Sutton mill was built c.1789 and at nine floors topped by a traditional Norfolk boat shaped cap, by 2005 it was the tallest remaining windmill in the UK. Unusually, it was built on the site of an earlier towermill that burnt down in 1789. Strangely, Ingham_towermill was also built on the site of a former towermill. Sutton's 9 storey tower was about 67' 6" to the curb and 79' 6" to the top of the Norfolk boat shaped cap. The sails had a span of 73 feet and the 10 bladed fantail was 12 feet in diameter. On the sixth floor were 4 sets of stones, more than any other mill in the country. The walls were over 3 feet thick, the tower outside diameter was 33 feet and the diameter at the curb was 16 feet.

The mill suffered a serious fire in1861 and was then hit by lightning on Monday 4th July 1875 at 4.00 p.m. with the lightning bolt hitting one of the sails and then passing down through the centre of the mill via the sack chain. Some of the staff were within three feet of the chain at the time but escaped injury. However, the mill was again struck by lightning in 1940 when the sails were hit, causing a fire. The mill, which by this time had given up grinding corn and was exclusively producing animal feed, ceased to work from that time.

SUTTON - THUNDERSTORM
Mr J. Wort's wind mill was struck by lightning, considerably damaging one sail. The electric fluid appears to have struck the sail, then entered the mill on the sack tackling chain to the first floor... shattering a large beam and joint then made its escape by the door to the ground floor. Mr Wort's son and six men had a miraculous escape. They were standing together within two or three feet of the hole that was shattered and none received any injury. They were all very much frightened and some appeared quite stunned, but soon recovered.
Local newspaper -19th July 1875

The mill was bought by Chris Nunn in 1975 and has since been restored to become a museum in its own right, quite apart from the Broads Museum housed in the surrounding complex. The Broads Museum houses an incredible collection of artifacts from a variety of trades and collections including old domestic utensils, kitchen appliances, woodworking tools, razors, leather trades, soaps & cleaners, trade tricycles, veterinary & animal instruments, traps, historical tobacco products, large engines, marsh & water implements, early cameras, TV's & radios and a complete Victorian pharmacy.

Chris Nunn did much to restore the mill including the installation of new Honduran pine stocks.However by 2004, the mill was beginning to become delapitated and was in need of a considerable amount of restoration work.

I went to Sutton mill in about 2004 and it was in a serious condition and there was quite a lot of problems. The staging was rotten and access was forbidden and there was a lot of rot in places. The cap leaked like a colander and if you wanted to access the fan-stage you had to use stairs created from 2 Workmates, several boxes and the windshaft itself and then the stage itself had a lot of rot and looked unsafe.
Andrew White – 21st July 2006

Eastern Daily Press Wednesday 11th May 2005: Mill and museum advertised for sale as going concern

It is one of the tallest windmills in the country and could be a spectacular icon of the Broads, as it was for many years. Instead, Sutton Mill is looking considerably the worse for wear and there are no signs of it returning to a good condition any time soon. The grade II* listed mill near Stalham is a key Norfolk building but is on the county council’s Buildings at Risk Register because it is deemed to have been under-maintained for years and is not watertight. The upper floors are unsafe to enter, the traditional Norfolk boat-shaped cap is leaky and the sails are broken. It hasn’t been in use as a working mill since 1940, when it was producing animal feed having ceased
flour production sometime earlier. For 30 years Chris Nunn owned the mill on New Road and its surrounding buildings, using the site to house his Museum of the Broads until he sold up a couple of years ago. Last year the mill and its surrounding complex were taken over by the bygones museum Yesterday’s World. Manager Andy Glynn, who is based at Yarmouth, said last August: “We have only just taken over - we opened in April - and as far as our plans are concerned we will look at it properly in the winter.” But last week he said that no progress had been made.
Keiron Pim, Eastern Daily Press - 9th July 2008

In 2007 the upper floors of the Grade II listed mill were designated as being unsafe for visitors. Full restoration was estimated at requiring an investment of around £500,000.

Yesterday's World Sutton Windmill and Broads Museum

It is with regret that Yesterdays World have decided to close Sutton Windmill and Broads Museum permanently as from 26th September 2008.
It has been a difficult year of trading, and the operating costs we have incurred have meant that this has become a less than viable operation. No further decision has been made as to the relocation of the collections in the Museum at this time.
Statement on Sutton Mill website - September 2008

c.1789: Mill built

White's 1836: John Bygrave, miller & maltster

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2004