Union Mills, Burnham Overy
Encyclopedia
Union Mills or Roy's Mills are a Grade II listed combined tower mill
and watermill
at Burnham Overy
, Norfolk
, England
which has been converted to residential accommodation.
in that year. The watermill was probably raised by a storey at this date. The mills were offered for sale by auction
at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich
on 3 August 1825. The windmill was described as having five floors and the Patent sails had shutters made of copper
. The mills were not sold. James Read took them, and worked them until his death in 1864. William Love Porritt, the son-in-law of James Read then took the mills. The mills were offered for sale by auction at the Hoste Arms Inn, Burnham Market
on 13 July 1870. They were then being let to Porritt at an annual rental of £225. In 1893, the windmill was dismantled and the watermill fitted out with roller milling machinery.
In 1896, the mills had a steam engine as auxiliary power. This had been replaced by a gas engine by 1925. In May 1935, the mill tower was burnt out in a fire. The tower was refitted, and the former conical roof replaced with two cowled ventilators. An oil engine was the auxiliary power source in 1937. On 1 February 1953
, the mills were flooded to a depth of 7 feet (2.13 m). The mills were still in use at this time but had ceased working by 1969. In 1999 the mills were purchased for conversion. A new ogee cap was constructed and fitted to the windmill tower.
The watermill is a three storey brick building with a roof of pantile
s. It is powered by an undershot Poncelet
waterwheel made by Whitmore & Binyon, the Wickham Market
, Suffolk
, millwright
s. The watermill drove three pairs of French Burr millstones and was also capable of driving the two pairs of French Burr millstones in the windmill.
References 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....
and watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
at Burnham Overy
Burnham Overy
Burnham Overy is a civil parish on the north coast of Norfolk, England. In modern times a distinction is often made between the two settlements of Burnham Overy Town, the original village adjacent to the parish church and now reduced to a handful of houses, and Burnham Overy Staithe, a rather...
, 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 converted to residential accommodation.
History
The watermill was built in 1737, this date being recorded on the watermill. As originally built, it was a two storey mill. Thomas Beeston was the miller in 1802. The windmill was built in 1814 and bears a tablet inscribed T. B. 1814 PEACE, referring to the banishment of Napoleon to ElbaElba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
in that year. The watermill was probably raised by a storey at this date. The mills were 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 Norfolk Hotel, Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
on 3 August 1825. The windmill was described as having five floors and the Patent sails had shutters made of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. The mills were not sold. James Read took them, and worked them until his death in 1864. William Love Porritt, the son-in-law of James Read then took the mills. The mills were offered for sale by auction at the Hoste Arms Inn, Burnham Market
Burnham Market
Burnham Market is a village with and civil parish near the north coast of Norfolk, England. Burnham Market is one of the Burnhams, a group of adjacent villages in North Norfolk...
on 13 July 1870. They were then being let to Porritt at an annual rental of £225. In 1893, the windmill was dismantled and the watermill fitted out with roller milling machinery.
In 1896, the mills had a steam engine as auxiliary power. This had been replaced by a gas engine by 1925. In May 1935, the mill tower was burnt out in a fire. The tower was refitted, and the former conical roof replaced with two cowled ventilators. An oil engine was the auxiliary power source in 1937. On 1 February 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday 31 January 1953 and morning of 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a...
, the mills were flooded to a depth of 7 feet (2.13 m). The mills were still in use at this time but had ceased working by 1969. In 1999 the mills were purchased for conversion. A new ogee cap was constructed and fitted to the windmill tower.
Description
The windmill is a six storey tower mill with an ogee cap which has a gallery. There is a stage at third floor level. The mill had four double Patent sails carried on a cast iron windshaft. The windmill drove two pairs of French Burr millstones, and was also capable of driving the three pairs of French Burr millstones in the watermill.The watermill is a three storey brick building with a roof of pantile
Pantile
Pantile may refer to:*A type of roof tile*The Pantiles, an area of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England...
s. It is powered by an undershot Poncelet
Jean-Victor Poncelet
Jean-Victor Poncelet was a French engineer and mathematician who served most notably as the commandant general of the École Polytechnique...
waterwheel made by Whitmore & Binyon, the Wickham Market
Wickham Market
Wickham Market is a large village situated in the River Deben valley of Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coastal heritage area.It is on the A12 trunk road thirteen miles north-east of the county town of Ipswich, five miles north-east of Woodbridge. Its railway station is located approximately...
, 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...
, 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 watermill drove three pairs of French Burr millstones and was also capable of driving the two pairs of French Burr millstones in the windmill.
Millers
- Thomas Beeston 1802-25
- James Read 1830-64
- William Love Porritt 1865-1900
- Philip Roy 1904-22
- Philip Roy & Sons Ltd 1925-37
- Sidney Roy 1953
References for above:-
External links
- Windmill World webpage on Union Mills.