The mill had a pit wheel and wallower both made with iron teeth. These did not wear as well as a wood against iron combination and were noisy in running. Eventually they became so worn that according to all Engineering Theory they could not drive. However they carried on running until the system was replaced by a Ruston Hornsby diesel engine in 1945.

An interesting job was done on the wheel while it was in use when the outside bearing became so badly worn that it scoured the axle. The axle was then supported on V blocks and the saddle from a lathe was secured to it so that when it revolved it remained true. A new bearing was cast by Hall's of Norwich and fitted by
F. Flowerdew & Son.

Unusually, Letheringsett's wheel was built with a dual irrigation system. It was designed to run as breastshot but could be changed to undershot if water levels fell in times of dry weather

Mill gear ratios

John Priest, who bought the mill in 1744 and also built Letheringsett_postmill in 1754, was the son of Joseph Priest, miller of Sheringham_watermill and a successful property owner. John Priest, however, became bankrupt in 1756 due to his extravagent lifestyle and his properties were then sold off by his assignees.

Joseph Priest was a miller in the eighteenth century. He owned not only a windmill but also a watermill (Note: There was a watermill at Sheringham at least until 1791 in which year Mr. Bond was assessed at £15 to the poor rate) as well as other property all of which he left at his death, probably early in 1748 to his son Robert who died in May 1771. He made a number of money bequests to his wife and family and he must have been a very successful man. One of his sons was John and he was probably the John Priest who bought a mill at Letheringsett, but he was less fortunate; indeed he later became bankrupt. (Note: Details of this John Priest and his activities are to be found in Basil Cozens-Hardy's History of Letheringsett. For the suit of tithes brought against Joseph Priest see under list of Sheringham vicars (1741) in chapter V, or R. W. Ketton-Cremer's Country Neighbourhood, p.216, from which the account is taken)
History of Sheringham & Beeston Regis - Campbell A. Erroll - 1970

A faint drawing of Letheringsett_postmill was still just discernable on the internal east wall of the watermill in 2007.

Briston, Norfolk, May 28, 1783.
To the CREDITORS of SOLOMON COLLS.

The CREDITORS of Mr SOLOMAN COLLS, late of Letheringfett, after at Langham, and now Brifton, in the County of Norfolk, Miller, are requefted to meet at the Houfe of Elizabeth Shepherd, ufually called the Feathers Inn, in Holt, in the faid County, on Thurfday the 12th Day of June next, about Two o'Clock in the Afternoon of the faid Day, upon fpecial Affairs, and to bring their Securities with them. -- And such of the faid Creditors as have not heretofore delivered in their Accounts, are defired, previous to the above intended Meeting, to fend them to THOMAS MENDHAM.
Norfolk Chronicle also Bury & Norwich Post - 31st May 1783

Working mill days remembered by Peter Gawing, Norwich
I came across Old Glory while browsing through a bookshop and saw the article on Letheringsett Mill (February issue). I am now retired after more than 50 years as a millwright, and found the article of tremendous interest as I was a young apprentice working for the Norwich firm of
E. Flowerdew & Son and we installed the Ruston & Hornsby engine featured.
In those days of limited road transport the engine was delivered to the nearby railway station and had to be transferred to a lorry and unloaded at the mill. There were no fork trucks then, and the unloading had to be done by pulley blocks, crowbars and rolls, and of course plenty of hard work and sweat.
I remember the flywheel being wheeled into the mill with several men at each side to keep it upright. At the same time as installing the engine we put in line shafting, pulleys and a Christy & Morris B7/2 hammer mill. The groundmeal was blown by the grinder fan into a cyclone, and the miller bagged off at the bottom.
The engine was installed because the pit wheel and wallower had been running out of alignment for years, and the teeth of the pit wheel had work to such an angle that they were in danger of breaking off.
This was a very unusual feature as this was the only mill I ever worked in where the pit wheel's teeth were of steel. They were usually morticed wheels with fitted wooden teeth which could be replaced (and I spent many hours re-cogging those wheels!). This made for much quieter running.
The grinder replaced the millstones (which were left in position) as being more efficient and it would have presented serious problems to get the engine to drive the stones - so the millstones were left to rest and all grinding was done by the engine.
Sadly most of the wind and water mills I visited are no longer working. Some stand derelict, and others have been turned into houses - indeed one water mill at Bacton Wood is used as holiday accommodation with all the machinery still in position (the river burst its banks, the water was lost and the mill was never repaired).
One mill at Burgh, near Aylsham, was used by the BBC for a television series. It hadn't been in use for years, and I had to re-cog the pit wheel so that it would work.
I must say that I find Old Glory very interesting, as I started work in the days of wind, water and steam power.
Old Glory No. 99 - May 1998

In the 19th century the mill dam was raised by 2 feet to increase the flow to the breastshot wheel system. Unfortunately this caused several fields belonging to local farmers to flood.

