Denver towermill was built in 1835 for John Porter and a stone tablet bearing the inscription JMP 1835 was set below the stage on the north side. The mill replaced an earlier postmill on the same site.

The large six storey mill tower was 59 ft to its curb. Four double shuttered patent sails were used to power 3 pairs of overdriven stones. One pair of sails had 10 bays of 3 shutters and the other pair had 9 bays of 3 shutters and striking was via lever mechanism. The ball finial topped, horizontally boarded ogee cap had a gallery and held a 6 bladed fan. The stones were on the third floor where a reefing stage gave access to the striking and brake chains.

The machinery was mainly of wood with an iron mortice spur wheel mounted on the octagonal upright shaft. The wallower had an iron hub and a wooden rim through which 41 wooden cogs were morticed. A small iron bevel ring on the underside of the wallower provided power for the sack hoist, the bollard itself being beltdriven from the geared drive shaft.

The composite moulded millstones were marked:
BARTON & SON LTD. MAKERS GLOUCESTER and GARNER MARK LANE LONDON

By 1863 John Gleaves had added a 12hp steam engine that drove a further 3 sets of stones in an adjoining building. This was later replaced by a Blackstone oil engine that drove a Tattersall Roller Plant during the first quarter of the 1900s.

Mention was made in 1974 of 2 millbills welded and pinned together stamped L. FISHER SPALDING

Six floors:
5th floor - Dust floor
4th floor - Hopper floor
3rd floor - Stone floor and stage
2nd floor - Meal floor
1st floor - Loading floor
Ground floor - Mill base

Tithe Award 1838
Map - Copied & corrected from Old Survey, November 1837 by Charles Mumford, Downham.
Owner: John Porter
Occupier: do

To Millers. To be Let for a term of years from Michaelmas 1863
An excellent Tower Windmill working three pair of stones with steam mill of 12 horse power. Within one mile of a Market Town & within ½ mile of a Railway Station in West Norfolk.
The property is in a populous district and is in perfect condidtion and a lucrative trade has been carried upon the premises for upwards of forty years.
Apply to Mr. T. L. Reed, Solr. Downham Market.
Norfolk Chronicle - 4th April 1863

Denver near Downham Market

Valuable Freehold Investments

WALTER WAYMAN

Is favoured with instructions to Sell by Auction at the Crown Hotel, Downham Market, on Friday May 29, 1896 at 4 o’c in the afternoon precisely, the following valuable

Lot 1. All that convenient & well situated brick built & slated DWELLING HOUSE containing six bedrooms, dressing room, drawing & dining rooms, kitchen, scullery, dairy, store room, cellar and coal house adjoining, with pleasure & kitchen gardens in excellent condition; also a Bake house with oven to hold from 25 to 30 stones of bread, riding stable, stable with two loose boxes, gig house, cart lodge, chaff house, straw loft, granary, piggeries; also large Engine house & shed. The outbuildings are brick built & tiled. Also the SIX STOREY TOWER WIND-MILL AND STEAM MILL adjoining, each containing three pairs of stones; also a convenient office. The property is bounded on the north by the road leading from Denver to Denver Sluice, east & west by Denver Common & south by land belonging to CAIUS COLLEGE, Cambridge & has been in the occupation of the family of Mr. James Gleaves, the present occupier, for upwards of 50 years.

The Auctioneer desires to call attention of millers, bakers & others to this lot, the position of which affords excellent opportunities for a lucrative & extensive milling & baking business being carried on.

Lot 2. All that brick built & tiled COTTAGE containing two bedrooms & two lower rooms with washhouse adjoining, small garden, piggeries, hen house etc. & also an excellent piece or parcel of fine old Pasture Land adjoining, the whole containing two acres (more or less) & bounded on the north by Denver Common, east by land of Mrs. Bell, south by Grass Lane & west by land of CAIUS COLLEGE & now in the occupation of Mr. James Gleaves.
Possession of both lots will be given on completion of the purchase. For further particulars & conditions of sale apply to the Auctioneer, Downham Market; to W.A. Mellor, Esq., Solicitor, Downham Market or to Messrs. Reed & Wayman, Solicitors, Downham Market.
Lynn Advertiser - 23rd May 1896

