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Record Details

NHER Number:10387
Type of record:Building
Name:Stracey Arms Drainage Mill

Summary

A prominent and popular landmark in the flatness of Acle Marshes, this is a fine brick tower mill dating to the 1880s. The mill stopped working in 1946, when its sails were removed, but was fully restored from 1961 by the Norfolk Windmills Trust. The Trust still looks after the mill, which has all its machinery intact, and is open to the public. The actual drainage work is now done by an adjacent electric pump.

Images

  • Stracey Arms Mill, Halvergate. © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service

Location

Grid Reference:TG 4416 0896
Map Sheet:TG40NW
Parish:HALVERGATE, BROADLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

24 April 1979. Visit.
Fully restored by Norfolk Windmills Trust and open to public. Excellent condition. All machinery, sails, scoopwheel intact. Main vertical drive shaft is of cast iron (unusual for this area) by Barnes of Yarmouth dated 1885. Mill said to stand on wooden piles.
(S1) shows a previous mill on site.

Modern electric pump in brick shed now controls drainage. This may be the 'mill near the Acle New Road' that the cutting in (S2) says was the last to be built in Norfolk.

(S3) says date is 1883 not 1885.

(S4) makes the point that though it has Cubitt's patent sails there is no spider. Maintained by Norfolk County Council (NCC).

NCC say that whichever mill (S2) is referring to, it must be wrong, as mills were being built elsewhere in Norfolk well into this century. (In fact this referred to NHER 4331).

Converted to a pill box during World War Two when gunports were opened in its sides. Information from (S5).

Built on piles 12m (40 feet) long with a pitch pine raft on top.
1946. Ceased work and sail shutters removed.
1961. Restoration began.
1972. Sails damaged by a gale.
Information from (S5). R.J.Rickett (NAU), 22 June 1990.

(S6) large rolled plans.
E.Rose (NLA).

The date is given as 1883 not 1885 in (S7).
E. Rose (NLA), 8 November 2004.

Copy of newspaper cuttings (S8) to (S10) in file.

Monument Types

  • DRAINAGE MILL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PUMPING STATION (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PILLBOX (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Drawing: R.M.B. 2013. Stracey Arms Drainage Mill. Drawing No 1: Sail Frame and stock detail. Drawing No 2: Details of striking gear, fastenings, stock/clamp shackles, cap gallery, and ply tie rods.. Norfolk Windmills Trust. Dyeline/Photocopy. 1/2 inch to 1 foot except where indicated.
---Drawing: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Stracey Arms Windpump. Annotated cutaway axiometric projection of mill.. Permatrace. Not to scale ?.
---Drawing: DGB / Jim Shaw. 1977. Stracey Arms Windpump. Proposed Alterations. New ladder to fanstage, cap frame plan and section, and proposed safety screen on fanstage. Norfolk Windmills Trust. Permatrace. 1:20.
---Drawing: Bouwens, D. 2007. Stracey Arms Drainage Windmill. Proposed underpinning and jacking upright. Norfolk Windmills Trust. Permatrace. 1:50.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TG4408/C - G.
---Monograph: Brown, R.J.. 1976. Windmills of England.. 158-9.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 537.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2011. New report highlights threat to iconic mills. 19 October.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---*Rolled Plan: Large Plan Exists. [catalogued].
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Post-Medieval. Halvergate.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2016. Project to see windpump sails turning gathers pace. 4 June.
<S1>Publication: Faden, W. and Barringer, J. C. 1989. Faden's Map of Norfolk in 1797.
<S2>Archive: Bolingbroke family. 1300's-1960. Bolingbroke Collection. Norfolk Record Office.
<S3>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1051459.
<S4>Monograph: Smith, A.. 1978. Drainage Windmills of the Norfolk Marshes.. No 64.
<S5>Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 40 NW 5.
<S6>Drawing: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
<S7>Article in Serial: Allard, P.. 2004. Millwright.. Yarmouth Archaeology. pp 8-13.
<S8>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1975. Stracey Arms windmill opened. 30 July.
<S9>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1976-1992. [Articles on the restoration work undertaken at Stracey Arms Drainage Mill].
<S10>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1983-1984. [Photographs of Stracey Arms Drainage Mill].

Related records

MNO3442Related to: Stracey Arms Mill HALVERGATE (Revoked)

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