Wramplingham Mill
River Tiffey



c.1910
c.1910

Wramplingham Mill was a 3 storey corn mill built of weatherboard over a ground floor brick base with a Norfolk pantiled roof. The water power was supplemented by a steam engine located at the rear of the mill and was vented via a chimney that stood considerably higher than the mill building. In 1773 it was stated that 4 pairs of stones were being driven by both an undershot and an overshot wheel. It seems unlikely that an overshot wheel was used however it is possible. By 1826 a single 21' breast shot wheel powered by a 9ft 6ins head of water and a steam engine were running up to 6 pairs of stones. The pit wheel was made of oak with cast iron segments and was meshed with a cast iron wallower and the wooden toothed spur wheel meshed with cast iron stone nuts.

The mill machinery was removed during the 1940's and used as a contribution to the war effort with the mill itself being demolished in 1945 as it was becoming unsafe.


It has been said that the River Tiffey only flows as far as Kimberly Lake and on exiting the lake the river is known as the River Barr from which the parish of Barford takes its name.


The dam c.1910 Millpond 1912
The dam c.1910
Millpond 1912

Wramplingham Mill Fatality

c.1915 with the steam chimney gone
c.1915 with the steam chimney gone

c.1920 with the locum gone
c.1920 with the lucum gone

Eric Ketteringham and his cousin Lesley c.1927 on the mill dam
Eric Ketteringham and his cousin Lesley c.1927 on the mill dam

Eric Ketteringham (in the above photo) was born in 1916 and was the grandson of Albert Ketteringham, who owned the mill.


Pippa Miller's copy of Claude Messent's 1938 original
Pippa Miller's copy of Claude Messent's 1938 original

12th July 1940
12th July 1940

6" to 1 mile map c.1900
6" to 1 mile map c.1900

When the mill was working, a weir some 150 yards upstream of the mill was used to maintain the head of water within the mill dam. The weir was later removed by the National River Authority, which effectively diverted the river leaving only a very small stream running through the mill and on into the village mill pond.


Site of the weir May 2003 with the cut to the mill on the right
Site of the weir May 2003 with the cut to the mill on the right

Yorkshire rose & Scottish thistle of Thomas Farrar in 1830s
Yorkshire rose & Scottish thistle of Thomas Farrar in 1830s

To be SOLD by AUCTION
By Jonathan Gleed

At the White Swan Inn in St. Peters, Norwich, on Saturday 11th Day of September 1773, between the Hours of 2 and 4 in the Afternoon A DWELLING HOUSE and about 3 Acres of meadow Land and also a Watermill and Windmill near thereto, with their Appurtenances, in Wramplingham, within about Seven Miles of Norwich.
For Further Particulars apply to John Gay, Esq., Mr. William Foster Attorney in Norwich or to Mr. Tuddenham in St. Peters of Mancroft, Norwich.
Mr. Tuddenham of Wramplingham will shew the Premises.
Norfolk Chronicle - 28th August 1773


March 1967 - the archways were over the headrace March 1977
March 1967 - the archways were over the headrace
March 1977

To be SOLD by AUCTION
By Jonathan Gleed

At the White Swan in St. Peters, Norwich, on Saturday 25th Day of September 1773, between the Hours of 2 and 4 in the Afternoon A DWELLING HOUSE, Backhouse, Stables, Pigs Coat and about 3 Acres of meadow Land and also a watermill with a Ground Shot and Over Shot Wheel, 4 pairs of Stones, Flourmill, all in good Repair and all Freehold; and Windmill near thereto with their Appurtenances.
Norfolk Chronicle - 11th September 1773


August 1968 Headrace March 1969
August 1968
Headrace March 1969


Sack scales
Sack scales

The sale particulars of 6th July 1867 provides details of some of the machinery. The mill was powered by a 9ft 6ins head of water that ran a 21 foot diameter breast shot wheel. The pit wheel was made of oak with cast iron segments that meshed with a cast iron wallower. The spur wheel presumably had wooden cogs as it was turning cast iron stone nuts fitted with double bridging pots and one set of regulators to four pairs of stones. In all there were 6 pairs of 4 foot French burr stones, which meant that the mill was producing flour.