Downham
Property Sale. On Friday 29th ult. Mr. Walter Wayman offered for Sale by Auction at the Crown Hotel …
At the same time Mr. Wayman offered in two lots the mill & premises together with a cottage & two acres of land at Denver, lately the property of Mr. James Gleaves. Both lots were withdrawn.
Norfolk Chronicle - 6th June 1896

In the matter of the Deed of Assignment for the benefit of creditors executed on the 27th day of April 1896 by James Gleaves of Denver in the county of Norfolk, miller & baker.
The creditors of the above named James Gleaves who have not already sent in their claims are required on or before the 20th day of November 1896 to send in their names & addresses & the particulars of their debts or claims to us on behalf of William Hitchcock of Kings Lynn in the said county of Norfolk, bank manager & Walter Wayman of Denver aforesaid, auctioneer, the trustees under the said deed, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of the dividend proposed to be declared.

Dated this 3rd Day of November 1896

William Hitchcock manager of Messrs. Gurneys, Birkbeck, Barclay, Buxton & Cresswell, bankers. (Barclay & Co., Ltd.)
Lynn Advertiser - 7th November 1896

c.1924 a Blackstone oil engine took over auxiliary power from the steam engine and was alleged to have been started by using a shotgun cartridge, presumably without the shot.

In December 1937 the Society awarded their Certificate No. 13, 'A record of the Society's appreciation of zeal in the maintenance of these beautiful structures' to

Mr. C. J. Staines, son-in-law of Thomas Edward Harris and William Chapman both worked for Thomas Edwin Harris.

Denver … This is a magnificent specimen of a tower mill with two galleries, four shuttered sweeps, fantail & dome-shaped cupola. It is over a hundred years old, but it is still working regularly, grinding barley-meal & other grain. It is a five storied building. Under the cap is a storeroom, under that the meal room, with the hoppers to feed the two sets of millstones on the stage floor, below which are the bins & the weighing room. This mill has been recently overhauled & is now fitted with electric light. There is an adjoining building in which an oil-engine is used for grinding wheat for flour, the windmill dealing with coarser work.
England of the Windmills - S.P.B. Mais - 1931

The above account is not entirely accurate -
The cap is ogee shaped, the mill was no more than 96 years old at that time and has a 6 storey tower. Although barley may have been ground, barley meal certainly was not.

DEED OF GIFT
Dated 20 August 1973
Grantor – Mrs. Edith Mabel Staines, Mill House, Denver, Norfolk
To The Norfolk County Council
ALL THAT piece of land … together with the Corn Mill and outbuildings … known as Denver Mill
TOGETHER WITH a right of way … along the way … from and to the highway and to and from the property …
(among the Covenants) b. not to open the property … on any Sunday …
Schedule (Grantor’s title.):-
30 July 1971 Assent by the executors of Thomas Edwin Harris deceased to the grantor.
Seal of the Norfolk County Council affixed in the presence of:-

... it was mainly grist work, grinding other people's corn from the scattered farms around Welney & Hilgay Fen ...
The carts would bring in a load one week & take it away the next ...
... we collected from an area about seven or eight miles radius from the mill. The distance was dictated to a certain extent by how far the horses could go out and back in a day.
Bill Chapman
Window on East Anglia - Clement Court
Eastern Daily Press - 15th November 1976

When windmilling ceased in 1941 after the mill was struck by lightning, the far sighted Thomas Edwin Harris ensured that the mill was repaired and maintained with a view to its eventual preservation - the only working miller in Norfolk to have ever done that..

The preserved outbuildings include the mill house, steam mill, granary and stable block. One of the outbuildings directly under the mill originally had a section of its roof lowered to allow for the passage of the sails. The original wooden curb was replaced by reinforced concrete.

In 1972, a gale broke off one of the sails, with the stock snapping just above the metal canister. When the sail and stock fell, they damaged both the stage and the office below. Millwrights Lennard & Pargeter removed the opposite sail leaving the mill balanced and safe but with just two sails. Lennard & Pargeter then replaced the stock in 1975 and recovered the cap. At this time the mill had a skeleton fan.

