Cawston Road Mill, Aylsham
Encyclopedia
Cawston Road Mill is a tower mill
at Aylsham
, Norfolk
, England
which has been truncated and converted for use as a holiday home.
on 18 June 1864 at the Dog Inn, Aylsham. A 6 hp steam engine had been installed to supply auxiliary power by this time. In 1865, Soame defaulted on a mortgage
on the mill and it was offered for sale by auction
at the Dog Inn on 9 May 1865.
The mill was purchased for £370 by Henry Edward Soame, the brother of George. He leased the mill to James Faulke. Soame died on 31 July 1872 and the mill was sold by auction at the Black Boys Inn, Aylsham on 24 September 1872. The mill was purchased for £315 by James Davidson, who also operated the Buttlands Mill in Aylsham. Davidson ran the mill until 1896 when he ran into financial difficulties and the mill was sold by auction on 17 March 1896 at the Black Boys Inn. Charles Stapleton bought the mill for £100, and then resold it to James Davidson Jr for £125. In 1900, Davidson defaulted on the mortgage and the mill was sold to Samuel Lomax, a butcher
in Aylsham, for £200. The mill was not able to be powered by wind at this time as it had been struck by lightning
and it was struck again in 1912.
During the First World War, the mill was used by a unit of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps
. The cap and sails were blown off in about 1920 and it was decided to demolish the mill, but it was so solidly built that work was halted when just over one storey had been removed. The empty mill tower stood for many years with jagged brickwork. In 1998, the mill tower was converted to serve as holiday accommodation. The conversion of the mill was rewarded by an Enhancement Award for Conservation by Broadland District Council
.
. It had four double Patent sails each having nine bays of three shutters and drove three pairs of millstones, with a fourth pair driven by engine. A stage was provided at second floor level.
Reference for above:-
Tower mill
A tower mill is a type of windmill which consists of a brick or stone tower, on top of which sits a roof or cap which can be turned to bring the sails into the wind....
at Aylsham
Aylsham
Aylsham is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, about north of Norwich. The river rises near Melton Constable, upstream from Aylsham and continues to Great Yarmouth and the North Sea, although it was only made navigable after 1779, allowing grain,...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which has been truncated and converted for use as a holiday home.
History
Cawston Road Mill was built in 1826 for Henry Soame. He died in 1833 and the mill passed to his son George. He ran the mill for a number of years before leasing it out. Miller John Neech became bankrupt in 1860 and George Soame took over the mill again. The mill was offered for sale by auctionAuction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
on 18 June 1864 at the Dog Inn, Aylsham. A 6 hp steam engine had been installed to supply auxiliary power by this time. In 1865, Soame defaulted on a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
on the mill and it was offered for sale by auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
at the Dog Inn on 9 May 1865.
The mill was purchased for £370 by Henry Edward Soame, the brother of George. He leased the mill to James Faulke. Soame died on 31 July 1872 and the mill was sold by auction at the Black Boys Inn, Aylsham on 24 September 1872. The mill was purchased for £315 by James Davidson, who also operated the Buttlands Mill in Aylsham. Davidson ran the mill until 1896 when he ran into financial difficulties and the mill was sold by auction on 17 March 1896 at the Black Boys Inn. Charles Stapleton bought the mill for £100, and then resold it to James Davidson Jr for £125. In 1900, Davidson defaulted on the mortgage and the mill was sold to Samuel Lomax, a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
in Aylsham, for £200. The mill was not able to be powered by wind at this time as it had been struck by lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
and it was struck again in 1912.
During the First World War, the mill was used by a unit of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps
Royal Army Veterinary Corps
The Royal Army Veterinary Corps is an administrative and operational branch of the British Army responsible for the provision, training and care of animals. It is a small but technically competent corps forming part of the Army Medical Services...
. The cap and sails were blown off in about 1920 and it was decided to demolish the mill, but it was so solidly built that work was halted when just over one storey had been removed. The empty mill tower stood for many years with jagged brickwork. In 1998, the mill tower was converted to serve as holiday accommodation. The conversion of the mill was rewarded by an Enhancement Award for Conservation by Broadland District Council
Broadland
Broadland is a local government district in Norfolk, England, named after the Norfolk Broads. Its council is based in Thorpe St Andrew, which is a suburb of the City of Norwich.-History:The district was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of St...
.
Description
Cawston Road Mill was a seven storey tower mill which had a boat shaped cap winded by an eight bladed fantailWindmill fantail
A Fantail is a small windmill mounted at right angles to the sails, at the rear of the windmill, and which turns the cap automatically to bring it into the wind. The fantail was patented in 1745 by Edmund Lee, a blacksmith working at Brockmill Forge near Wigan, England, and perfected on mills...
. It had four double Patent sails each having nine bays of three shutters and drove three pairs of millstones, with a fourth pair driven by engine. A stage was provided at second floor level.
Millers
- Henry Soame 1826-33
- George Soame 1833-45
- William Drake Gardiner
- Harris & John Neech -1760
- George Soame 1860-65
- James Faulke 1868-78
- James Davidson 1872-1896
- James Davison Jr 1896-1900
Reference for above:-
External links
- Windmill World webpage on Cawston Road Mill.
- Aylsham windmill homepage