It’s a five storey tower mill with a stage at second floor level, twenty feet above ground. It has a dome shaped cap with a gallery which was winded by an eight-bladed fantail, ten feet six inches in diameter. The cap is now fixed and unable to turn to wind. There are four double Patent sails with a span of 70 ft, carried on stocks 56 feet long. The inner pair have eight bays of three shutters and the outer pair have nine bays of two shutters and one of three shutters. In 1819 the sails powered two pairs of French burr millstones, a flour mill and jumper but by 1876 this had been increased to 3 pairs of stones and a smut machine had been added.
The windmill was built in the early 19th century. It was first mentioned in an advert in the Norfolk Chronicle of 26 June 1819. The mill was for sale and was described as "newly erected" and in the ownership of the Farthing family. However, it was not sold and remained the property of the Farthing family, until 1875, when Dorothy Farthing, the then owner, died. The mill was bought by the miller, Stephen Barnabas Burroughes and was worked by the Burroughes family until around 1912, when the business was transferred to their windmill at Holt.
In 1921, the windmill was sold by the Burroughes brothers to Mrs Sarah Maria Wilson for the sum of £350 and she had the mill converted to a holiday home. The machinery was removed, with the gear wheels being cut in half and used as decoration within the mill.
The mill was inherited by Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Blount, in 1934. On 31 January 1953, it was flooded to a depth of at least 8 feet.
In 1960, Norfolk County Council and the Pilgrim Trust both made grants to enable the sails to be replaced, the council granting £500 and the trust granting £300 towards a total cost of £1,500.
Lt Col Blount died on 1 February 1979 and the mill was inherited by Colonel Charles Blount, of Andover, Hampshire. The mill was offered for sale in May 1982, but did not sell. In 1983, planning permission and listed building consent was sought from North Norfolk District Council to turn the mill and complex into a guesthouse and self-catering units.
In 1986-87, the cap gallery, sails and fantail were renewed. Grants totalling £19,000 were given by English Heritage and Norfolk County Council towards an estimated cost of £45,000.] In December 2006 the windmill was put up for sale for the sum of £1,500,000.
You are looking for a custom cache. There is only enough room for a log so please bring your own pen. Tweezers would also help.