NHER 12003 (Building record) - Dereham windmill

Old windmill, ruinous in Cherry Lane. Probably early 19th century.

(S4) says built in 1830.

For sale by auction on 14 December 1837. Says it is a newly erected brick tower mill with five floors and running two pairs of stones (S1).

1973. Survey by Royal Commission for Historic Buildings.
Of five stages with much machinery remaining. Plaque on first floor inscribed 'W.R.Dell & Son, Mark Lane, London'. Another with 'Hambling Dereham' is probably from a later secondary engine.
See (S2).

1978. Visit.
Much the same condition as when RCHM survey was carried out. Machinery and millstones remain (one stone outside).
'Hambling' stamp is indeed on the drive for a petrol or steam engine from outside, but 'Dell' plaque seems to have gone. Full of rubbish and death watch beetle. Ruins of buildings to west.
E. Rose (NAU), 21 June 1978.

March 1979. First phase of restoration to include new windows, doors and flat roof. Says it was for for sale in 1836 as new, had a fixed steam engine by 1863 and the sails were removed in 1922. See (S5).

'Newly erected' in 1836, last worked by wind 1922, afterwards paraffin. 'Dell' plate is on French Burr millstone. The Hambling machinery was brought from another mill (Hamblings worked 1850 to 1860 in Dereham).
Information from [1].
E. Rose (NAU), 2 February 1982.

1986. Restoration of mill with refurbished curb ring, cap, sails and fantail.
See (S6) and (S7).

1987. Restoration.
Sails, cap and fantail restored in 1987 by [2].
E. Rose (NAU), 22 September 1987.

January 1988.
Plan to turn mill into a tourist attraction and install flood lighting to reduced vandalism, see (S7).
A. Rix (HES), 20 October 2011.

June 1989.
Newly restored mill opens to the public. See (S7) and (S8).
A. Rix (HES), 20 October 2011.

Mill to be kept locked when unsupervised (S7).
Mill to be open all week as more volunteers have come forward (S7).
Sails to be turned quarterly to prevent damage to the brickwork (S9).

Plan to preserve the future of the mill whilst looking for a new owner (S10).

Mill to reopen to the public after a new Friends group formed (S10).

2002 leaflet produced by Breckland Council on the mill (S11).

2003, Survey by Millwright.
List of repairs drawn up for the mill including repairs to the cap and sails.
See (S12) for further information.
A. Rix (HES), 20 October 2011.

2005.
Transferred to Dereham Town Council ownership in 2001 and awaiting lottery funding to continue restoration to working order (S13).
M. Dennis (NLA), 3rd November 2005.

2010.
Money for restoration work has not been found. Instead, the mill will be made structurally sound and boarded up.
See (S14) and (S15) for further details,
H. White (NLA), 25 February 2010

Carved into a 1st floor beam is "E. Saul 2nd Sept '46". Assuming it means 1846, it is the earliest solid date for the mill.
Information from (S16).
W. Arnold (HES), 11 January 2011

New phased approach by the Trustees in the hope of securing the necessary funding for the mill.
See (S15) for further details.
A. Rix (HES), 30 January 2011.

4 photographs of the mill showing the interior machinery (S3).
Some history of the mill. See (S17), (S18) and (S19) for further details.
Hope to restore the mill by a Manpower Services Commission Scheme. See (S5).
Breckland District Council planning committee agree to weatherproofing but defer full restoration (S6).
Mill to be restored but not to full working order. See (S6).
A. Rix (HES), 20 October 2011.

Restoration of the fantail for the windmill has finally been completed; the restoration was carried out by Bunting & son. Plans are also in place to carry out internal floors of the mill, renovate the existing floodlights and a new security system.
See (S20) for further information.