Dilham Mill River Ant / North Walsham & Dilham Canal |
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c.1904 |
Dilham watermill built of weatherboard over a brick base with a Norfolk pantile roof. A substantial two floored weatherboarded storage building was attached to one gable end. In 1900 the mill was described as having 4 floors of engine and boiler houses. The undershot waterwheel had a fall of 8 feet that drove 2 pairs of stones and its water was taken from the 25 acre Dilham Lake. In later years, water power was supplemented by a steam engine and the nearby Dilham_smockmill was under the same ownership. The watermill almost certainly stopped working before the first World War c.1910. |
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c.1905 |
Watermill and house, Scottish Close (4a) with house (described as newly-built in 1597) meadow (4a), all in Dilham, with piece of moorland in Honing, leased by Thomas Windham to Thomas Hill and others for 21 yrs in 1578; to Thomas Hill for 21 years in 1597; to John Willyson for 11 yrs in 1621; to Francis Calfe and others for 21 yrs in 1636, with bond to observe covenants, 1641. Norfolk Record Office |
To be Sold TWO WINDMILLS with their going Geers, one being near St._Giles_Gates, Norwich and the other at North_Walsham in Norfolk. Also the Remainder of a Term for sixty years which commenced in 1747 of a good water mill with a Dwelling House and small farm adjoining, being in Dilham, late occupied by Mr. Joseph Cole. For further Particulars enquire of Mr. Marker at Dilham aforesaid, Mr. Gaze of Paston, or Mr. Gay of North Walsham. All such Persons as are indebted to the said Joseph Cole are desired to discharge the same immediately to some of the abovesaid Persons or they may be sued. Norwich Mercury - 7th November 1761 |
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c.1911 |
Jno. Withers of North Walsham in the County of Norfolk. On a Water Corn Millhouse brick built weatherboarded & tiled & on the Mills therein together with the Running Tackle & other parts of the Machinery belonging thereunto situate in Dilham in the County aforesaid in his own Occupation, £400. On a House brick built & thatch'd situate on Eastgate Common near North Walsham aforesaid Tent. ----- Victualler & known by the Sign of the White House, £200. On a Brewhouse brick built & tiled situate in ye Yard belonging, £50. On a Granary near brick, stud & plaister built & thatch'd, £50. Royal Exchange Fire Insurance - 6th December 1773. |
William Harrison Wells was born on 24th September 1805 in Martham, the son of William and Sarah Wells. William Wells snr, who was born c.1781 in Lound, Suffolk, married Sarah Harrison in Gt Yarmouth on 29th January 1804. William snr was almost certainly a miller by profession but it's not known where. He died at some time between the census in 1841 and 1851 and the 1851 census lists Sarah Wells as the widow of a miller. William jnr was given his mother's maiden name as a middle name and obviously learnt milling at an early age. He married Harriet Howes at West Somerton on 9th May 1832. |
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1834 watercolour painting by Edmund Girling |
1837 watercolour painting by Edmund Girling |
The above painting was subject to a degree of artistic licence as the windmill was not as close to the watermill or in the position shown. |
The wherry sail bears the letters WHW - William Harrison Wells of Dilham mill. The 1834 painting depicts the artist, Edmund Girling, sitting on a log in the foreground and the 1837 painting shows him rowing across the mill dam. A certain amount of artistic licence appears to have been deployed. The adjacent windmill is the smockmill, also owned by William Harrison Wells. William Harrison Wells was a good friend of Edmund Girling jnr (1796-1871), who along with William Stannard jnr, were London corn and flour merchants trading under the name of Girling & Stannard. They operated from Jack's Coffee House in Mark Lane, London. While Harrison was running Dilham mill he was occasionally visited by his friend and business aquaintance Girling, who was also an artist of the Norwich School and WHW commissioned him to paint two watercolours of Dilham watermill. William Harrison moved to Norwich between 1851 and 1854 and by 1864 was running New_Mills. When Girling died in 1871 he bequeathed William Harrison £300 in his will, which gives Harrison's address as New Mills and St George's. |
| John Stammers, born 1822, second son of Robert Stammers of Magdalen_Gates_post_mill, Pockthorpe, Norwich. At Wymondham 1850 - 1858. Went to Dilham watermill by 1861 and to Mendham watermill 1864. Letter from David Cubitt, Norwich, to Harry Apling - December 1982 N.B. John's brother Joseph Stammers, was miller at Mendham |
The North Walsham & Dilham Canal |
| This was the only official canal in Norfolk and was really the canalisation of the River Ant. It was made wider than most other canals in order to accommodate Norfolk wherries. The main cargoes were offal to the two Antingham_Bone mills with return loads of fertiliser. Corn and flour moved in and out of Bacton_Wood and Swafield mills with other commodities such as timber, farm produce and coal making up the majority of the remainder of trade. It was hoped that coal would be the mainstay cargo but this never materialised. The canal was just over 8¾ miles long, ran from Smallburgh to Antingham and contained 6 locks: Honing, Briggate mill, Ebridge mill, Bacton Wood mill, Swafield lower and Swafield Upper. 1812: Act of Parliament passed authorising construction of the canal July 1826: Canal opened having cost £32,000 to build 1885: Ailing canal sold for £600 but the company's London solicitor absconded with the money 1886: Scheme introduced to encourage tourist traffic c.1893: Antingham - Swafield section abandoned because of lack of traffic 1934: The wherry Ella, sailed from Bacton Wood Staithe for the last time 2003: Canal navigable for the first 2 miles as far as Honing Lock |
