East Dereham Windmill
Encyclopedia
Norwich Road Mill or Fendick's Mill is a Grade II listed tower mill
at East Dereham, Norfolk
, England
which is under restoration.
James Hardy of Toftwood
for Michael Hardy, who had a smock mill
at Bittering. Hardy worked the mill himself but advertised it to let in 1837. It was taken by John Armes. In 1877, Hardy was in financial difficulties, and the mill was sold by auction
at the King's Arms Inn, East Dereham on 16 February 1844 along with others at Gressenhall, Ovington and Wicklewood.
The mill was bought for £650 by William Fendick. He had a post mill
at West End, Shipdham. The mill was let to John Willden from 1850 to 1856. In 1863, William Fendick died and the mill was offered to let. The business was carried on by Fendick's widow Sarah until 1871 when their son William took over. A steam engine was installed as auxiliary power. He worked the mill until his death in 1904. The mill passed to his son William, who was also running a tower mill at Mill Street, Mattishall. The mill was sold in 1909 to Charles Robert Gray and Arthur James Milk. Gray died in 1922. The sails were removed about this time and the steam engine was replaced by a paraffin engine. Milk died in 1926 and the firm was carried on by William Robert Gray, Arthur Payne Milk and Henry Jonas Harding Garlick trading as Robert Gray Ltd. The mill was worked by engine until 1937.
The mill was later sold to Green's Nurseries. Planning permission
to convert the mill to residential accommodation was sought sometime after the Second World War but was refused. In 1973, an application for permission to demolish the mill was refused as the mill was a listed building. A repair notice was served on Green's Nurseries in November 1974 but they did not repair the mill. In December 1977, the remains of the cap and the windshaft were removed by Lennard & Lawn (Millwrights) Ltd. The mill was sold in 1978 to Breckland District Council
for £1. The brickwork, floors, windows and doors were repaired in spring 1979 via a scheme supported by the Manpower Services Commission
which gave three unemployed people work for three months. In July 1979, Breckland District Council approved further restoration work to complete the first phase of the restoration.
In March 1983, permission was granted to the Girl Guides
and Toc H
to use the mill as a meeting room on a weekly basis during the summer months. In January 1984, it was revealed that vandalism had occurred at the mill. In December 1984, Breckland District Council approved repair work to the mill and agreed to investigate the possibility of installing an electricity and water supply to the mill. John Lawn was asked to survey the mill and produce a report on the cost of restoration. Restoration of the mill as a landmark was undertaken by John Lawn and the mill was formally opened to the public on 14 September 1987.
In 2002, the mill was taken over by Dereham Town Council. In July 2003, the Friends of Dereham Mill sought a £500 National Lottery Awards for All
grant to fund a comprehensive survey of the mill by millwright Tom Davies. On 13 January 2004, the mill lost half a sail in a gale. It was reported that the Friends of Dereham Mill were hoping that insurance money would be able to be used to assist with the estimated £600,000 cost of full restoration on the mill. In 2005, an appeal was launched for photographs of the mill when it had its original sails on, as those fitted during the restoration were thought to be the wrong type. In November 2007, planning permission was granted for a visitor centre to be built at the mill. It was reported that a Heritage Lottery Fund
grant was being sought to enable the restoration of the mill to working order. The application for lottery funds was turned down.
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 East Dereham, 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 is under restoration.
History
Norwich Road Mill was built in 1836 by millwrightMillwright
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...
James Hardy of Toftwood
Toftwood
Toftwood is a locality within the town of Dereham, in the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom....
for Michael Hardy, who had a smock mill
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 Bittering. Hardy worked the mill himself but advertised it to let in 1837. It was taken by John Armes. In 1877, Hardy was in financial difficulties, and the mill was sold 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 King's Arms Inn, East Dereham on 16 February 1844 along with others at Gressenhall, Ovington and Wicklewood.
