Norfolk Mills - Bressingham Lopham Road smock mill

Bressingham
Lopham Road
smockmill

Mill working - c.1890

Bressingham Lopham Road smockmill stood high above the road below. It was a 4 storey, 8 sided mill that had an ogee cap with a tall finial and an 8 bladed fan. The four double shuttered, patent sails each had 8 bays of 3 shutters that were struck by rack and pinion and they drove 2 pairs of overdriven French burr stones and a flour mill. The wooden brakewheel had iron segmented teeth, the spurwheel was wooden and the windshaft, upright shaft and stone nuts were all of cast iron.

Mill working - c.1890

Tithe Award map 1843 as redrawn by Harry Apling

TITHE AWARD 1843 Map, Henry Calver, Surveyor, 1841 Owner: Henry Hewson Occupier: do
No. 522	Mill & Lane	Pasture	0a. 2r. 11p.	2/3d

Mill working - c.1900

In 1871, the Winfarthing_postmill was dismantled. The sails and winding tackle were sold and the mill buck was moved to Bressingham by Herbert Burroughes, where he installed it beside the smockmill and used it as a steam mill. The mill buck can clearly be seen in the photographs.

Bressingham. About three miles from Diss.
Maddison, Miles & Maddison are instructed by the Trustees of the Will of Mr. Henry Huson, deceased, to sell by Auction at the Kings Head Hotel, Diss on Friday 15 February 1901 at 3 for 4 o’c in the Afternoon, the following valuable FREEHOLD PROPERTIES.
Lot 1. The Octagonal Self-Winding
TOWER MILL
With four Patent Sails, driving two Pairs of French Burr Stones & Flour Mill, with Granary near. A substantially built Tiled DWELLING HOUSE, Stabling, Gig house, Piggery & two Enclosures of fine Old Pasture, in all containing 1a.3r.6p. abutting on the High Road from Diss to Lopham & now in the occupation of Mr. H.E. Burroughes, a yearly tenant, at £36 per annum, the tenant also paying the Tithe.
Lot 2. A compact SMALL HOLDING …
Particulars of Messrs. Hazard& Pratt, Solrs. Harleston & of the Auctioneers, 10 Regent Street, Great Yarmouth & Harleston & Stand No. 51, Corn Hall, Norwich.
Norfolk Chronicle - 9th February 1901

PROPERTY MARKET
DISS
Mr. MILES (Messrs. Maddison, Miles& Maddison) offered for sale on Friday at the Kings Head Hotel, by direction of the trustees of the Will of Mr. H. Huson, deceased, freehold property at Bressingham as follows:-
A Tower Mill with granary, etc. & an enclosure of pasture land containing 1a.3r.6p. & dwelling house, the whole let at £36 per annum. Mr. H. E. Burroughes, the tenant became the purchaser at £300.
Norfolk Chronicle - 9th February 1901

4 double anti-clock patents (sails)
Wooden brakewheel with iron segmented teeth
Windshaft & upright shaft of iron
All wood spur (wheel)
Iron stone nuts
2 pairs overdriven stones.
In bad repair when pulled down (c. 1927) but lower portion retained & used as store.
The Miller - 17th November 1947

O.S. Map 1884
Lopham Road smockmill - centre top
Fen St smockmill - bottom left and shown as disused
Courtesy of NLS map images

Index of Wills 1677: Matthew Burrough, miller (possibly not this mill)

Census 1841:

Henry Huson (65?) miller
William Shepherd (15) servant

White's 1845: Henry Hewson, corn miller

1846: Henry Huson, miller

White's 1854: Henry Huson, corn miller

1858: Henry Huson, miller

1863: Henry Hudson, miller

1871: Herbert Burroughes installed the buck from Winfarthing postmill to use as a steam mill

1878: Benjamin Youngman, miller

O.S. map 1884: Mill

1888: Herbert Burroughes, miller

Kelly's 1892: Herbert Burroughes, miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1896: Herbert Ernest Burroughes, miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1900: Herbert Ernest Burroughes, miller (wind & steam) & corn merchant

1901: Herbert Ernest Burroughes, tenant miller paying a rent of £36 per annum

February 1901: Mill advertised for sale by auction

February 1901: Herbert Ernest Burroughes, miller, purchased the mill for £300

Kelly's 1904: Herbert Ernest Burroughes, miller (wind & steam) & corn merchant

Kelly's 1912: Herbert Ernest Burroughes, miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1916: Herbert Ernest Burroughes, miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1922: Herbert Ernest Burroughes, miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1925: Herbert Ernest Burroughes, miller (oil)

c.1927: Mill demolished when derelict, apart from the lower section that remained as a store

Kelly's 1929: Harry Burroughes, miller (oil) & corn merchant (T N 52x); & Station granary, Diss

Kelly's 1929: Harry Burroughes, miller (oil) & corn merchant (T N 33); & Station granary, Diss

Kelly's 1929: Harry Burroughes, miller & corn merchant (T N 33); & Station granary, Diss

If you have any memories, anecdotes or photos please let us know and we may be able to use them to update the site. By all means telephone 07836 675369 or

Nat Grid Ref TM06678100

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