As a young rep, I was visiting the then Denver Garage Citroen dealership, run by the Cotterell family and arrived to find the place deserted. I was told that they were all down at the windmill and that I should get down there. 
I arrived at the mill to find a rather bizarre scene of a brightly dressed guy strapped precariously to one of the sails as they were slowly rotated. There was a large film crew there and it turned out to be filming for a record album cover. At one point, there was also a cameraman on a sail as well. It must’ve been incredibly scary and dangerous. I can’t recall the band.
Bill Jeffries - 16th January 2023

In 1973 Norfolk County Council's Norfolk Windmills Trust took over the mill with a view to full restoration.

... the gales on the night of 2nd January 1976 lifted the cap & damaged the kerb. It was apparent that the cap had dropped back onto the kerb after being lifted, landing with its full weight on one set of wheels. The impact shattered the reinforced concrete kerb & cracked the brickwork below.
Martin Scott, Norfolk Windmills Trust - 1976

In April 1978, John Lawn had one of the old sails at Caston. The 10 bays of 3 shutters gave an overall length of 29ft and the 8ft 6ins width was made up of 1½ins - 2ft 6ins - 1½ins - 18ins - 1½ins - 4ft - 1½ins

STAINES - On July 3rd, 1983, peacefully, at her home, The Mill, Denver, EDITH MABEL, beloved wife of John, dear sister of Blanche and Dorothy. (Funeral service at St. Mary's Church, Denver, on Thursday, July 7th, at 2.30 p.m., followed by internment in the cemetery. Family flowers only please; donations, if desired, for cancer research and St. Mary's Church Restoration Fund at the church.)
Eastern Daily Press - 5th July 1983

No damage in the hurricane of 16th October 1987. However, the recently renovated cement rendering on the tower is breaking off. Court case pending.
Telephone call from John Staines to Harry Apling - 1987

In doing a research into my familys' history I found that I was related to John Porter who is recorded as being responsible for the building of the current Denver Tower Windmill in 1836. John Porter was my Gt, Gt, Grandfather. He was born in 1801 and died in 1862. In the Census for 1841 he is recorded as being a Corn Merchant and living at the Blue Lion Public House in Norfolk Street Kings Lynn. In the 1851 Census he is recorded as being an Innkeeper and Merchant. My relationship with the Porter family is through his youngest daughter Emma who married a local farmer named Hodgkinson.and subsequently went to live in Gooderstone. To date I have been unable to obtain any other information regarding John Porter and his family and would be interested in hearing from anyone who may have any knowlege about John Porter and/or his family. His wife's name was Alpolonia Bays and they had 2 sons and 4 daughters.
Michael Howard, Chelmsford - 17th April 2009

I think that my family may be connected to John Porter who built the mill. My ancestor, also John Porter, was born in Denver in around 1775 and married Sarah Smith there in 1799. They subsequently moved to Willingham, Cambs, where he worked as a millwright. They are connected by marriage to the Gleaves family of Willingham who occupied the mill in the 19th century. If anyone else, knows what the connections may be, please would they let me know. Thanks.
Sally Leaworthy - 30th July 2009

UFO photographed in the sky over Norfolk's Denver Mill

A photograph showing a UFO in the night sky by Denver Mill in west Norfolk has appeared in the national press.
The photo was taken by Peter Rye who was shooting the county's last working windmill for a calendar.
The caretakers of the mill, Lindsay and Mark Abel, are not surprised at the amount of interest in the photo.
"It's not the sort of thing that happens every day. There are lot of people who are interested in this sort of phenomena," said Mark.
While nobody can claim that the light in the image is proof of extra-terrestrial life, it certainly remains a mystery.
"An Unidentified Flying Object is not identifiable. This is the whole phenomena," said Mark.
"People can put whatever sort of interpretations they want on these things," he added.
A recognisable landmark, the 19th Century mill near Downham Market has always been used by pilots as an indication of their position.
"During the war the Germans used it as a navigational aid and the RAF still use it. Whether this is just going from beyond international to cosmic significance, I don't know," said Mark.
Baffled
When Peter Rye showed his photo to Mark and Lindsay they were baffled.
"We had a look at it on the computer and blew it up really quite big. Apart from the green light that you can see on the front, there's an eye shape in the background," said Lindsay.
"I can understand the green light being a reflection of something... but it's this rather peculiar grey shape behind it," she added.
The windmill has recently been in the news regarding questions about its future funding. Mark is hoping that the UFO is a good sign.
"With the problems we've had of late we've had a tremendous amount of support and I'm just regarding this as some support coming from a very long way away."
BBC Norfolk - 23rd March 2010

