NHER 9773 (Building record) - Stoke Holy Cross Watermill

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Summary

A mill has been present on this site on the River Tas since the medieval period. The current mill was built in 1747, and rebuilt in 1853 following a serious fire. The mill is constructed of weatherboard with a pantile roof and sits on a brick base. The mill has been used to as a paper mill and flour mill, but saw its most intense period of use as a mustard mill from 1814 to 1862 under the Colman family, and in 1845 a steam engine was installed to supplement water power. The mill was one of the largest in the county, and remained in use until 1952 when the waterwheels and gearing were removed. In 1963 the machinery was sold off, and since then the mill has been in use as a restaurant. The nearby Miller's House dates to 1776, and is of whitewashed brick with a roof of black glazed pantiles.

Protected Status/Designation

Location

Map sheet TG20SW
Civil Parish STOKE HOLY CROSS, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

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Water mill. Medieval site.
Rebuilt 18th century and become Colman's works.
Windmill added 1825. Millers house with painted ceilings.
See notes in secondary file.
Compiled by E. Rose (NLA), 2 October 1990.

Architects plans (1998) in file (S1).
Also see (S2) and (S3).

See (S4) for the history of J. and J. Colman.
S. Howard (NLA), 13 May 2010.

NIAs records:
Coleman's leased the mill in 1814 and over 52 years they built starch and mustard factories with granaries and a warehouse on the site. They also opened a school above the granary and converted the site from wind to steam power in 1845. After the lease ran out in 1862 they site moved to Carrow works in Norwich.
After the site was emptied, most of Coleman's buildings were sold off or demolished.
The mill continued to work under a succession of millers until the mid 1960s when the machinery was removed. The ground floor is now used for a restaurant.
See (S5)
W. Arnold (HES), 15 Febuary 2011

  • --- Aerial Photograph: TG2301 A-C.
  • --- Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, B. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 673.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1991. Illuminating portrait of a village. 15 January.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1996. [Articles on the proposed flats at Stoke Holy Cross Watermill].
  • --- Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
  • --- Secondary File: Secondary File.
  • --- Website: Norfolk Mills. 2004. Stoke Holy Cross Mill, River Tas. http://www.norfolkmills.co.uk/Watermills/stoke-holy-cross.html. 9 February 2017.
  • <S1> Drawing: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
  • <S2> Article in Serial: Stoker, D. 1976. The Early History of Paper-making in Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXXVI Pt III pp 241-252. p 245.
  • <S3> Article in Serial: Caey Evans, M. 1972. Mrs. Sarah Baxter, nee Buck (1770-?). Norfolk Portrait-painter and Miniaturist. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXXV Pt III pp 400-409. p 401.
  • <S4> Unpublished Document: Edgar, S. H.. The history of J. & J. Colman.
  • <S5> Archive: NIAS. Norfolk Industrial Archaeology Society Records.

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Record last edited

Feb 9 2017 2:53PM

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