Record Details

NHER Number:5236
Type of record:Building
Name:Ludham Bridge Drainage Mill, World War Two pillbox and spigot mortar base

Summary

Brick tower remains of a small drainage mill north of Ludham Bridge. This was converted into a pillbox in World War Two. A spigot mortar emplacement stands adjacent.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 3718 1721
Map Sheet:TG31NE
Parish:LUDHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Drainage mill north of Ludham Bridge. Derelict, brick tower only survives, with cog for turning cap.
E. Rose (NAU), 23 August 1975.

Converted to pill box in World War Two with gun post outside. Information from Pillbox survey.

Very interesting two-storeyed pill box with gun slits made in side.
Blast wall by door. Gun post is in fact a concrete mortar spigot.
E. Rose (NAU), 1 September 1983.

6 July 1994. NLA air photography.
Tower of mill intact and visible.
M. Brennand (NLA), 13 March 2001.

This small brick tower mill is believed to have been constructed in 1877 (S1). It supported the drainage mill (NHER 8455) located to the south of the bridge which, until then, was draining the marshes above and below the bridge. It was one of the few Broads' mills that had clockwise turning sails. By 1906 (S2), it had been adapted to discharge directly into the river. It is known to have worked during the 1912 floods but later postcards show that it suffered severe gale damage which left it with a broken windshaft. A photograph taken in 1934 (S3) shows that the derelict remains had been adapted into a lookout which was then converted into a pill box during the war.
A. Yardy (HES), 9 August 2011.

Photographs from 1983 (S4) and 1994 (S5) showing loopholes and spigot mortar base added to file.
A. Yardy (HES), 13 September 2012.

Monument Types

  • DRAINAGE MILL (19th Century to 21st Century - 1877 AD to 2100 AD)
  • PILLBOX (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
  • SPIGOT MORTAR EMPLACEMENT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TG3717/A, B.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
<S1>Monograph: Ward, A. J.. The Wind and the Water.
<S2>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1902-1907. Ordnance Survey Map. 25 inch to the mile. Second Edition. 1:2500.
<S3>Photograph: H E S Simmons. 1934. North Bridge Mill, Ludham.
<S4>Photograph: Norfolk County Council. 1983. Ludham Bridge Mill. Colour print.
<S5>Photograph: Norfolk County Council. 1994. Ludham Bridge Mill. Colour print.
<S6>Photograph: Ashley, H.. 1948. Ludham Bridge (above), River Ant. Print, b&w.

Related records - none

Find out more...

Norfolk County Council logo Heritage Lottery Fund logo

Powered by HBSMR-web and the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd, and mojoPortal CMS
© 2007 - 2024 Norfolk Historic Environment Service