Luck's Mill
River Waveney



April 1967
April 1967

Luck's Mill was about half mile upstream from Needham Mill and ceased working c.1890.

The mill was small and only had two pairs of stones.
It stood on what was either a cut from the River Waveney, or the river's original course.
By 2000, the tracks that led to the mill had all disappeared apart from the one coming in from the west.


Albert Sidney Bush whose father Arthur H. Bush owned nearby Needham_Mill said that he was told Luck's Mill was originally a flax mill and that it had already disappeared before his father arrived in the village in 1897.


Remains of the Mill House June 1969
Remains of the Mill House June 1969

William Luck was born c.1787 in Weybread. He married Elizabeth Rackham on 19th April 1814 in Shelton, Norfolk. Elizabeth was the daughter of William Rackham and Mary Sermons, she was was born c.1787 and was baptised on 19th May 1787 in Shelton.
They had several children - Susan b.6th February 1815 in Weybread; Martha b. c.March 1817;
Charles b.30 December 1822 in Weybread; Thomas b. c.1824 in Shelton; Mary Ann b. 11th August 1827 in Weybread; George born 6th August 1830 in Harleston; Samuel born c.1833 in Weybread. William died in 1865 and was buried in Weybread on 16th October 1865. Elizabeth died in 1874 and was buried on 27th February 1874 in Weybread.

William's younger brother Samuel was shown as a journeyman miller at Elsing_mill in the census for both 1841 and 1851.


Luck's bridge with the mill site over to the right 2004
Luck's bridge with the mill site over to the right 2004

In March 1972 an old gear wheel was hanging on the entrance gate and was still there in 2004 although it may not have come from the mill. The two arched watercourse was dry as cut from the river had been allowed to silt and then dry up.


Headrace arches 10th April 2004 Millpond 10th April 2004
Headrace arches 10th April 2004
Millpond 10th April 2004

21st March 2009
Bypass and wheelrace channels looking east 21st March 2009

O.S. Map 1884
O.S. Map 1884 (not to scale)
Courtesy of NLS map images

O.S. Map 1884
O.S. Map 1884 (not to scale)
Courtesy of NLS map images

O.S. Map 2005
O.S. Map 2005
Image reproduced under licence from Ordnance Survey

Kirby's map 1736

Faden's map 1797

Bryant's map 1824: Lower Mill

Bryant's map 1826: Weybread Mill

O.S. map 1837-38: Low Mill

Census 1851: William Luck (64), miller; Elizabeth Luck (62); George Luck (24); Samuel Luck (17)

1855: John Pollard (probably)

O.S. 6" map 1884: Luck's Mill (corn) and Lucksmill Bridge nearby

c.1890: Mill demolished

O.S. 25" map 1904: Luck's Mill Farm and Lucksmill Bridge nearby


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

Nat Grid Ref TM 22558054
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Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2003