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November 1913
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Gimingham Mill
River Mun |
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November 1913
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Gimingham watermill stood on the original Domesday site and the last mill to work there was built of local brick and flint brought in from local beaches. The original waterwheel went fairly early on, first being supplemented by steam and then replaced by a turbine with half twist drive in 1912 and then later by diesel engines although water was still used for cooling them. The mill carried on working until 30th November 1976, using its diesel power to mill animal feedstuffs. In 1807 a bake office was being operated on the site. |
The Soke of Gimingham |
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Mill dam with mill in the distance - c.1906 |
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Gimingham Mill 1954 |
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Gable
end telephone number signs 1954 and 1977
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Gimingham Mill dam was once a 20 acre broad fed by the River Mun, which has its source as the lake at Northrepps Hall. The water ran under the road to reach the waterwheel, which was probably originally overshot. The only other overshot wheels I have found so far were at Foulden, an auxiliary wheel at Buxton and Mundesley, which just happened to be the next mill down. |
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Part of the original mill dam on the opposite side of the road to the mill in 1977 |
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1977 |
February 1979 |
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February 1979 |
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AG 1981 on the gable end November 1982 |
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If Gimingham
Mill held up the water, then the next mill down at Mundesley
was unable to run. |
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Richard Plumly who was the miller in 1809 married Maria Swallow in 1797. Maria (1780-1809) died young, probably during childbirth on 22nd February 1809 at the age of 30. During their time together they had 6 children - Ann (1798-1865), married James Crowe in 1818; Robert (1801), married Mary Cranefield in 1822; Thomas (1803), married Harriet Heldson in 1829; James (1806 - c. 1809); John (1807); James (1809), married Mary Ann Youngman in 1824. Later in 1809, Richard married his second wife Esther Lubbock. |
James Gaze a farmer from Paston and whose son was running Paston_Stow_Hill_towermill, took over the mill. |
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May
1969
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AG
1981 on the gable end 12th January 2003 |
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The watermill was worked in conjunction with the nearby Gimingham postmill until 1877. |
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TO BE SOLD |
A Very defirable Freehold ESTATE, at Gimingham, in Norfolk; compifing a good Dwelling-houfe, a very capital water-mil; & a wind-mill, with the ftones and going geers to the fame belonging, all in complete repair, in the occupation of Mr. John Bond, and of which poffeffion may be had at Michaelmas next. |
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Desirable Freehold Corn mills |
To be Sold All those Capital WATER & WIND_MILLS called Gimingham Mills & an excellent Dwelling House with the buildings, yards, garden & about 8 acres of land of the first quality thereto adjoining & belonging. All the premises are in compleat repair & are occupied by Mr. Richard Plumbly who will resign the possession at Michaelmas next or sooner if required by a purchaser. Freehold. Gimingham is situate in a good corn country & is distant about two miles from the sea & four miles from North Walsham an excellent corn market. Apply to Mr. Wm. Forster, Attorney at North Walsham aforesaid. Norfolk Chronicle - 4th & 11th November 1809 |
A desirable Situation With Immediate Possession To be Sold by Private Contract A Valuable ESTATE at Gimingham in the county of Norfolk, comprising an excellent Water Mill & Windmill now in full trade, with a good Dwelling house, yards, Garden, stable & all requisite outbuildings for carrying on an extensive scale of business, now in the occupation of Mr. Christopher Goulder, who will give up possession immediately. N.B. The person who buys the above Estate may at his option become the purchaser of a Cottage, Barn & 8 acres of very good Land contiguous to the same. Apply to Mr. William Foster, Solr. North Walsham. Norfolk Chronicle - 24th September & 1st October 1814 |
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Invoice from John Waterson to Henry Wright 1862
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Rent receipt from Harriot Collyer to John Waterson - December 1862
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Notice from Harriot Collyer to John Waterson to quit on 11th November 1863 |
Situation Vacant |
Situation Vacant |
GIMINGHAM, Norfolk |
GIMINGHAM, Norfolk |
GIMINGHAM, Norfolk |
An unfortunate occurrence due to the subsidence of a culvert at Gimingham, has led to the cessation of work at Gimingham Watermill. On Wednesday morning Mr. Gaze, proprietor of the Mill, observing a failure in the motive power, went to discover the cause and was in time to see the remaining portion of the culvert which retains the water for the mill supply collapse. An adjoining meadow belonging to Mr. S. Gillam was flooded by the liberated water, where later on some of the juvenile population caught fish that had been swept onto the meadow. It is understood that the replacing of the culvert will involve a considerable outlay. At Messrs. Larter Bros' watermill at Mundesley, which obtains its supply from the same stream, it was seen at once that something had gone wrong higher up the stream and by opening their mill sluice further mishap was avoided, as there are several cottages and gardens in the vicinity that would have come within reach of the invading water. |
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12th
January 2003
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The
preserved oil engine beside the mill January 2003 |
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The pool supports a swan and water lilies, and on the other side of the road there are staples in the wall of the house to which horses were tied by those who brought tumbrils full of corn to be ground at the mill. |
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Another Norfolk mill to close |
Gimingham Mill is to close down at the end of the month. Until four years ago, animal feedstuffs were made at the mill and local grain was bought and sold but recently it has been used for the buying and reselling of feedstuffs. The owner, Mr. W. J. Hayden, said there had been a mill on the site almost continuously for centuries. One was mentioned in the Domesday Book. "Trade is such that only large mills can keep going," he said, referring to another victim of hard times, Dickleburgh Mill, which is to close early next year. |
Steam Engine |
He estimated the existing mill was about 200 years old. It had a water-wheel but changed to turbine power in 1912. This was supplemented by a steam engine. Since then, there had not been sufficient water to run the mill. Until the mill stopped producing feedstuffs, electricity was used for power. The mill had been in his wife's family for at least three generations, said Mr. Hayden. Mr. Clifford Burton, the mill manager, is the only person who works there. But he remembers more prosperous times. "At the peak time, 12 to 14 years ago, there were a dozen people employed here," he recalled. Eastern Evening News - 12th November 1976 |
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The original heavy oil (diesel) engine has been preserved and stands beside the road just below the mill. |
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Browsing through the internet in a rare free moment I came across your article on Gimingham Mill. While I can add little to your knowledge of the mill, I thought it possible that you might be interested in my happy memories of Gimingham in the late '30s and early 40s. As a child I lived with an aunt and cousin in Norwich. The latter was a Jehovah's Witness who became friends through that organisation with a Sidney and Beatrice Thirst who lived at what was then Upcot Barn in Sandpit Lane.My cousin worked at Mac Fisheries in Norwich and from the age of 4 I was often put on the bus in Surrey Street station with a packet of fresh fish and strict instructions to get off at the top of the village before the bus turned right on its way to Mundesley. |
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O. S. Map 1905 |
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O.S. Map 2005 Image reproduced under licence from Ordnance Survey |
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1347: Watermill
White's 1845: John Waterson, miller
Census 1851: George Emerson (30) journeyman miller
White's
1883: Walter Gaze, miller & farmer |
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 07836 675369 or
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| Nat Grid Ref TG 28663690 | Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2003 |