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June
1967
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Loddon Mill
River Chet |
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June
1967
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Although Domesday
listed a mill at Loddon it would have almost certainly been on a different
site. Loddon watermill was sometimes known as Chedgrave mill and is one of the earliest recorded buildings in the town. |
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c.1900
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When the mill was built it was found that the best position for the mill involved diverting the river Chet to the south of its natural course. This involved considerable effort and expense and it has been noted that in times of severe flood the river will attempt to flow via its original channel. The name Loddon translates as muddy river in the Celtic language. |
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1900
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c.1932
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One of the earlier known millers was William Burton snr who was born in Colton c.1774 and was left money by his maternal grandfather to pay for his apprenticeship. He first married Sarah King but there are virtually no known details of
this liason. On 17th May 1813, he married his second wife Mary Rush in Loddon.
William and Mary had eight children - Sarah Ann Burton bapt 8th July 1803;
William Burton bapt 5th May 1803 (died soon after birth); William Burton
jnr bapt 27th June 1809 Loddon; Esther Burton born c.1823 Loddon. |
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c.1940
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Early
1960s |
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To be SOLD |
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Faden's map 1797 |
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Bryant's map 1826 |
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Woods,
Sadd, Moore & Co's horse waggon c.1905
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Woods,
Sadd, Moore & Co's traction engine in 1905 |
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Model of Woods, Sadd, Moore & Co's traction engine in 2005 |
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To be SOLD by AUCTION |
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c.1908
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c.1910 |
Two early pictures
taken from the Chedgrave side. Both show the 'smut box' just to the right
of the mill, this filtered out the chaff etc. from the air, like an extractor
fan. The steam engine house and its chimney are set further back.
On the left of the right hand photo is the HQ of Woods, Sadd, Moore & Co. Ltd. |
Tithe Award 1841 |
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No. 423 |
House Watermill & yards |
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Pt. £1. 4. 9 to Vicar |
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LODDON MILLS |
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WSM's
workmen at the staithe c.1920
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SITUATIONS VACANT To Millers WANTED, a steady active married Man to see after a small Water Mill and make himself generally useful. Apply to J. Feltham, Loddon Mill Norfolk News - 5th October 1861 |
| To Millers WANTED, a steady respectable Man that has a good knowledge of his Business. Apply to J. Feltham, Norwich Corn Hall. Norfolk News - 15th June 1872 |
| Situations Vacant TO MILLERS Wanted, a steady honest Married Man to take the General Work of a small Water Mill. Apply to J. Feltham, Loddon Mills or at Corn Hall, Norwich. Norfolk News - 16th October 1875 |
Jonathan Feltham, Deceased. Notice re claim on Estate of Jonathan Feltham formerly of Loddon & late of Sizeland, Miller & Farmer, who died on or about 7 July 1878, to Surviving Executor, Mary Ann Feltham; will proved 17 August 1878. Overbury & Gilbert, Solrs. to said Executors. Norfolk Chronicle - 10th April 1880 |
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O.S. Map 1890 - 1891 Image produced from the www.old-maps.co.uk service with permission of Landmark Information Group Ltd. and Ordnance Survey |
The above map clearly shows the river above the mill taking a sharp turn to the southeast before flowing in a straight line to the mill. Prior to this new cut being made, the river's course was basically east to west and the new mill was built to the south of the original watercourse. Both Faden's map of 1797 and Bryant's map of 1826 show the river flowing along its original course with no mill. |
Arthur Charles
Sadd b.1854 Henstead, Suffolk, was one of the founders of Woods, Sadd, Moore & Co. Ltd. and in 1901 was living lived at The Beeches, Loddon. He was
married to Anna Ellen Cross born c.1857 Hatherleigh, Devonshire. |
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27th
August 1912
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27th
August 1912
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27th
August 1912 with the auger casing exposed
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The great flood
that took place after torrential rain on 27th and 28th August 1912 devastated
the area around Loddon along with the rest of Norfolk. At about midnight
on the 27th a section of the roadway next to the mill was washed away and
part of the bridge caved in soon afterwards. The mill itself was in serious
danger of collapse as more and more of the road and bridge beside the mill
were washed away. A gang of 40 men worked to try and preserve as much of
the area around the mill's foundations as possible and succeeded in saving
the mill. |
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Soon after
Woods, Sadd, Moore & Co. took over in the late 1880s they installed
a coal fired steam engine and a roller mill, although the stones remained
for grist grinding. At this time sacks of grain were carried on men's
shoulders from the four granaries on the north bank of the river. It was
soon realised that this method was far from ideal and so a worm conveyor
(auger) was installed, passing under the road to connect the mill with
the granaries. This required the construction of an elevator within the
mill building that in turn meant raising part of the roof at the north
end of the mill. The auger casing is clearly seen in photos of the 1912
floods that washed much of the road away. |
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Woods, Sadd,
Moore & Co. used wherries for transporting various commodities along
the navigable section of the Chet and together with Case & Steward
(corn & seed merchants) were responsible for dredging the river to
improve navigation to the staithe. Woods, Sadd, Moore & Co. built
up a fleet of Norfolk wherries including the Benjamin, Orion, The Lowestoft
Trader and Ursa Minor. They also had three iron wherries, the Sirius,
Uranus and Vega. Their sails were removed after the first world war and
they were then towed by tugs. |
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The wherries brought in a variety of products. Coal came in from Yarmouth and was graded before being sold in Loddon and the surrounding area for 1/- or 1/1d per cwt. |
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In 1928 the mill was finally converted to electricity and used to husk trefoil, a type of clover that was brought in from Essex, Hertfordshire and Suffolk. The ground husks were quality inspected under a microscope to ensure the seed had not been chipped, otherwise it would not grow. The seeds were mainly exported to Germany where they were planted to produce animal feed and act as a legume crop to increase the Nitrogen content of the soil. Woods, Sadd, Moore & Co. became the largest red clover (trefoil) dehusking plant in the country. |
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Tailrace
in 1953
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East Anglian Times - Monday August 3rd 1942
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My grandfather Henry Edwin Sadd was a partner in the firm Woods Sadd Moore & Co Ltd along with his brother Arthur Charles Sadd. |
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October
1970
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Mill
house and restaurant c.1977
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The mill carried on with grist and small scale flour production along with the dehusking of an annual crop of trefoil until 1968, when it was closed and sold by the Gilberts of Chedgrave Manor Estate. It's new owner decommissioned it but quickly agreed to reconnect the electricity supply and rent the mill out on a temporary basis when the new season's crop of trefoil suddenly arrived. |
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The
truncated steam chimney
27th July 1983 |
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LODDON MILL |
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This is an old cornmill, distinctively
clad in white boarding standing over the River Chet in Loddon, ten miles
south of Norwich. Loddon has become a centre for boating enthusiasts and
is developing in popularity.
