Salthouse smockmill

Watercolour c.1820

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Norfolk Windmills

Salthouse smockmill stood on Mill Ridge, some 50 yards northwest of Salthouse church at the end of a track leading west from Grout's Lane and is shown on Bryant's 1826 map.


The mill appears in two paintings, one of which was a watercolour dated 1831 by Norwich School artist John Thirtle (1777-1839)


John Thirtle watercolour 1831

Plot 44: owner Parlett Starling; occupier George Larner Neave
Dwelling house, Stable, Hayloft and Garden, Cottage, Wood Smock Mill containing Two Pairs of Stones, Flour Mill Jumper, Lower Room, Store Floor, and Stage Chamber
Tithe Award 1839


The Tithe Award of 1839 valued the property at £17 7s 6d and the tithe was £1 1s 10d


Notice to Debtors and Creditors of LEEDS RICHARDSON of Salthouse, Miller
Deed of Assignment for benefit of Creditors.
Mr Stokes, Solicitor, Fakenham. 18 September 1834.
Norfolk Chronicle - 20 September 1834


Sale by Wm Ansell on Tuesday 30 September 1834

All the STOCK in TRADE, Household Furniture, etc. of Mr. Leeds Richardson of Salthouse, Miller (Under a Deed of Assignment for the benefit of his Creditors) at 11 o'clock. Comprising about 8 coombs of wheat, seven and a half sacks of flour, quantity of meal and offal, sacks and sack barrows, bags, beams, scales and weights with all the mill fixtures belonging to the tenant such as jigger, jumper, straps, wedges, roller, brushes, sail cloths, lever, ladders, flour and meal bins and sundry other property in the mill. Also two flour carts and harness, capital harness mare, saddle and bridle, sow and 8 pigs, hay engine, iron crow, water cart, wheel-barrow, grindstone, about half a rood of potatoes, four pig troughs, small quantity of barley, small piece of hops, bushel and other measures, etc.
The Household Furniture……

Norfolk Chronicle - 27 September 1834

To Millers
To be Let with Immediate Possession

A Small TOWER WINDMILL situate at Salthouse near the Market Town of Holt, driving two pair of French Stones, with comfortable Dwelling house, Garden and about one acre of Land.
Enquire of Mr. Ransom, Solicitor, Holt; if by letter, free of postage.
Norfolk Chronicle - 11 October 1834

To be Sold or Let
All those PAPER MILLS at Sheringham...
Also a small TOWER CORN WINDMILL situate at Salthouse...
Apply to Mr. Ransom, Solicitor, Holt.

Norfolk Chronicle - 11th January 1840


At the time of the above sale both mills were probably owned by Samuel Critoph of Sheringham


The Salthouse marriage register of 21st February 1894, shows William Parsons snr miller, as father of the groom William Parsons jnr (55). William Parsons snr was probably either a former miller at Salthouse smockmill, or a retired employee at Salthouse_towermill, as he was probably in his seventies by the time of his farmer son's second marriage.


Gerald Cubitt, whose family had lived in the village for generations said that the mill was destroyed when it broke free from the chains that normally held it. It could either have blown over or could have moved round and tail winded when it broke free. This effectively meant that the sails would have been ripped off as the wind hit the back of the sails with the mill uncontrollable. It was also said that the mill workers tried in vain to slow the sails by using coarse sand and gravel, presumably to act against the brakewheel.


In the 1950's flint foundations were discovered some 18" below the ground in the garden of the property next to the church.


1825: James Mackrell

Bryant's map 1826

Kelly's 1836: George Larner Neave, corn miller

1834: Leeds Richardson, tenant miller

Tithe Ward 1839:
Owner Parlett Starling; occupier George Larner Neave

1890: Paul James


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Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2004