little Cressingham Mill

The mill has been included as a project within the Millwright Bursary Programme. The site has been cleared and tidied and the Bursary Holders have been working on repairing, repainting and re-glazing the windows. Most of the windows have now been repaired and repainted and the Bursary Holders are beginning to work on some of the internal machinery as well as the gallery.

Letheringsett Watermill nr. Holt

Friends of Letheringsett Mill.

Friends of Letheringsett Mill is a small but growing group of people interested in helping Mike Thurlow, the miller at Letheringsett watermill, achieve and promote the educational side of this fascinating project. We are still looking for more members with enthusiasm and a passion for mills. As a member you will have the opportunity to contribute in many practical ways using your particular skills, interests or ideas to help to complete various practical projects. Also to join in with or even help to organise fundraising and social events, like walks, talks & barbeques. Membership entitles you to free admission to the mill during usual opening times, which will include tours when available and a regular newsletter to keep you up to date with progress, events and activities.

Further information on the Friends of Letheringsett Mill, visit:
www.letheringsettmillfriends.co.uk

A detailed history of Letheringsett watermill and most of Norfolk’s other watermills, windmills and drainage pumps can be found by visiting: www.norfolkmills.co.uk

Information regarding Letheringsett watermill opening times and where Letheringsett products can be purchased, visit: www.letheringsettwatermill.co.uk

Wicklewood Mill

The mill has been without sails for a number of years whilst works to the cap took place. The cap was completely rebuilt using as much timber as possible from the old cap. The new cap was fitted in July 2006 and the sails, which are made and on site will be fitted shortly.

The possibility of converting unmanned former wind-pumps to produce electricity with computer control: feasibility study

by: Keith Clayton & Martin Scott (Norwich) and Simon Watson & Murray Thomson (CREST, Loughborough)

Please note: This is a draft preliminary feasibility study, funded through the LEADER+ programme and the views expressed within the report do not necessarily represent the view of the Trustees of the Norfolk Windmills Trust, individually or collectively.