East Wretham Old Mill postmill was replaced by East Wretham towermill c.1875.

Tithe Award 1842
Map - HOPCROFT, SON & HEMINGWAY, 1811 copied by Wm Drane, 1840
Owner: Rev. Wyrly Birch
Occupiers: do & others
Enclosures numbered 2 in various parts of the parish being Farm, Houses, Cottages, Buildings and Land (including a Mill near Stone Bridge) totalling 2758a. 1r 8p.
The mill mentioned could have been the watermill

Bryant's map of 1826 and the Ordnance Survey One Inch, 1st Edition, 1838, Sheet 66 SW, Norwich, both show a windmill at about the site of the present tower mill at East Wretham.
The 1842 Tithe Award gives Wyrly Birch (the Lord of the Manor) as owner with himself and others as occupiers of various enclosures being Farm, Houses, Cottages, Buildings and Land including a mill (watermill?) near Stone Bridge. The present tower mill is not shown on the map.
The above windmill could have been a post mill, but an even earlier one on the same site could be the following:-
per A. J. Davison, Norfolk Archaeological Rescue Group, Union House, Gressenhall, 1984.
A survey of the estate of the Great Hospital, Norwich, 1578 (NRO. BRA. 373) mentions under land at Illington 'le Rydge', a common way near Wretham windmill. The ridge from the description must be the Peddars Way; the mill must have been close to the one now at TL92519057.
Harry Apling

Bryant's map 1826: Windmill

Greenwood's map 1834: Windmill

White's 1836: Henry Ovington, corn miller, Stone Bridge

O.S. map 1838: Windmill

Tithe Award map 1840: Map copied from 1811 (Enclosure map?)

Census 1841: Henry Ovington, b.1794, miller & farmer. Address: Stone Bridge

Tithe Award 1842: Owner: Wyrly Birch; Occupiers: Wyrly Birch & others (Wyrly Birch was Lord of the Manor)

White's 1845: Henry Ovington, corn miller, Stone Bridge

1846: Henry Ovington, miller

1850: Henry Ovington, miller

Census 1851: Henry Ovington, b.1794, miller & farmer

1853: Henry Ovington, miller

White's 1854: Henry Ovington, corn miller, Stone Bridge

1856: Henry Ovington, miller

1858: William Overeton, miller

1863: William Overeton, miller

White's 1864: William Overton, miller & farmer

1865: William Overton, miller

c.1875: Mill replaced by towermill

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2012