Black mill c.1914
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Forncett St Peter Forncett End
black postmill |
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Black mill c.1914 |
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Forncett St Peter had two postmills within a few hundred yards of each other at Forncett End. One was a black mill, known as Spratt's Mill and the other a white mill that stood just to the southwest of the crossroads. The black mill had a roundhouse with dormer windows. In 1853 power was provided by 2 common sails and 2 patent sails but these were later upgraded to 2 pairs of patent sails, each with 9 bays of 3 shutters in 2 rows, that were struck by rack & pinion. The fantail on the ladder held a 6 bladed fan that turned anticlockwise. The sails powered two pairs of French burr stones and two flour mills. |
The mill was moved a short distance to the south, the other side of the road, to its last working position in 1824, having been recorded as an open trestle mill at its earlier position where it was built some 39 years earlier in 1785, where although at Forncett End, it was known as Tacolneston Mill. |
The inside of the mill was plastered and the outside was black tarred, which provided its distinctive appearance. The mill post was grown in a field adjoining the site. |
The 9ft 10ins diameter brakewheel on an iron windshaft, had 2 rows of cogs, the outer ones drove the stones and the inner ones drove the sack hoist and other machinery. The great spur wheel was made of wood with a clasp arm and the stone nuts were also wooden. Curiously, the stones were not fed by hoppers, instead the grain was fed via an extension of the bins below the top floor level. |
The boulter and wire machines faced each other on either side of the tail of the mill, just below the first floor ceiling and were driven from the sack hoist drive. |
The mill once ground and dressed 99 sacks of flour in 6 working days, using just 2 pairs of stones. |
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c.1914 |
Tithe Award 1841 |
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No. 66 |
Mill & Pightle |
Pasture |
1a. 0r. 7p. |
Pt. of £44.16.0 |
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Tithe map 1839 - as redrawn by Harry Apling |
When Wiliam Lent died intestate in March 1842, his son George Lent swears on a bond that his father is his lawful father and a widower. In 1843, administration is then given to George Lent, miller of Forncett St. Peter, together with Joseph Lent & Timothy Lent, respectively, milllers of Tibbenham. George and Joseph signed the administration and Timothy made his mark. |
FORNCETT ST. PETER |
FORNCETT ST. PETER Lot 3. All that capital & substantially built POST WINDMILL with brick roundhouse & corn floors, fitted with 2 patent & 2 common sails, iron wind shaft, head wheel & wallower, spur wheel with iron segments & driving 2 pairs of French stones & 2 flour mills all in perfect order, with a pightle of Land containing with the site of the said mill 1a.0r.7p. now in the occupation of Mr. James Blomfield.G.W.S. begs respectfully to draw the attention of Millers, Merchants & others to the sale of this highly desirable lot which possesses many local advantages being well situated for trade in a populous & fine corn district & within easy access of the Forncett Station on the Eastern Union Railway & abutting upon the turnpike leading from New Buckenham to Norwich.Possession of … Mill … may be had at Old Michaelmas next.Apply to Messrs. Mitchell & Clarke, Wymondham or the Auctioneer, Attleborough.
Norfolk Chronicle - 16th & 23rd July 1853 |
Forncett St. Peter Messrs. Butcher are instructed by the Proprietor to offer for Sale by Auction at the Royal Hotel, Norwich on Saturday 24 September 1864 at 3 for 4 o’c in 8 lots. Lot 5. A capital POST WINDMILL with brick Roundhouse & driving two pairs of French stones, with 1a.0r.7p. of Land adjoining in Forncett St. Peter in the occupation of Mr. James Spratt. Also a Double Cottage & Gardens containing 0a.0r.34p. in the occupation of Bilham & Tann, a well planted Orchard containing 2a.2r.0p. in the occupation of James Spratt & a Cottage & Garden containing 0a.0r.7p in the occupation of James Land. Apply to Mitchell & Clarke, Solrs. Wymondham or Messrs. Butcher, Auctioneers, Norwich & 21 Bedford Row, London. |
In 1867, Miles Blomfield sold the mill and land at Forncett St Peter to James Spratt with the transaction being handled by Standley & Co., Solicitors of Norwich & Wymondham. |
When the mill was dismantled in 1932, carvings were found on a vertical beam and on some smaller pieces of wood. These first went to the Bridewell Museum in Norwich and were later transferred to Gressenhall Rural Life Museum. |
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Thomas came to Forncett rentice to Thos Roper G. BLAKE W. LENNY |
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I.L.ROSE
1815 |
T. Birton came To Forncett July 1814
June 1816 |
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O.S. Map 1887 - 1891 Image produced from the www.old-maps.co.uk service with permission of Landmark Information Group Ltd. and Ordnance Survey |
FORNCETT ST. PETER, Norfolk |
PROPERTY MARKET |
On June 20 at Forncett was offered under the hammer a freehold self-winding post mill & a double cottage & the lot was purchased by Mr. G. Blake for £260. |
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Black
mill c.1920
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One of two old mills survives at Forncett End, a decrepit old postmill, with new sails & fantail, much too heavy for it ... |
Post mill being demolished. |
When the mill was dismantled in 1932, Rex Wailes presented 2 sails and a sound stock to Outwood Mill in Surrey and the other 2 sails to Herne Mill in Kent. Rex Wailes described the mill as Square, squat body at Forncett End Mill. |
1824: Mill moved to this site
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| Nat Grid Ref TM13979396 |
Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2007 |