The lowest mill on the river Wensum was New Mills. There were several mills from the Gibraltar Gardens to the area later occupied by City Station, from the time of the Norman Conquest onwards. These mills were variously a corn mill, a silk mill and a fulling mill. New Mills was converted into a pumping station in 1897 when the city was put on mains water. It housed eight sewage pumping ejectors.
Upstream of the New Mills was the next mill we come to, Hellesdon mill. This was a corn mill for most of its history but in the mid nineteenth century it was briefly a pulp mill. In 1920 the following announcement was made by Norwich City Council; “A commencement has been made in taking down Hellesdon Mill, which consists chiefly of thoroughly good timber, which will be used for housing at Angel Estate.
Costessey mill was a large structure which produced flour until it burned down in 1924. My late friend Barney Welch remembered the occasion well; he was nine years old when it happened. Taverham mill was a paper mill from 1701 until the end of the nineteenth century. After closure it was progressively dismantled until only the former canteen remains.
Morton-on-the-Hill was a sawmill serving Morton hall until the early twentieth century. Lenwade (Great Witchingham) mill only ceased production of animal feed in 1984, after which it was converted into housing. Lyng mill was another paper mill. Like TAVERHAM MILL it was an early adopter of the new paper machinery introduced in the early nineteenth century. It produced paper until its closure around 1868. Elsing watermill was a paper mill between 1809 and 1818, and possibly longer than that. It was probably rebuilt in 1854 and then milled corn and crushed seed using a 15 foot diameter wheel. It later turned to animal feed making before ceasing work in 1970.
Swanton Morley was also a paper mill. It had been a flour mill but burned down several times; it was destroyed in 1776 and again in 1802, when it was rebuilt as a paper mill. No mention is made of the mill after 1840, and it was presumably demolished after that date.
| North Elmham Mill, sometimes known as Grint Mill, once ran two breastshot wheels using the six foot head of water available. These were taken out before the second world war, and replaced by two turbines. As larger machinery was installed it became necessary to move over to electricity but one turbine continued to drive the sack hoist and the other worked two mixing machines. The mill was still working producing animal feed in 1970. |
Great Ryburgh had its waterwheels replaced by a turbine in 1858, and this in turn was replaced by a steam engine 1875. The mill ceased operation in 1923. Fakenham and Sculthorpe mills were largely run in tandem. Fakenham mill ceased production of animal feed in 1980 and in 1982it was converted into 22 dwellings
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