Reedham Berney Arms High Mill in the parish of Reedham on Halvergate Marsh, when built, became Norfolk's highest drainage mill. The seven storey mill was built in 1865 by millwrights Stolworthy to replace an earlier towermill on the same site, being named after the Berney family.

The mill was powered by 2 pairs of double shuttered sails with pitch pine stocks, set on an iron windshaft, struck by rack & pinion. One pair of sails were built for the mill and the other pair were brought in from elsewhere. One pair had 7 bays of 3 shutters with an additional 2 bays of 3 shutters on the inner side and the other pair had 9 bays of 3 shutters with an additional bay of 2 shutters on the inner side.The Norfolk boat shaped cap with its petticoat had a gallery, 8 bladed fan and a tail pole with a chain. The oak brake wheel had a claspp arm and wooden cogs. A cast iron wallower was set on a cast iron upright shaft. The grear spur wheel was also made of cast iron with wooden cogs that in turn drove iron stone nuts. The grinding stones were run from the second floor and were still standing on the ground floor in 1972. An iron stage was set around the third floor.

The mill was designed to grind cement clinker, using clay dredged from Oulton Broad and brought to the mill by wherry. Grinding ceased in 1886 and the mill was then converted to a drainage mill with a 24 ft. diameter scoop wheel.

Thomas Trench Berney, Esq., deceased
All persons having any claim on the Estate of Thomas Trench Berney, late of Morton Hall in the County of Norfolk, Esquire, deceased ... to send particulars ... to George Duckett Berney, Esq. of Morton Hall ...

Smithdales of Acle restored the mil in 1951, when the cap, windshaft and sails were jacked up as the curb had split. % of the 8 curb sections were renewed.

In 1967 the mill was restored as a National Monument by the Ministry of Public Works & Buildings.

This superb tower mill stands 70 feet 6 inches tall over the cap with a tarred tower of seven storeys. It is thought to have been built solely for cement grinding by Stolworthy of Great Yarmouth in 1865 for the Berney Family, and later converted to a windpump. As Rex Wailes explained, "The chalky mud dredged from the river was burned to produce cement clinker; this was ground in the mill by three pairs of 4' 6" diameter peak stones situated on the second floor. At the same time the steam cement works at Burgh Castle used to send clinker by wherry to be ground at the mill." The works closed in 1886 and the mill was then converted for drainage use. After ceasing work in 1948 it was taken into the care of the Ministry of Works who carried out a thorough restoration between 1962 and 1965.
The tower has an iron reefing stage at 3rd floor level. The elegant boat-shaped cap with its iron-railed gallery runs on a shot curb and is turned into wind by an 8-bladed fantail. Power is provided by large 10-bay patent sails which span 82 feet; they have recently been removed for repair. A notable feature, as seen on many Broadland mills, is the striking chain guide pole which extends down from the rear of the cap. This prevents the chain from swinging about in gusty weather when the striking weights can foul the mill tower. The iron upright shaft and wallower are driven by an all-wood clasp-arm oak brake wheel 8 feet in diameter, surrounded by a brake of poplar. On the ground floor two mitre gears (equal size bevels) transmit power to a scoop wheel located some distance from the mill. The wheel is 24 feet in diameter by 11 inches wide and turns 7 times for every 20 revolutions of the sails.
Luke Bonwick - 12th September 2000

The seven storey 70' mill was later converted to a drainage mill and carried on working until 1948.
The mill was eventually taken over by English Heriatge and was then preserved. All four sails were intended to be replaced in the summer of 2000 but it appears this did not happen. However, the cap was replaced in 2003.

1865: Mill built as a cement grinding mill

c.1870: Thomas Trench Berney died

O.S. 1884: Mill

1886: Mill ceased cement grinding and converted to a drainage mill

1948-51: Mill ceased working

1951: Curb sections replaced by Smithdales of Acle

1962-65: Mill restored by Ministry of Works & Public Buildings

2003: Cap replaced

22nd April 2006: Fantail replaced

25th May 2007: All four sails replaced

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2004