In November 2010, the condition of the running gear had got so bad we couldn't really turn the stones any more let alone make flour.  The bearings were shot, the whole drive chain was so far out of alignment to be dangerous and the stones were basically not milling.  The Trust hadn't done anything so Paul came in and we stripped the whole lot down, re-machined, re-aligned and re-assembled properly (there remain major issues but at least it is now better than how it had been done!) and on the 15 th January we ground 756 Kg in the day - without doubt the most since she went out of commission in 1941!  My daughter Sally has now also joined us and taken to milling very successfully and during the three days between the 5 th and 7 th February we milled a further 1½ tonnes between us - her first half tonne solo on the Monday.  There is still a great deal to be done, but again this just goes to show it is worth doing and doing properly!
Mark Abel - 26th February 2011

Funding from English Heritage or National Lottery hold key to future of
Denver Mill, near Downham Market

Last sail removed from
Denver Windmill in Norfolk

Couple's shock as Denver Mill owners reveal their lease won't be renewed

Calls for Denver Mill to be taken over by the public

Couple will not give up their bid to buy historic Norfolk mill

New team to run historic Denver Mill

Denver windmill is set for re-opening

Norfolk's iconic Denver Mill reopens to the public

Hopes for Lottery money to repair Denver Mill

On 28th March 2013, Mark & Linsay Abel, having left the mill, opened a bakery and tearoom at Hanse House on the South Quay in Kings Lynn. They retained their trading name of Denver Mills.
On 23rd September 2013, the Abels moved the business to The Sandboy pub in the Gayton Road at Bawsey.

Denver windmill is set for re-opening

My Great Great Grandfather was John Gleaves, who with his son James operated the Denver mill for many years.  John’s daughter was Sarah Gleaves,  who married my Great Grandfather William Henry Rose, a large farmer at Ten Mile Bank.  We have carried out a wide amount of family history on all sides of our family, including greatly the Gleaves connection, and it would be very good to exchange info with Sally Leaworthy in particular.  The name Porter is frequently encountered around Hilgay, Southery, and Ten Mile Bank.
As a matter of further interest, we are related to the Pollards, (through my Proctor grandmother), who operated the mill at Stoke_Ferry - we are not so forward with our searches in that direction just yet.
Anthony Rose - 12th November 2014

Denver windmill for sale

Offer accepted in Denver Mill sale

. . . And that's how I come to a day this fall when I wandered into the restored mill at Denver, about  3 miles north of Hilgay and saw the name "GEO WHITTOME" written, not on a board as I first thought, but cut out of a piece of iron to form a stencil;  Which would have been used with tar to put George's name on flour sacks.  How do I know?  Because as my sister and I wittered with excitement, another museum visitor said that he was staying with Jim SHARPE who knew all about the mill and would introduce us.  So it turned out that Mr. SHARPE was given the stencil by Frederick E. some years ago when Fred E. had retired to Kings Lynn and had told Jim some of this story.
Pat Portsmouth - 19th August 2017

Grade ll windmill tower could be restored by next spring

Last remaining Grade ll listed windmill sail has been 'systematically vandalised'

Liz Truss opens Denver Mill Cafe Bistro in West Norfolk

Ms Gibson, who is a trained chef with several years in the food industry, aims to inspire customers with a locally sourced menu which is "simple but made well". 
Denver Mill's history has been a big draw for many customers. Ms Highnam said: "We have met people from all over the world who have been very impressed with the café, the food and the location. 
"The whole site is a real draw for people and lots of people have shared memories of times gone by when the site was a working mill."  
Ms Gibson added: "We have even been contacted by a lady in Australia whose great, great, great, grandfather used to work on the site in the late 1800's.
"We have offered her a little look around when she visits the site and steps in the shoes of her relatives."
Ollie Radcliffe, Eastern Daily Press - 14th February 2024