-


Houses etc.
To Millers
TO LET, the WINDMILL & Small Compact STEAM MILL at St. Faith's.
Apply to Mr. Wm. Buckenham, Wramplingham Mills.

Norfolk News - 6th September 1873

Houses etc.
FOR SALE on easy terms, the WINDMILL & STEAM MILL well situated for trade at St. Faith's.
Apply William Buckenham, Wramplingham Mills.

Norfolk News - 13th December 1873

Miscellaneous
FOR SALE, a WINDMILL. Four Patent Sails. Two pair of Stones, half an acre of Land.
Price £100.
Apply at Wramplingham Mills.

Norfolk News - 29th August 1874

Houses etc.
FOR SALE, the WINDMILL at St. Faith's. Stands well for Wind & Trade. Price £100.
Apply Wm. Buckenham Wramplingham.

Norfolk News - 5th September 1874

Houses etc.
ST FAITH'S
TO LET, WINDMILL. STEAM MILL, DWELLING HOUSE & PREMISES.
Half-Acre of Land. Rent 18.
Apply William Buckenham, Wramplingham Mills.

Norfolk News - 20th March 1875

Houses etc.
ST FAITH'S
FOR SALE. St. Faith's WIND-MILL, STEAM-MILL, Double Dwelling house, new Premises, Yard & Garden, half an acre of Land.
Price £250.
Apply William Buckenham,
Wramplingham Mills.
Norfolk News - 24th April 1875

Houses etc.
ST FAITH'S
TO LET, the WINDMILL with Double Dwelling house, good Premises & half an acre of Land.
Rent £20.
Apply William Buckenham,
Wramplingham Mills.
Norfolk News - 4th September 1875

August 1962
c.1981

17th April 1977 17th May 2003
17th April 1977
17th May 2003

At one point in his career Albert Ketteringham (b. September 1858) worked as head carpenter for Bullards Brewery and was also leader of the company brass band. Albert Ketteringham's brother Frederick Ketteringham, was the miller at Shipdham_Mill_Road_postmill from 1904-1908.


Site of the waterwheel 17th May 2003 An old French burr stone May 2003
Site of the waterwheel 17th May 2003
An old French burr stone May 2003

The mill machinery was removed during the 1940's and used as a contribution to the war effort with the mill itself being demolished in 1945 as it was becoming unsafe.


The walls of the wheel water channel clearly show two different sets of scrape marks indicating that the wheel was changed at least once over the years.

An old French burr stone lies in a corner near the brick base of the steam chimney stack.


O. S. Map 1882

O. S. Map 1882
Courtesy of NLS map images


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

c.1620: Thomas Clover (m. Ales Beales 1607). At some point sold mill to R. Edmund Smyth

Will 1631: R. Edmund Smyth of Rushbrooke (nr. Bury St Edmunds) left mill to his brother

August 1773: Mill advertised for sale by auction along with windmill

Faden's map 1797: Mill

Wramplingham Poll book 1802: George Gower

Pigot's 1830: Thomas Farrar, miller, Wramplingham

White's 1836: Thomas Farrar, miller

Pigot's 1839: Thomas Farrar, miller

Tithe Award 1839: Thomas Farrer

White's 1845: Shadrack & David Sayer - Execors. of Thomas Farrer

Slater's 1850: Frederick Sayer, miller

Kelly's 1854: Shadrach Sayer, miller & farmer

White's 1854: Shadrach & David Sayer, corn millers

Friday 7th October 1859: William Gaze, millwright of Norwich, killed by mill machinery - see fatality

1859: Noah Ottaway; James Murrell - mill workers

October 1859: Frederick Sayer, tenant left the mill and business transferred to landlord William Ringer

White's 1864: William Ringer, miller

1873: William Buckenham, miller

Kelly's 1879: William Buckenham, miller, The Mill

O.S. map 1882: Cornmill

Kelly's 1883: Frederick Thomas Sharpin

Kelly's 1892: Vincent Jermyn

Kelly's 1896: Vincent Jermyn

Kelly's 1904: Vincent Jermyn

Kelly's 1908: Albert Ketteringham

1924: Albert Ketteringham's wife died

Kelly's 1925: Albert Ketteringham

1945: Mill demolished


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 TG 11350643
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Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2003
Bridget Neville