NHER 15098 (Building record) - St Olave's Marsh Drainage Mill

St Olave's Mill (pumping), 1910. Formerly in Herringfleet, Suffolk.

November 1954. Listed, Grade II*.
Listing Description excerpt:
"Drainage windpump. 1910, restored 1980. Trestle type. Square tapering tower formed by four timber posts standing on concrete piers. Sides weatherboarded and tarred. Doorway to west. Gabled timber cap with windshaft and fan cradle. Stocks and sails and Suffolk fantail date from restoration. Internal scoop-wheel housed in timber casing to south. Scoopwheel has wooden starts. All machinery intact and made of cast iron except for timber upright shaft"
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
P. Watkins (HES), 25 October 2022.

July 1979. Field Observation.
Visited by E. Rose (NAU):
Unusual octagonal smock mill presumably surrounding iron frame which protrudes at corners of base and rests on concrete blocks. Small boat shaped cap with frame for fantail and various pieces of machinery remain, including a wheel hanging below the fantail cradle. Scoopwheel covered. Sits over brick channel but no longer connected to dyke. Built in 1910 and restored 1975.
Compiled by E. Rose (NAU). Information from record card (S2).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 25 October 2022.

According to (S3) also known as Pony Mill and stands on site of older smock mill demolished 1889.
See entry in (S4).
The hanging wheel presumably is a weight changer indicating Cubitt's patent sails.
Previous mill was demolished 18 February 1898, not 1889; photograph of site in (S5).
Compiled by E. Rose (NAU). Information from record card (S2).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 25 October 2022.

Newspaper cuttings (S6) and (S7) and photograph (S8) in file.
E. Rose (NAU), 26 July 1979.

Built by Dan England of Ludham, on site of older smock mill.
O.S records.
R. J. Rickett (NAU), 10 May 1990.

Listing Description (S1) notes that the frame is of wood, not iron as stated. All machinery of iron except the main shaft, of wood. Fantail etc restored 1980.
E. Rose (NLA), 24 November 1998.

However (S9) says the builder was in fact William England of Yarmouth, Dan’s cousin. The reference discusses two mills, Fritton Warren Marshes and St Olave’s priory marshes, dating the former to 1910 and the latter to 1915; the latter being a skeleton mill soon boarded over.
E. Rose (NLA), 25 November 2005.

Two photographs of the mill. One without sails and painted white the other complete with four patent sails and painted black. See (S10).
A. Rix (HES), 23 November 2011