NHER 5288 (Building record) - Old Lakenham Mill

Old Lakenham Mill.
Late 19th century photograph reproduced in (S1) shows complete mills with chimney (at one time there were two). These were burnt down early this century, (31 March 1908) only the granary remaining (minus its top storey) and the foundations of boiler house, and water wheel. There was a mill on the site pre 1845. The granary is brick, rectangular, now reroofed. The existing watermill is a rebuilding post-fire, with weatherboarded hoist, decorative window surrounds and large ironwheel for belt drive. Before the fire the mill had been used for corn and yarn, and corn milling apparently continued after 1908; from 1916-1937 used as toy factory, then sawmill.
Visted E. Rose (NAU), 30 August 1975.

Record rewritten 11 July 1978.
See (S2).
E. Rose (NAU).

Location map (S3) in file.
E. Rose (NAU).

Under restoration 1 March 1979.
E. Rose (NAU).

Mill, but not granary, converted to housing before November 1998.
Compiled by E. Rose (NLA), 23 November 1998.

Granary now also converted to housing, see (S4).
E. Rose (NLA), 17 October 2003.

See press cuttings (S5) and (S6) in file.
T. Sunley (NLA) 6 November 2007.

NIAS records:
Earliest evidence of this mill is from White's Directory 1836 (S7) which lists Lakenham Yarn Company on this site. In 1840 it is marked on the Tithe map (S8) under Edward & Robert Wiffin Blake. Originally a water mill, it was converted to steam power in 1845. In 1866 the business changed hands again to Joseph Park & Sons.
In 1890 the mill succumbed to the decline in the wool trade.
In 1892 the mill was bought up by a corn miller from Norwich, who worked it until 1908 when the whole site was destroyed by fire. A new mill was built by the insurance company afterwards. This venture did not take off so most of the steam plant and the chimney were removed. The site was bought by another miller in 1911 who ground grist for 3 years using water power.
Once the tennancy was up for review in 1914 the site was bought by W.T. Jordan who converted it to a toy factory.
52 German PoWs were kept in under guard in the old stable building in 1918.
After 1937 wodden toys were becoming unprofitable so the site was used by Jordan Jr. purely as a saw mill until 1947 after which the buildings were just used as storage.
See (S9)
W. Arnold (HES), 21 Febuary 2011