White's 1845: Philip Beeton, millwright

1835: Towermill built for John Porter, replacing the earlier postmill

White's 1836: John Porter, corn miller

Tithe award 1838: John Porter, also owner of nearby beerhouse and cottages

White's 1845: John Porter, corn miller

c.1853: John Gleaves

White's 1854: John Gleaves, corn miller

1862: John Porter died

April 1863: Mill advertised to be let

White's 1864: John Gleaves, corn miller

1865: John Gleaves and James Gleaves (son) running the mill

1865: Steam mill installed using a 12 h.p. engine to power 3 pairs of stones

August 1870: Mill advertised for let

1872: James Gleaves, miller

August 1873: Mill advertised for sale or let as in occupation of James Gleaves

Kelly's 1879: James Gleaves, miller

White's 1883: James Gleaves, corn miller

White's 1890: James Gleaves, corn miller & corn merchant; Mr. John Gleaves

Kelly's 1892: James Gleaves, miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1896: James Gleaves, miller (wind & steam)

27th April 1896: James Gleaves made a Deed of Assignment for benefit of his creditors

May 1896: Mill advertised for sale by auction in occupation of James Gleaves

November 1896: Mill finally sold after at least two attempts. Bought by Thomas Edward Harris

Kelly's 1900: Thomas Edward Harris, miller (steam & wind)

O. S. Map 1904: Denver Mills (Corn)

Kelly's 1904: Thomas Edward Harris, miller (steam & wind)

22nd February 1908: Severe gale damage and mill put out of order

Kelly's 1912: Thomas Edward Harris, miller (steam & wind)

Kelly's 1916: Thomas Edward Harris, miller (steam & wind)

Kelly's 1922: Thomas Edward Harris, miller (steam & wind)

Kelly's 1925: Tom Edward Harris, miller (oil & wind)

1925: Thomas Edward Harris died and left mill to son Thomas Edwin Harris

1927: New sails fitted and Tattersall roller plant installed to be driven by the oil engine

Kelly's 1929: Thomas Edwin Harris, miller (oil & wind)

Kelly's 1933: Thomas Edwin Harris, miller (oil & wind)

Kelly's 1937: Thomas Edwin Harris, miller (oil & wind) Downham Market 188

December 1937: Thomas Edwin Harris received the prestigious SPAB Windmill Section Certificate

1941: Mill struck by lightning damaging one sails and the curb - windmilling ceased. Diesel milling continued

1949: Mill preserved with skeleton sails & fan

27th July 1961: Smithdale's of Acle inspected the milll

1969: Thomas Edwin Harris died

1969: Mrs. Edith Staines (Thomas Harris' elder sister) offered the mill to Norfolk County Council

8th June 1972: EDP published photo of mill with one sail missing and damage to the stage after a gale

20th August 1973: Deed of Gift signed. Only outlay to NCC being legal costs

April 1974: BBC filmed a children's program Look and Read at the mill

1974: Mill with only two sails

1975: O. J. Staines

25th June 1975: Lennard & Lawn (Millwrights) Ltd. installed a new stock and reinstated the undamaged one

2nd January 1976: Cap lifted by a gale and dropped back on single set of wheels damaging the curb

1976: Tower re-rendered for £4,860 as damage to the original had allowed water in to rot internal woodwork

1979: Norfolk Windmills Trust given an award by Norfolk Society, county branch of CPRE for restoration work

1995: Mill purchased by Norfolk Windmills Trust, later to be absorbed by the Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust

April 2000: Mill opened to the public after full restoration - see links page

July 2000: Kathy Beale, miller

June 2008: Mill taken over by Mark Abel & family

2008: Mill working

January 2010: Mill under threat of closure due to work not carried out by NCC

9th March 2010: Strange green eye shape appeared on night photo of mill by Peter Rye - made national press

2010: Mill running gear out of alignment and mill ceased working

15th January 2011: 756kg flour ground - most since at least 1941

4th October 2011: Mill sail stock broke while mill working causing severe damage

June 2012: Mark & Lindsay Abel informed that their lease would not be renewed

August 2012: Shares for ownership of the mill offered for sale at £25

July 2013: Graham & Samantha Styles take over running of the mill complex

2014: Mill site closed

October 2015: Mill advertised for sale by Bedfords for £550,000

January 2016: Offer for mill sale accepted by Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust

January 2023: Cafe & Bistro opened on mill site by MP Lis Truss

September 2024: Cafe closed

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2004