East Ruston towermill was built for John Rudd Turner in 1868 by millwright Thomas Smithdale of St Anne's Foundry, King Street, Norwich and it was said that it was originally fitted with cloth sails before later being converted to double shuttered sails. If this is true it means that the mill was the last known newly built mill to have started life with common sails. The six storey towermill was built of red brick and by the late 1800s was powered by 4 double shuttered sails, each with 9 bays of 3 shutters that were struck by rack and pinion. The boat shaped cap had a petticoat and supported an 8 bladed fan and gallery. A stage was set around the second floor wherein were three pairs of stones, two of which were later worked by steam power.

The above glass plate photograph was taken by Frank Horner son of James Francis Horner, who sketched the nearby East Ruston postmill. James Francis Horner married Elizabeth Turner, eldest daughter of John Rudd Turner.

Horace Turner is sitting on the right in the above photo with his wife Jemima next to him.
The gentleman on the left in the photo is probably his father, John Rudd Turner.

John Rudd Turner was the son of Rudd Turner of East Ruston postmill. His sons, George Robert and Horace, went on to run the mill, having taken it over from their father in a Conveyance of Sale dated 6th April 1873.

John R. Turner also owned East Ruston postmill, sometimes known as the High Mill as it stood on higher ground some 1,150 yards to the north east of the towermill. Later the postmill would become known as the Old Mill whereas the towermill became known as the New Mill.

The towermill remained in the Turner family throughout its working life. Robert and Horace Turner eventually took over from their father John and traded as Turner Brothers from 1875-1900 and they had installed a steam engine for auxiliary power by 1883.

The mill house was apparently extended when the Turner brothers ran the mill due to the fact that they did not get on very well and the house has two sets of stairs for that reason.

Horace Turner later went into partnership with his sons from 1904-1908.

The mill was advertised for Sale by auction on 25th November 1919 and a reproduction of the original poster was kindly supplied by Geoff Ford in 2005. It would appear that one of Horace Turner's sons, Herbert Walter Turner bought the towermill that he had been running since c.1912, while one of (George) Robert Turner's sons, John Rudd Turner, took on the steam mill in an adjacent building on the same site. Herbert Walter Turner was the last miller to run the towermill.

Originally auxiliary power was provided by a vertical steam engine but this was later replaced by an 8 h.p. engine made by Riches & Watts of Norwich. The engines were supplied with water via a pump connected to
a nearby well.

In 1926 the mill was still wind powered but by 1936 only one pair of sails remained, the mill having been struck by lightning. Production finally ceased in 1946 and the mill was derelict by 1949, although the machinery was not removed until about 1962.

1868: Mill built for John Rudd Turner by Smithdale's of Norwich

6th April 1873: (George) Robert and Horace Turner bought the mill from their father John Rudd Turner

Kelly's 1879: (George) Robert and Horace Turner

Census 1881: (George) Robert and Horace Turner

1875-1900: (George) Robert and Horace Turner trading as Turner Bros.

Kelly's 1904: (George) Robert and Horace Turner, millers, wind & steam

1904-1908: Horace Turner in partnership with his sons

1912: Herbert Walter Turner

1919: Mill advertised for sale at auction

1919: John Rudd Turner, son of (George) Robert Turner

Kelly's 1925: Herbert Walter Turner, son of Horace Turner, miller (wind)

Kelly's 1925: John Rudd Turner, miller (steam)

1926: Herbert Walter Turner, using wind and auxiliary power

1936: Mill working with single pair of sails

1946: Mill ceased production

1949: Mill derelict

c.1962: Machinery removed

1984: Mill reduced to 5 storey shell

c.2000: Mill converted to holiday let

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2005