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c.1906
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Flordon Mill
River Tas |
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c.1906
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Flordon Mill
ceased production in around 1900 and having become derelict, it was demolished
in the 1920s. It was one of the very few mills in Norfolk to use an overshot wheel - the others were at Buxton (one of its two wheels), Mundesley and Weybourne. Flordon's 16 foot diameter by 5 foot wide wheel worked with a water drop of 17 feet. Water power was supplemented by steam during the latter years in order to maintain production using three pairs of stones. |
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Tail race May 1969 |
Flordon Mills With Immediate Possession To be Sold by Auction By Wm. Burt On Saturday 3 May 1806 at 4 o’c At the Rose in St. Augustines, Norwich All that valuable WATER-MILL at Flordon in Norfolk, with the Dwelling house, stables & other buildings, garden, & about 5 acres of excellent arable & meadow Land adjoining, in the occupation of Mr. Robert Buck, held under a lease for a term of which 31 years were unexpired at Christmas last, at £25 per ann. Also a capital Tower Wind-mill standing on the above premises – the whole most desirably situate in a good wheat country. Apply to Mr. George Watson, Saxlingham or Mr. Grand, attorney, Norwich. Norfolk Chronicle - 26th April & 3rd May 1806 |
Sale by S. Lovick & Son, Friday December 3, 1819 Farming Stock, Implements & Effects of Mr. Benjamin Wilkinson of Flordon Mills. Norfolk Chronicle - 27th November 1819 |
Notice to Debtors & Creditors of Benjamin Wilkinson of Flordon, Miller Norfolk Chronicle - 4th December 1819 |
Benjamin Wilkinson late of Flordon, Miller |
To Millers. To be LET for a Term with occupation at Michaelmas next All that WATER MILL & WINDMILL at FLORDON near Saxlingham, seven miles from Norwich, with a comfortable Dwelling house & upwards of 100 acres of most excellent Arable & Pasture Land, adjoining the Mill, in a high state of cultivation. The Mills are now in the occupation of Mr. Miles Blomfield & the land was late in the occupation of Mr. Thomas Edwards. The Mill & Farm united form one of the most eligible & desirable occupations of the size in the county of Norfolk. Apply to Mr. John Culey of Cossey or Mr. Brightwell, Solr. Surry Street, Norwich. |
Flordon Mills To be Let with Possession at Michaelmas next. The water Mill, Wind Mill, Cottages & about 25 acres of capital LAND at Flordon, now occupied by Messrs. Wilson & Fielding. Apply to Messrs. Brightwell & Son, Surry Street, Norwich. |
Flordon Mills To be Sold by Auction by Glasspoole & Standley on Monday October 14, 1844 All the Live & Dead FARMING STOCK & Effects of Messrs. Wilson & Fielding who leave the Mills at Michaelmas.Norfolk Chronicle - 21st & 28th September 1844 |
To Millers To be Let with Immediate Possession The WATER MILL & WIND MILL at FLORDON With comfortable dwelling house & Outbuildings & also from 20-100 acres of excellent land at the option of the tenant. These Mills adjoin the railroad now making from Norwich to Ipswich & are about 7 miles from Norwich. Apply to Messrs. Brightwell & Son, Solrs. Surrey Street, Norwich. Norfolk Chronicle - 27th November, 4th & 11th December 1847 |
Flordon near Norwich On the Great Eastern Railway Messrs. Spelman have received instructions from the Executors of the late Thomas Brightwell Esq. To Sell by Auction on Saturday June 12, 1869 at 12 o’c for 1 o’c, at the Rampant Horse Hotel, Norwich, the following valuable Freehold & Copyhold ESTATE containing altogether 304 Acres divided into 17 Lots Lot 1. THE WATER MILLS with steam power, Windmill, Dwelling house, two Laborers Cottages & several inclosures of Arable & Meadow Land containing together 35a.3r.1p. … Lots 1 … are all in the occupation of Baron Brightwell, Esq. Possession … at Michaelmas next. Three fourths of the Purchase Money on any of the Lots may remain on Mortgage & where over £500 at 4 per cent. Particulars & Conditions of Sale may be had seven days prior to the Sale of Mr. Thomas Brightwell, Solicitor, Surrey Street, Norwich & of the Auctioneers, Norwich & Yarmouth. Norfolk News - 29th May & 5th June 1869 |
Spelmans’ Sale, Rampant Horse Hotel, Norwich, 12 June 1869 Lot 1 Most is missing, but p. 3 Mills, dwelling house, Cottages, stables, outbuildings & 15a.1r.25p. Freehold The Buildings standing on Barn Piece (No. 113 on Plan) & 22a.1r.16p. Copyhold of the Manor of Flordon. Apportioned Land Tax £2.5s. Quit Rents 19s.6d. Rent charge in lieu of Tithes £13.6s. This Lot in the occupation of B. Brightwell, Esq. & his under-tenants. The purchaser will have to pay, in addition to his purchase money, by valuation in the usual way, for all the straps, ropes & tackle, sack chains, mill bills, scales, beams & weights, fixtures in the house & other things belonging to the tenant, a schedule of which may be seen at the Auctioneers’ office. The right is reserved to the tenant to remove a marble chimney piece, also ten shrubs in the garden belonging to him. Other Lots … Spelmans’ Sale Catalogue - 12th June 1869 |
