Herringfleet Mill
Encyclopedia
Herringfleet Mill or Walker's Mill is a Grade II* listed smock mill
at Herringfleet
, Suffolk
, England
which has been restored to working order.
. It was disused in 1883 but later put back to work. The mill was worked by wind until 1956. Her owners, the Somerleyton
Estate
were keen to ensure that she was preserved. East Suffolk County Council
agreed in principle that the mill should be preserved, and approached the Ministry of Works who agreed to pay half the cost of the restoration. Most of the rest of the money came from East Suffolk County Council and the Suffolk Preservation Society, with smaller amounts from other groups.
Restoration of the mill was undertaken by Thomas Smithdale & Sons, the Acle
millwright
s. The mill was officially opened on 25 July 1958 by Charles Howlett, who had been marshman at the mill for over forty years. Further restoration work was done in 1971 by Neville Martin, the Beccles
millwright.
. The four Common sails
are carried on a cast iron
windshaft. The wooden brake sheel has 59 teeth. It drives a 4 in 6 in (1.37 m) cast iron wallower with 47 cogs. The wallower is mounted on a 11¾ inches (298 mm) square upright shaft. At the bottom of the upright shaft a cast iron bevel gear with 33 teeth drives a cast iron pit wheel with 102 cogs. The pit wheel is carried on a cast iron shaft 8 inches (203.2 mm) diameter. This shaft has at its outer end a 16 feet (4.88 m) by 9 inches (228.6 mm) scoopwheel. The mill could pump 2000 gallons (9,092.2 l) of water per minute.
(second Sunday in May) and on occasional days in the summer and autumn.
Smock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind...
at Herringfleet
Herringfleet
Herringfleet is a small village on the River Waveney, between Somerleyton and St. Olaves in Suffolk, England within The Broads National Park.Herringfleet was occupied by the Roman Empire, and archaeologists have made a number of finds, including a Roman bronze 'patera', a 'soup ladle' vessel with...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, 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 restored to working order.
History
The mill was erected c1820 by millwright Robert Barnes of Great YarmouthGreat Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
. It was disused in 1883 but later put back to work. The mill was worked by wind until 1956. Her owners, the Somerleyton
Somerleyton
Somerleyton is a village close to the River Waveney in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Somerleyton is located around north-west of Lowestoft and south-west of Great Yarmouth...
Estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
were keen to ensure that she was preserved. East Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council is the administrative authority for the county of Suffolk, England. It is run by 72 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions...
agreed in principle that the mill should be preserved, and approached the Ministry of Works who agreed to pay half the cost of the restoration. Most of the rest of the money came from East Suffolk County Council and the Suffolk Preservation Society, with smaller amounts from other groups.
Restoration of the mill was undertaken by Thomas Smithdale & Sons, the Acle
Acle
Acle is a small market town on the River Bure on The Norfolk Broads in Norfolk, located halfway between Norwich and Great Yarmouth. It has the only bridge across the River Bure between Wroxham and Great Yarmouth. There is a high school Acle is a small market town on the River Bure on The Norfolk...
millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
s. The mill was officially opened on 25 July 1958 by Charles Howlett, who had been marshman at the mill for over forty years. Further restoration work was done in 1971 by Neville Martin, the Beccles
Beccles
Beccles is a market town and civil parish in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. The town is shown on the milestone as from London via the A145 Blythburgh and A12 road, northeast of London as the crow flies, southeast of Norwich, and north northeast of the county town of...
millwright.
Description
Herringfleet Mill is an octagonal three storey smock mill with a boat shaped cap. Winding is by tailpole and winch, the last mill on the BroadsThe Broads
The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Broads, and some surrounding land were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a UK National Park by The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act of 1988...
. The four Common sails
Windmill sail
Windmills are powered by their sails. Sails are found in different designs, from primitive common sails to the advanced patent sails.-Jib sails:...
are carried on a cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
windshaft. The wooden brake sheel has 59 teeth. It drives a 4 in 6 in (1.37 m) cast iron wallower with 47 cogs. The wallower is mounted on a 11¾ inches (298 mm) square upright shaft. At the bottom of the upright shaft a cast iron bevel gear with 33 teeth drives a cast iron pit wheel with 102 cogs. The pit wheel is carried on a cast iron shaft 8 inches (203.2 mm) diameter. This shaft has at its outer end a 16 feet (4.88 m) by 9 inches (228.6 mm) scoopwheel. The mill could pump 2000 gallons (9,092.2 l) of water per minute.
Public access
The mill is open on National Mills DayNational Mills Day
National Mills Day is an event in the United Kingdom and occurs annually on the second Sunday in May. It started off as a single day event but in recent years has expanded to Saturday as well as Sunday, and is now promoted as National Mills Weekend. The event is coordinated by the Wind and...
(second Sunday in May) and on occasional days in the summer and autumn.
Culture and media
- Herringfleet windmill appears in the short film And now they rest released in 1938.
External links
- Windmill World webpage on Herringfleet Mill.