Record Details

NHER Number:7747
Type of record:Building
Name:Lenwade Watermill

Summary

A late 18th century or early 19th century watermill, which was rebuilt after a fire in the late 19th century. The mill was one of the first roller mills in Norfolk, and has now been converted into houses.

Images

  • The late 18th or early 19th century watermill in Lenwade  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service

Location

Grid Reference:TG 1019 1821
Map Sheet:TG11NW
Parish:GREAT WITCHINGHAM, BROADLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

The present mill at Lenwade was opened in 1898 as Norfolk's first roller mill (see note below) following the destruction of a previous late 18th/eary 19th century watermill in a fire. This earlier mill is marked on Bryant's 1826 map of Norfolk (S2). The present mill is a three storey building with attics, constructed of colourwashed brick with a modern concrete-tile roof. Features of interest include sashes with glazing bars and segmental heads as well as gabled locum at attic level. There is a two-storey mill house at the west gable, constructed of colourwashed brick with a hipped slate roof, sash windows, a chimney stack on the ridge line and two large semi-circular headed windows in the east gable (S1). The mill was converted into two houses in 1999 (S6).
Information from (S1).
H. Hamilton (NLA), 07 December 2007.

1978. Field Observation.
The mill was still in use at the time of the survey, having been rebuilt after a fire in 1890. It is a three-storey building with a stackhoist and 8 bays, standing over the river. A two-storey, two bay miller's house is attached as well as several modern buildings.
E. Rose (NAU) 14 June 1978.

1982.
The mill was actually reopened in 1898 as Norfolk's first roller mill.
It is now being converted to housing. The modern extensions have been demolished and the building restored to its original character. However, this conversion was not completed (see below).
E. Rose (NAU) 5 July 1982.

1994. Press Clipping.
According to (S3) the fire took place in 1888 and the building contains an electric turbine dating from the rebuilding.
The conversion work of 1982 was never completed and the building is empty in 1993/1994.
E. Rose (NLA), 31 January 1994.

1997-1998. Press Clipping.
The mill, the three-bedroomed Mill House and the Granary were up for sale in 1997.
Information from (S4).
H. Hamilton (NLA), 07 December 2007.

1999. Eastern Daily Press.
An unidentified photograph of a grist mill that may depict the original mill at Lenwade before its destruction.
See (S5).
E. Rose (NLA), 22 February 1999.

1999-2000. Renovation.
Plans to convert the mill into luxury homes were approved in 1999 (S6) and the building was completely renovated and converted by September 2000. The low engine house at the east end of the building was reconstructed, reusing the original iron framed windows.
Also see architectural plans (S7) in secondary file.
E. Rose (NLA), 29 September 2000.

Monument Types

  • FLOUR MILL (17th Century to 19th Century - 1700 AD to 1888 AD)
  • WATERMILL (17th Century to 19th Century - 1700 AD to 1888 AD)
  • HOUSE (19th Century to 21st Century - 1898 AD to 2100 AD)
  • POWER STATION (19th Century to Cold War - 1898 AD to 1992 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TG1018 A-E.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 516.
---Photograph: 1999. Photographs of Lenwade Milll, Lenwade. Colour.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1997. Sale advertisement. 10 October.
<S1>Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1170666.
<S2>Map: Bryant, A.. 1826. Bryant's Map of Norfolk.
<S3>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1992. Traditional mill is ready to convert. 27 January.
<S4>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1997-1998. [Articles and sale advertisement for Lenwade Watermill].
<S5>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. [Letters to the editor regarding identifying an old photograph of Lenwade Watermill].
<S6>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. [Articles on the planning application to six residential units].
<S7>Illustration: Various. Various. Architectural plans.

Related records - none

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