Record Details
| NHER Number: | 5943 |
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| Type of record: | Building |
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| Name: | Pit Mill or Coffee Mill |
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Summary
This is an early 19th century water mill, now a masonic lodge. The three storey, 5 bay mill is constructed of gault brick, with a pantiled roof. An 18th century map marks a pit mill at this location but the present building was not constructed until the 19th century and a later 1926 map depicts a disused watermill. By the 1980s it was known locally as the Coffee Mill, but this name may derive only from storage of coffee here rather than any industrial process.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TL 8704 8285 |
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| Map Sheet: | TL88SE |
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| Parish: | THETFORD, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
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Full description
1971. Listed Building.
Early 19th century water mill, now a masonic lodge. The three storey, 5 bay mill is constructed of gault brick, with a pantiled roof. The windows are primarily 20th century, ground and first floor under segmental heads and second floor under square heads. Two blocked doors are present on the ground floor and the first floor features a loading door. The building has a gabled roof with a large gabled weatherboarded lucam. There are four 20th century top-hung metal windows in the east gable and a 20th century door. The tail race emerges through two rounded arches under a Flemish bond gault brick platform bridge. No machinery is retained in the interior.
See (S1) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 22 July 2008.
Watermill, depicted as disused on 1926 Ordnance Survey map (S2).
Tom Martin's 1740 map of Thetford (S3) shows it as a Pit Mill.
It is known locally in 1984 as a Coffee Mill, but this name may derive only from storage of coffee here, not from any industrial process - information from Norfolk Industrial Archaeology Society.
E. Rose (NAU) 20 November 1984.
1988.
Repair work is planned for the building.
See (S4) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 22 July 2008.
During most of its use this was a corn mill, but by 1942 the stones were turbine powered and ground coffee for the Ibex Coffee Co. Production finally ceased in the late 1950's.
See (S5) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 19 December 2008.
Monument Types
- MILL (17th Century to 18th Century - 1700 AD? to 1800 AD)
- WATERMILL (18th Century to 19th Century - 1800 AD to 1900 AD)
- FREEMASONS HALL (Early 20th Century to 21st Century - 1901 AD to 2100 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| --- | Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.. 1990. NHER TL 8782AX (NLA 270/GCN14) 10-JUL-1990. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Website: Neville, J.. 2004. Thetford Mill, River Thet. http://www.norfolkmills.co.uk/Watermills/thetford.html. 17 July 2008. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| <S1> | Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England. |
| <S2> | Map: Ordnance Survey. 1926. Ordnance Survey 25 inch map. |
| <S3> | Map: Martin, T.. 1740. MSS map. 2. |
| <S4> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1988. Masons in plea for facelift. 25 November. |
Related records - none
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