Norfolk Mills - Hilgay Ely Road smockmill

Hilgay Ten Mile Bank smockmill stood beside the road to the west of the river Ouse and Hilgay toll bridge, some distance to the southwest of Hilgay. The mill used two pairs of patent sails to drive a single pair of stones.

A Burrell 7 horsepower portable steam engine was powering a further pair of stones in an adjacent separate building on the premises by 1892.

THE MILLS, TEN MILE BANK, near HILGAY FEN STATION
To be Sold by Auction by
J. W. Collins
on Saturday December 3, 1892 the
LIVE & DEAD FARMING STOCK
of Mr. G. Leflay who is leaving the neighbourhood.
Lynn Advertiser - 19th & 26th November 1892

TEN MILE BANK HILGAY
Near Hilgay Fen Station, on the Great Eastern Railway
J. W. Collins

Is favoured with instructions from Mr. John Leflay to Sell by Auction on Friday December 2, 1892 at the Castle Hotel in Downham Market at Four o'clock in the afternoon precisely, all those compact & desirable Freehold
WIND & STEAM MILLS
Granary, stable, cow shed, cart shed, piggeries & other conveniences with DWELLING HOUSE
well stocked Garden & Pasture Land, situate at Ten Mile Bank in the parish of Hilgay, Hilgay containing in all 1 acre 2 roods (more or less) abutting north upon Church lands, east upon property of Mr. S. Cossey, south upon Station Road & west upon property of Mr. J. Goodchild.
The Dwelling House, which is brick & tiled contains ...
The Wind Mill is strong & substantially built in brickwork, with 4 patent sails, 1 pair of stones & dresser complete.
The steam mill, with engine & coal house is nearly new & quite separate from the wind mill, contains pair of stones & dresser complete with 7 horse power portable engine by Burrell, all in good working order.
The other buildings upon the property consist of granary, stable, cowshed, chaff & root houses, cart shed & piggeries, the whole conveniently arranged & forming compact premises.
An extensive business has been carried on by teh present tenant & ther eis a splendid opening for still further increasing the business.
Further particulars may be obtained of the Auictioneer, Railway Road, Downham Market or of Messrs. Reed & Wayman, Solicitors, Downham Market.
Lynn Advertiser - 19th & 26th November 1892

TO LET
TO MILLERS, MERCHANTS & OTHERS
Ten Mile Bank, near HILGAY Fen Station
To Let, with immediate possession the Wind & Steam Mills, with granary, stables, cow sheds, piggeries & cart sheds; together with convenient Dwelling House with garden & pasture land, late in the occupation of Mr. George Leflay.
For further particulars apply to
J. W. Collins
Auctioneer & Estate Agent, Downham Market.
Lynn Advertiser - 10th December 1892

Lincoln Rutford & Stamford Mercury - Friday 3rd March 1899.

It has not been possible to accurately place all individual millers with a respective mill in Hilgay. It is also possible that in some instances two millers shared a mill.

Lincoln Rutford & Stamford Mercury - Friday 12th April 1901

On 26th May 1972, Frederick Edward Whittome of Kings Lynn (ex Hilgay) wrote to Harry Apling and related that Leflay's mill was a small smock mill.

O. S. Map 1886
Courtesy of NLS map images

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