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c.1935 watercolour |
Dilham mill originally stood across the river Ant but the river was diverted to form the North Walsham & Dilham Canal, which was completed in 1826. There is little doubt that prior to the canal being built the mill was effectively at the head of the historically navigable River Ant and was served by wherries accessing up the tail stream. This section of the Ant was, and still is to some extent, subject to tidal influence giving the right of free navigation, but the canal company could well have expected the right to charge craft using its much more direct channel up to the mill. This, however, the company was specifically prevented from doing by a special clause in the Act preserving the right of free navigation up to the mill. Despite this, it would appear that when Honing Lock was constructed fairly close to the site of the mill, steps were taken to construct a dam near the mill to create what was known as Dilham Broad or Dilham Lake and an entrance to this broad was created from the canal upstream of Honing Lock. Thereafter wherry access to the mill appears to have been southwards across the broad to the mill head and the former access via the mill tail seems to have fallen into disuse. Alan Faulkner - 16th April 2003 |
At one time the mill dam covered 25 acres and it is said that the cause was an accidental breach of the river bank in 1868. The story goes that this was the time of a disastrous drought and when a local farmer attempted to dig a tunnel to gain water, the resulting inflow quickly got out of hand and resulted in the flooding of Dilham beds. The level of the mill dam has dropped and is now below the level of the old wheel sluice. |
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Dilham staithe and towermill in 1929 |
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The wheelpit 11th December 1977 |
TO BE LET With Possession at Michaelmas next. A Capital BRICK TOWER_WIND_MILL_at_PALLING next the Sea With good Dwelling house, requisite Outbuildings and an acre of Land adjoining and now in the occupation of Thomas FRARY. The Mill drives two pair of French Stones and two Flour Mills. Apply to SEWELL, BLAKE & CO. Solrs. Norwich or to Mr. Warnes at Mr. Wells' Dilham Mills. Norfolk Chronicle - 19th September 1835 |
At one time the mill dam covered 25 acres and it is said that the cause was an accidental breach of the river bank in 1868. The story goes that this was the time of a disastrous drought and when a local farmer attempted to dig a tunnel to gain water, the resulting inflow quickly got out of hand and resulted in the flooding of Dilham beds. The level of the mill dam has dropped and is now below the level of the old wheel sluice. |
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Tithe map 1840 - as redrawn by Harry Apling |
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Wheelhouse 15th April 1983 |
Wheelhouse 19th October 2003 |
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The headrace 15th April 1983 |
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Tailrace arch 15th April 1983 |
Tailrace arch 19th October 2003 |
Dilham Wind & Water Mills - Tithe Award 1841 |
|
| No. 5: Water Mill etc. Water | 16a. 0r. 11p. |
| No. 6: Mill Rand. Pasture | 0a. 1r. 30p. |
| No. 7: Windmill Meadow. Pasture | 5a. 2r. 2p. |
| No. 8: Mill Pightle. | 1a. 0r. 7p. |
| No. 11: Little Mill Meadow | |
| No. 12: Great Mill Meadow | |
| No. 16: Windmill Pightle. Arable | 1a. 3r. 29p. |
| No. 56: House, Farm Premises & Garden | 1a. 0r. 8p. |
Total: |
53a. 3r. 38p. |
| £3. 13s to Vicar £6 17s to Appropriators |
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O.S. map c.1887 - 1891 Image produced from the www.old-maps.co.uk service with permission of Landmark Information Group Ltd. and Ordnance Survey |
4 floors of engine and boiler houses undershot waterwheel driving 2 pairs of stones mill with fall of 8 feet Let to Mr. W. Stackwood yearly tenant at £25 pa Dilham Sale Particulars - 1900 |
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NIAS plan December 1977 |
All that remains now is the brick wheelpit, 1.8 metres wide and 6.6 metres long, with the remains of gearing for adjusting the breast sluice. On the north and east sides the walls of the mill survive to a height of about one metre but the south and west walls have disappeared entirely. NIAS Report - 11th December 1977 |
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Dilham broad bed 19th October 2003 |
William Harrison Wells was born on 24th September 1805, the son of William and Sarah Wells. Sarah's maiden name was Harrison. |
William Stackwood snr moved from Bolwick_watermill in the 1880s, where he had been working as a journeyman miller along with his son William jnr. who temporarily remained at Bolwick. By 1891 William Stackwood snr had moved to Cawston and taken over Sygate Black Mill and White Mill. William Stackwood snr had at least 14 children during his two marriages and 9 of them were known to have married in Norfolk. |
William Harrison Wells was born on 24th September 1805, the son of William and Sarah Wells. Sarah's
1542: Mill and manor house conveyed by Sir Edmund Windham to Robert Townshend
Kelly's 1892: William Stackwood, miller (water & steam) |
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| Nat Grid Ref TG3309 2672 | Copyright© Jonathan Neville 2003 |