Hales towermill was built of red brick in the early 1800s and was 5 storeys high, standing on a mound next to the mill house.The mill had 4 patent double shuttered sails that were struck by rack & pinion, one pair having 8 bays of 3 shutters and one pair having 9 bays of 3 shutters. The boat shaped cap had a petticoat, a gallery and an 8 bladed fan. The tower had 2 ground floor doors.

An advertisement for Brooke_High_Green_postmill appeared in the Norfolk Chronicle on 30th May and 6th June 1829 and mentioned B. Bird, Miller at Hales.

HALES
To be Sold by Auction
(Under a power of Sale to the Mortgagee)
By Mr. John Culley on Thursday 29 May 1834 at 4 o'c at the Kings Head, Bungay.
Lot 2.
Consists of an excellent Brick Tower Windmill, Miller's Cottage & Outbuildings & a Dwelling house occupied as a Beer House together with one Acre of Land situate at Hales in the county of Norfolk.
The Mill & Premises & part of the Land are under Lease to -- Fuller & another & the Beer House & remaining part of the Land are in the occupation of -- Crisp as Tenent from year to year.
All Freehold. Outgoings Land Tax 4s. per annum.
Apply to Mr. Steward, Solr. or the Auctioneer, St. Andrews, Norwich.
Norfolk Chronicle - 24th May 1834

J. M. Goff
Sale 5 October 1863
Horses, Carts & other effects of James Hood, miller, deceased.
Norfolk Chronicle - 3rd October 1863

Situations Vacant
TO JOURNEYMAN MILLERS
Wanted, a Man to work a Windmill. Must be steady.
Apply to James R. Hood, Hales Mill, Loddon, Norfolk.
Norfolk News - 11th & 18th October 1873

By 1981, all that remained was a single storey, partly ivy covered, brick base with no roof, containing fallen beams. A new housing estate was being constructed nearby.

By 2005, the single storey brick base still stood in the farmyard, which itself remained as an oasis within the new housing estate.

In 1908, Kelly's directory listed Chester Charles Haddingham as a farmer only.

c.1801: MIll built

1829: Mr. B. Bird, miller

1834: ? Fuller, tenant miller

May 1834: Mill advertised for sale by auction

White's 1836: John Shardalow, miller

O.S. map 1838: Mill

White's 1845: John Shardalow, corn miller

1853: John Shardalow, miller

White's 1854: Mr. Hood, corn miller

1863: James Hood, miller, died

1865: James Robert Hood, miller

1873: James R. Hood, miller

Kelly's 1879: James Robert Hood, corn miller & farmer

White's 1883: James Robert Hood, miller, farmer & tax collector

1888: Chester Charles Haddingham, miller

Kelly's 1892: Chester Charles Haddingham, corn miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1896: Chester Charles Hadingham, miller

Kelly's 1900: Chester Charles Hadingham, corn miller (wind & steam) & farmer

Kelly's 1904: Chester Charles Hadingham, corn miller (wind & steam) & farmer

Kelly's 1908: Arthur Mayhew, corn miller (water & steam)

Kelly's 1912: Arthur Mayhew, corn miller (wind & steam) & farmer

Kelly's 1916: Arthur Mayhew, corn miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1922: Samuel Brown, farmer, Mill house

1926: Mill derelict

O.S.map 1931-2: Mill

August 1936: Mill machinery removed

Karl Wood painting 1937: Tower with no cap

1949: Mill derelict

O.S.map 1951: Mill

1972: Single storey of tower remaining

1979: Mrs. Alma E. Cushing, Mill House, Hales

2005: Single storey of tower remaining

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2005