The mill was bought for £650 by William Fendick. He had a post mill
Post mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. The defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. The earliest post mills in England are thought to have...
at West End, Shipdham. The mill was let to John Willden from 1850 to 1856. In 1863, William Fendick died and the mill was offered to let. The business was carried on by Fendick's widow Sarah until 1871 when their son William took over. A steam engine was installed as auxiliary power. He worked the mill until his death in 1904. The mill passed to his son William, who was also running a tower mill at Mill Street, Mattishall. The mill was sold in 1909 to Charles Robert Gray and Arthur James Milk. Gray died in 1922. The sails were removed about this time and the steam engine was replaced by a paraffin engine. Milk died in 1926 and the firm was carried on by William Robert Gray, Arthur Payne Milk and Henry Jonas Harding Garlick trading as Robert Gray Ltd. The mill was worked by engine until 1937.
The mill was later sold to Green's Nurseries. Planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
to convert the mill to residential accommodation was sought sometime after the Second World War but was refused. In 1973, an application for permission to demolish the mill was refused as the mill was a listed building. A repair notice was served on Green's Nurseries in November 1974 but they did not repair the mill. In December 1977, the remains of the cap and the windshaft were removed by Lennard & Lawn (Millwrights) Ltd. The mill was sold in 1978 to Breckland District Council
Breckland (district)
Breckland District is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in East Dereham.Breckland District derives its name from the Breckland landscape region, a gorse covered sandy heath of south Norfolk and north Suffolk...
for £1. The brickwork, floors, windows and doors were repaired in spring 1979 via a scheme supported by the Manpower Services Commission
Manpower Services Commission
The Manpower Services Commission was a non-departmental public body of the Department of Employment Group in the United Kingdom created by Edward Heath's Conservative Government in 1973. The MSC had a remit to co-ordinate employment and training services in the UK through a ten-member commission...
which gave three unemployed people work for three months. In July 1979, Breckland District Council approved further restoration work to complete the first phase of the restoration.
In March 1983, permission was granted to the Girl Guides
Girl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
and Toc H
Toc H
Toc H is an international Christian movement. The name is an abbreviation for Talbot House, 'Toc' signifying the letter T in the signals spelling alphabet used by the British Army in World War I. A soldiers' rest and recreation centre named Talbot House was founded in December 1915 at Poperinghe,...
to use the mill as a meeting room on a weekly basis during the summer months. In January 1984, it was revealed that vandalism had occurred at the mill. In December 1984, Breckland District Council approved repair work to the mill and agreed to investigate the possibility of installing an electricity and water supply to the mill. John Lawn was asked to survey the mill and produce a report on the cost of restoration. Restoration of the mill as a landmark was undertaken by John Lawn and the mill was formally opened to the public on 14 September 1987.
In 2002, the mill was taken over by Dereham Town Council. In July 2003, the Friends of Dereham Mill sought a £500 National Lottery Awards for All
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
grant to fund a comprehensive survey of the mill by millwright Tom Davies. On 13 January 2004, the mill lost half a sail in a gale. It was reported that the Friends of Dereham Mill were hoping that insurance money would be able to be used to assist with the estimated £600,000 cost of full restoration on the mill. In 2005, an appeal was launched for photographs of the mill when it had its original sails on, as those fitted during the restoration were thought to be the wrong type. In November 2007, planning permission was granted for a visitor centre to be built at the mill. It was reported that a Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
grant was being sought to enable the restoration of the mill to working order. The application for lottery funds was turned down.
Description
Norwich Road Mill is a five-storey tower mill with a boat shaped cap winded by a fantail. The mill had four double Patent sails. The tower is 42 feet (12.8 m) to the curb. The lower section of the upright shaft remains, with a 9 feet (2.74 m) diameter cast iron great spur wheel with wooden cogs. The crown wheel, which received the drive from the engine, is of wood.Millers
- Michael Hardy 1836-37
- John Armes 1837-44
- William Fendick 1844-50
- John Willden 1850-56
- William Fendick 1856-63
- Sarah Fendick 1863-71
- William Fendick 1871-1903
- William Fendick Jr 1903-09
- Charles Robert Gray 1909-22
- Arthur James Milk 1909-26
- Robery Gray Ltd 1926-37
Reference for above:-
Public access
East Dereham Windmill is not currently open to the public. The exterior may be viewed at any time.External links
- Windmill World webpage on Norwich Road Mill.