To be Let. The following Property at Flordon The FLORDON MILLS comprising a watermill driving three pairs of Stones & also Steam Power capable of driving three pairs of Stones and a SMOCK WINDMILL driving two pairs of Stones, with a Double Cottage let for £10. With the Mills may be had either about 35 acres of Land adjacent or an additional quantity of 40 or 76 acres of Land with Farmhouse & Buildings. The Mills & Land lie next the Great Eastern Railway Station & the Farm Buildings adjoin the same, offering unusual advantages to parties desirous of entering into a trading business in this populous district. Particulars of Mr. Thomas BRIGHTWELL, Surrey Street, Norwich, Solr. or to Mr. Barron Brightwell of Flordon. Norfolk Chronicle & Norfolk News - 24th July 1869 |
Messrs. Spelman Michaelmas Sales ON WEDNESDAY October 6th, the FARMING STOCK, Mill Utensils, Furniture, China, Pictures & other Effects by order of Baron Brightwell Esq. |
| Sale of Flordon Watermill in occupation of Mr. Dennis Blomfield as yearly tenant to Rainthorpe Hall Manor Estate. Norfolk Chronicle - 15th & 22nd June 1878 |
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Watermill Farm July 1969 |
The picture above shows where the gable of the old mill joined onto the mill house and interestingly it would appear that the mill was once lower than the house. The ground behind where the mill was rises quite sharply to where the mill dam would have been. The dam was said to have originally been as large as the one at Tharston Mill. |
Flordon watermill
was worked in conjunction with the nearby smockmill until it was dismantled and sold in 1870. |
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O.S. Map 1888 - 1892 Image produced from the www.old-maps.co.uk service with permission of Landmark Information Group Ltd. and Ordnance Survey |
Samuel Skinner who was the mill cartsman from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s and was recorded on the 1901 census as living at the Mill House with his second wife, Mary Ann Taylor.. Samuel was born at Pulham Market in 1863, the son of Charles Skinner and Eleanor Barnes. His first wife was Sarah Rayson Palmer and he later married Mary Ann Taylor in 1898. They had a daughter, Ethel in 1899, a son Reginald on 24th October 1900 and another daughter, Nellie c.1902. They went on to have two more daughters, Mary and Queenie and also two sons, Arthur who was born in 1916 and then Jack. For many years until his death, Arthur was the games and domestic keeper at St Osyths Priory in Clacton-on-Sea and his wife, Doris, was the head housekeeper. Samuel Skinner died some time after 1916 and Mary Ann Skinner died in 1931. |
| Index of wills
1669: John Howard Faden's map 1797: Mill Poll Book 1802: Robert Buck, miller April 1806: Mill advertised for sale by auction with the windmill and Robert Buck as tenant miller at £25 p.a. Poll Book 1806: Robert Gapp, miller 1819: Benjamin Wilkinson 1820: Benjamin Wilkinson White's 1836: Miles Blomfield, corn miller May 1836: Mill advertised for let along with the windmill 1844: Wilson & Fielding, millers June 1844: Mill advertised for let along with the windmill September 1844: Farming Stock & business effects of Wilson & Fielding advertised for sale by auction White's 1845: Barham Brightwell, corn miller November 1847: Mill advertised for let along with the windmill White's 1854: Barron Brightwell, corn miller & farmer White's 1864: Barron Brightwell, corn miller & farmer 1869: Barham (Barron) Brightwell, miller May 1869: Mill advertised for sale by auction along with the windmill July 1869: Mill advertised for let along with the windmill September 1869: Farming stock & mill utensils of Baron Brightwell advertised for sale by auction Kelly's 1872: Dennis Blomfield Kelly's 1879: Dennis Blomfield, miller Kelly's 1883: Dennis Blomfield, miller, also at Tasburgh O.S. Map 1888-1892: Flordon Mill (Corn) Kelly's 1892: Mrs. Louisa Blomfield Kelly's 1896: Reginald Blomfield, miller (steam & water) & farmer, Flordon Mill; & at Tasburgh mill, Tasburgh Kelly's 1900: William L. Duffield, miller (steam & water) Mill House Kelly's 1900: William L. Duffield, miller (steam & water) & farmer Census 1901: Samuel Skinner (38) b.Pulham Market, miller's carter (living with family at Mill House) Kelly's 1912: William Lant Duffield |
If you have any memories, anecdotes or photos please let us know and we may be able to use them to update the site. By all means telephone 01263 713658 or
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| Nat Grid Ref TM19449670 | Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2003 |