The mill consists of a four-storey wooden-clad building on four floors, with a slated roof and mill race below. It is offered as it stands, including all the original machinery and equipment. The brick boiler house at the rear is not included in the sale and is in separate ownership, as is the cottage to one side. The ground floor areas are approximately as follows: GROUND FLOOR Main room 48' x 20' plus two or three smaller rooms, w.c. FIRST FLOOR 30' 6" x 25' and 22' 8" x 14' average SECOND FLOOR 26' x 20' THIRD FLOOR 26' x 20' OUTSIDE A small triangular piece of land suitable for parking three or four cars N.B. A free public car park is immediately opposite. Planning consent has been obtained for restaurant use on two floors and for the retail sale of antiques from the property. Detailed drawings have not been made, the application for consent was in outline only. The price for the freehold with vacant possession is:- |
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£14,000, good offers considered.
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| The key may be obtained from this office by prior arrangement Mills Warner & Coe - Property Particulars, 1st July 1975 |
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After standing
empty and deteriorating for a time, the mill was externally repaired and
repainted in 1970. |
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2
pairs of original French burr stones 18th June 2003
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Runner
stone
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The two pairs of stones pictured above were plated W. J. & T. Child. Makers. Hull & Leeds. |
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I was on holiday in the broads 12 years ago my friend
and I were looking round the mill, it was a wednesday morning, there was
a husband and wife working there and a man working up in the attics. I
was with my friend Lindsay and we were shown to the toilets next to the
restaurant (It was closed). The light bulb had gone in the ladies so we
were asked to use the gents, I turned my back to look at a picture (few
seconds) I turned round to see a man in grey trousers and a blue shirt
with the sleeves rolled up walking DOWN the stairs waving. I did not see
his face but remember smiling to myself. |
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O.S. Map 2005 Image reproduced under licence from Ordnance Survey |
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I grew up in the 1930's and 40's frequently visiting my grandparents at Chedgrave Lodge, my grandfather Richard Sutton who built it in 1900, became director of Wood Sadd Moore who owned the mill at that time. I often went with him to the mill, when he visited and to this day I can recall the character of the noise the sacks and smell, a dusty sweet smell, and the staircases going up and up, and the cats, kept there to catch the vermin. All our surpless kittens went to the mills. One old cat we had was taken to Lingwood mill, after months she turned up back at our house having walked back from Lingwood to Gorleston where we lived. My father Alec Sutton grew up at Chedgrave Lodge and by the 1940's was a director of Wood Sadd Moore. I believe my grandfather worked for Cannells the seed merchants in Chedgrave firstly. |
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9th
September 2003
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9th
September 2003
with the steam shed to the rear |
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Wooden
toothed gearwheels beside the road 9th Sept 2003
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White's 1836: John Chapman, corn & coal dealer
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Loddon
Index of Wills 1584: Robert Poole
White's 1845: William Burton, corn miller - also at Mill Road towermill
1888: William Chapman, miller
Kelly's 1922: Woods, Sadd, Moore & Co. Ltd., barley, seed & wool merchants
Kelly's 1925: Woods, Sadd, Moore & Co. Ltd., barley & seed merchants
1928: Mill converted to electricity and used to grind trefoil Kelly's 1933: Woods, Sadd, Moore & Co. Ltd., barley, seed & wool merchants
Kelly's 1937: Woods, Sadd, Moore & Co. Ltd., barley, seed & wool merchants
1968: Mill ceased operation 1970: Mill externally repaired and repainted 14th April 1975: South Norfolk DC granted planning permission to convert the mill into a restaurant 1975: Norman Chalk and Neville Codling converted and then opened the mill as a restaurant 2003: Private dwelling and split into two separate residential units October 2004: Mill advertised for sale by Potter & Co. at a guide price of £249,000 for one of the two sections 2007: Mill being run as a wellbeing centre offering a variety of alternative medical remedies |
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 TM36109900 | Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2003 |