West Winch mill was a tarred red brick 5 storey mill with a stage on the second floor. It was built c.1821 by Francis Plumpton who had bought the land and a house in 1818 from Thomas Begley. The ogee cap had a stage and held a 6 bladed fantail and by 1855 the two pairs of patent sails were powering three pairs of stones and auxiliary machinery.

c.1855 a horse mill worked in conjunction with the windmill; it contained a jumper for cleaning grain, a flour dresser and an additional pair of stones. Over the next ten years the thriving business was enlarged with the addition of a granary, a workshop and a bakery. A steam engine was also installed to drive a fourth pair of stones within the windmill.

The windshaft appeared to have been cast in the same mould as the one at Tottenhill_postmill with the brake wheel flanges further forward.

Mark Feltham’s Bankruptcy.

THE COMMISSIONER acting under a petition for adjudication of Bankruptcy against MARK FELTHAM, of West Winch, In the County of Norfolk, Miller, will sit on Thursday, the 10th day of October, 1861, at half-past Eleven o’clock in the forenoon, at the Court of Bankruptcy, Basinghall Street, London, in order to take the last examination of the said Bankrupt, when and where he is required to surrender and make a full discovery and disclosure of his estate and effects and finish his examination, and the creditors who have not already proved their debts can at such meeting prove the same.

Lynn Advertiser - 28th September 1861

Freehold Corn Mill, Messuage,
Cottage and Land, at
W E S T W I N C H,
NEAR KING’S LYNN
________

TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION, BY
Mr. G. W. Mingay,

(By order of the Assignees of Mr. Mark Feltham, a Bankrupt,) at the Duke’s Head Inn, King’s Lynn, on Wednesday, the 16th day of October, 1861, at 6 o’clock in the evening, subject to conditions to be then produced,
All that substantial brick-built tower CORN MILL, with patent sails and power to wind herself, driving three pairs of stones, and also containing a pair of stones with requisite shafting and driving gear for working by steam power, with dressing machines complete, and the following buildings adjoining (namely):
A large Granary, with room over; large Bake-office, with thirty stone oven and room over; three stall stable, cart sheds, piggeries, workshop and other outbuildings, together with a messuage or dwelling-house and cottage adjoining, washhouse, pump, large gardens and yards, comprising altogether three quarters of an Acre of LAND or thereabouts.
The above property is Freehold, and well situated for doing a good business, being near the town and port of King’s Lynn, and adjoining the turn-pike road.
The property may be inspected on application to Mr. Fayers, who resides in the cottage, and for further particulars apply to the auctioneer, or at our office.
GOODWIN, PARTRIDGE & EDWARDS.
King’s Lynn, 26th Sept., 1861.
Lynn Advertiser - 28th September 1861

The mill was refitted at some point c.1865. The iron brake wheel was cast in two parts and the windshaft, made by Dodman of Kings Lynn, dates from 1864 or later. Three pairs of millstones were overdriven by a cast iron spur wheel, below which a bevel gear transmitted power to a smutter and wire machine. A mortice iron wallower was mounted on an octagonal wooden upright shaft. At second floor level an iron reefing stage allowed access to the brake and striking chains. An interesting feature of the mill was the downpipe and circular gutter around the top of the tower that collected excess water from the petticoat.

The mill ceased working in 1937 and became derelict over the next 35 years. By the early 1970s the sails and stocks had gone and the cap was disintegrating, although some machinery remained. The area around the mill site was sold for housing but the mill complex itself was sold to Walter Price in 1975 and he began restoration using the help of professional millwrights. The remains of the old cap were removed by crane in November 1975 and by early 1977 a new ogee cap with working 6 blade fantail had been installed. It was realised after the roof of the adjoining cottage was restored that a slot would be needed to allow clearance for the sails. A single pair of sails had been fitted by 1979.

Ernest and Fanny Kerrison had a son Charles and he was at school the day his father was killed in the mill machinery on 23rd June 1937. Ernest and Fanny Kerrison are buried in a single grave in West Winch churchyard.

c.1821: Mill built by Francis Plumpton

Census 1841: Francis Plumpton (40) miller; Francis Plumpton (70)

White's 1845: George Fayers, corn miller. Previously at Lakenham Peafield towermill

1852: Francis Plumpton snr died leaving mill and cottage to daughter Christiana

Kelly's 1854: George Fayers, miller

Tuesday 15th May 1855: Mill put up for auction but remained unsold

1860: Mark Feltham, miller. Previously at Lakenham Peafield towermill

September 1861: Mark Feltham bankrupt

16th October 1861: Mill sold at auction

White's 1864: Henry Judd, miller

Post Office directory 1869: Henry Judd, miller

Kelly's 1879: Walter Leonard Cutter, miller

White's 1883: Frederick William Lemmon, miller; Mrs Margaret Lemmon

Kelly's 1896: Herbert Charles Kerrison, miller (wind & steam) & baker

Kelly's 1900: Herbert Charles Kerrison, miller (wind & steam), baker & farmer

Kelly's 1904: Herbert Charles Kerrison, miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1922: Mrs. Mary Anne Kerrison & Ernest, millers (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1925: Ernest Kerrison, miller (wind & steam)

1926: Mill ceased to operate by windpower

Kelly's 1929: Ernest Kerrison, miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1933: Ernest Kerrison, miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1937: Ernest Kerrison, miller (wind & steam)

1937: Milling operations ceased

1973: Mill and site sold to Henry Price with the intention of restoration

November 1975: Ogee cap removed and taken to the site of Tottenhill postmill to be used as a shed

1977: New cap fitted a along with a working bladed fan

April 1980: Mill photographed with a single pair of sails in situ

May 1993: Mill photographed with four sails

2007: Satellite images show mill flat roofed without a cap

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2005