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Record Details

NHER Number:8334
Type of record:Building
Name:Sutton Mill, New Road

Summary

The most prominent landmark in Sutton and said to be the tallest or second tallest surviving windmill in the UK, measuring 79ft 6" to the top of the cap. A nine floor tower corn windmill of 1862, replacing one of 1789 (with eight floors) which burnt down in 1861. The mill ceased working commercially after being struck by lightning (for the second time) and damaged by fire in 1940, but it retains much of its original machinery. In 1975 it was restored and opened as The Sutton Windmill and Broads Museum. Despite concerns about its deteriorating condition it was sold as a going concern in 2005, but in 2008 it closed for business and its contents were sold by auction in 2012. It is recorded that timbers have been falling from the cap in 2011 and again in late 2013. Attached to the mill is a large three storey granary, and to the east is a row of possible former brickworkers' houses, although there is no trace of the old brickworks. The former miller's house dates to 1789.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 3962 2389
Map Sheet:TG32SE
Parish:SUTTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Windmill and brickworks.

Mill: tallest in country.
Said to have been built by England's of Ludham 1789.
Owners say it was rebuilt 1857 after a fire, but Mr Apling in (S1) dates this to 1861, when it was rebuilt as eight storeys rather than nine. Ceased working after sails struck by lightning 1940. Now restored.
E. Rose (NAU), 23 March 1982.

April 1982.
Flint flake found in gravel of path, probably imported.
W. F. Milligan (NCM), 2 July 1982.

Owners now give date of machinery as 1846, but Norfolk Heritage says burnt out 1864! Now under restoration; has original brake wheel with iron shaft, main drive and corn bins etc; restored fantail, boat-shaped cap, but no sails as yet. Note that a collection of old tools and some church brasses are now kept in mill, in case of losses.
E. Rose (NAU), 3 September 1982.

Attached to mill on east is a long two storey brick building with slate roof, which the owner of the mill calls the granary. Other buildings parallel with this of flint and brick, leaving yards in between.
At east end on road a row of brick cottages that could be brickworker's houses, but otherwise no trace of brickworks; area of yard returned to agriculture.
Former miller's house, probably also of 1789 with Venetian window above door, now a retirement home.
E. Rose (NAU), 3 September 1982.

Just to be different yet again the listed building description (S2) dates the rebuilding to 1859.

The claim that the mill is the tallest in Britain is based on its height of 23.5m (77 feet) to the curb, 26.8m to 27.45m (88 to 90 feet) to top of cap (different sources give different heights).
But Moulton Mill in Lincolnshire, is 18.3m (60 feet) to curb, 26.8m (88 feet) to top of replaced cap, 29.6m (97 feet) to top of original cap which is to be replaced; and Le Talls Mill, Lincoln, is 23.6m (77 feet 6 inches) to curb.
See reference (S3).
E. Rose (NLA), 12 May 1997.

Press cuttings (S4) to (S14), photograph (S15) and architectural plans (S16) in file.

March 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a series of small extraction pits or cuttings are visible on aerial photographs to the north of Sutton Mill (S17). These have the appearance of being for turf, peat or clay extraction and consist of blocks of closely spaced rectangular and square cuts, measuring approximately 3-4m across. However given the former presence of a brickworks at this site it seems likely that these are clay pits.
S. Massey (NMP), 30 March 2007.

February 2011.
Condition deteriorating (S18).
D. Gurney (HES), 27 December 2013.

December 2013.
Damaged by high winds (S19).
D. Gurney (HES), 27 December 2013.

May 2014.
There are plans to remove the sails and cap to effect major repairs.
D. Gurney (HES), 16 May 2014.

Monument Types

  • BRICKWORKS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CLAY PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • EXTRACTIVE PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • (Former Type) MILL HOUSE (18th Century to Late 20th Century - 1789 AD to 1999 AD?)
  • GRANARY (18th Century to 21st Century - 1789 AD to 2100 AD)
  • TOWER MILL (18th Century to World War Two - 1789 AD to 1940 AD?)
  • NURSING HOME (Early 20th Century to 21st Century - 1901 AD? to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---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 683.
---Monograph: Labrun, E.A.. 1994. Civil Engineering Heritage, East and Central England.. p 115.
---Leaflet: Sutton Wind Mill Broads Museum. 2002. Sutton Wind Mill: Guide Book.. Sutton Wind Mill Broads Museum.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2011. Concern for iconic landmark. 9 February.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. Photograph of Sutton Mill.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2011. New report highlights threat to iconic mills. 19 October.
---Photograph: 1996. Photograph of Sutton Mill, New Road, Sutton. Colour.
---Photograph: 1996. Photograph of Granary to Sutton Mil, New Road, Sutton. Colour.
---Photograph: 1946. Photograph of Sutton Mill, New Road, Sutton. Black & white.
---Photograph: Norfolk County Council. 1953. Grist Mill, Sutton. Print, b&w.
---Photograph: Norfolk County Council. 1971. Sutton Mill. Print, b&w.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2014. Weather delays repairs to iconic mill. 16 August.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2014. Urgent repairs for storm-hit windmill. 3 September.
<S1>Monograph: Apling, H.. 1984. Norfolk Corn Windmills. Vol I. p 59.
<S2>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1049326.
<S3>Serial: Spring 1997. Lincolnshire Past and Present.. No 27.
<S4>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1976. Windmill work labour of love. 26 June.
<S5>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1978. Marion is Mill-bound But Happy. 17 January.
<S6>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1980. Some trouble at mill. 5 September.
<S7>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1981. Shaping the Future (photograph of Sutton Mill). 31 January.
<S8>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1975-1985. [Articles on the restoration of Sutton Mill].
<S9>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1986. [Photograph of Sutton Mill]. 4 February.
<S10>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1993. Museum is a home from home. 4 September.
<S11>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1994. Plan is causing trouble at mill. 9 March.
<S12>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1998. Work goes on to save windmill. 29 May.
<S13>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2005. Windmill for sale - plus its museum. 11 May.
<S14>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. [unknown]. [unknown]. [unknown].
<S15>Photograph: CQX20.
<S16>Illustration: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
<S17>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. NHER TG 3923A-E (NLA 343/HVW9-11, SLIDE) 19-JUN-1994.
<S18>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2011. Concerns over state of Sutton Mill. 9 February.
<S19>*Verbal Communication: Andy Williams (NCC). 2013. Sutton Mill.

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MNO4707Related to: Sutton Mill New Road SUTTON (Revoked)

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