There was once a jetty on the upstream side of the mill, which leads to speculation that corn could have been brought by boat in from the coast before the road bridge was built.

An inscription by the weir reads: This water mark settled in the year 1765

5th January 1786: Breach in river bank flooded a meadow owned by Burrell, parson at Little Thornage

8th January 1786: Mr Rouse let the water into T. Lound's meadow. A great deal of rain in the night. - Mary Hardy's diary

9th January 1786: Burrell refused to let Rouse go on land

16th January 1786: Tenant Lound brought letter to Hardy from Rouse begging to be allowed to make up bank

17th January 1786: Lound showed notice to Hardy's re not allowed Rouse to go on land

20th January 1786: Mr. Rouse threatened Mr. Burrell to make up the Bank in spite
of him. Sent King to Mr. Burrell and Lound to ensnare them in their words.
Mr. B. sent a man to watch all night at the Bank to prevent their making up
the Bank. - Mary Hardy's diary

26th January 1786: Mr. Rouse attempted to make up the Bank. Mr. John Burrell
Junr. prevented them. He drank tea and supt here. - Mary Hardy's diary

2nd April 1786: I went to Mr. Burrell's after tea. He died abt. 6 o'clock in the even, aged 52.
- Mary Hardy's diary

3rd April 1786: Mr. Edmund Beck, bricklayer began diging a vault in the chancell for Mr. Burrell.
- Mary Hardy's diary

5th April 1786: A very cold foggy day. Bricklayers at work in church, removed Mrs. Burrell out of old and into new vault. - Mary Hardy's diary

5th April 1786: Poor Mr. Burrell was buried even 5. - Mary Hardy's diary

Sunday 20th April 1786: Rouse filled in bank during the night. Burrell jnr opened it again

Sunday 30th April 1786: Mr. Rouse caused the breach in Mr. Burrell's bank to be filled up in the night or very early this morning. Mr. Burrell had it opened again. - Mary Hardy's diary

Saturday 6th May 1786: Rouse served Writs on Mr. Burrell our Wm. and severall persons in town on acct. of Mr. Burrell opening the cut that he had stopd up in meadow. - Mary Hardy's diary

Monday 8th May 1786: Mr. Hardy and Mr. Burrell went to Dereham m 6 in Mr. Sheppard's
Postchaise to speak to Lawyer Crisp [John Crisp] concerning the suit with Rouse. - Mary Hardy's diary

Friday 12th May:J. Burrell drank tea at Rouse's came to an agreement for an accomidation about the cut. - Mary Hardy's diary

Monday 12th June: Jere More and M. depthening the river. - Mary Hardy's diary

6th October 1786: Recd a supenea to appear at Norwich in a Trial between J. Burrell and Richd. Rouse. It was given in favour of Rouse with £ 90 damages.

19th October 1787 "Mr. Rouse sent the Bailiffs to Mr. Burrell. It was made up." Probably because the damages and costs awarded at the Assize had not been paid

Mr. Rouse set to work his new mill, nearly twice the building of the old mill or perhaps fully so and calculated for more pairs of stones. The gates higher or resting on a higher sill than those of the old mill (according to the testimony of Thomas Dunn and others about 6 inches...)
Letheringsett Parish Register - Revd. Burrell, Michaelmas 1802

When Richard Rouse died in 1816 his will instructed his executors to run and then sell the mill for the benefit of his widow and daughters. His son, Zebulon who was also a miller and corn merchant, relinquished all claim on his father's estate in 1826. Zebulon had been sent to prison in 1801 for debt and no doubt was not in his father's good books. "Uncle" William Hardy took over the estate in 1797 and bought the mill for the sum, including subsequent alterations, of £5,000. He died in 1842, so the alterations he referred to must have been made before then. It is not easy to deduce what those alterations might have been, for there seem to have been a number of changes since then. The mill still remains in "Uncle" Hardy's family today.
Letheringsett Watermill - official booklet on sale at the mill

LETHERINGSETT MILL
To be let. At Michaelmas next
An excellent WATER CORN MILL, situate at Letheringsett, driving 4 pairs of stones with very complete machinery and in good condition, together with capital Dwelling House, Cottage and
80 a. of first rate Arable and Meadow Land.
Apply to Mr. Cozens Hardy, Letheringsett, near Holt.
Norfolk Chronicle - 29th May 1858

Letheringsett Estate Trustees commenced a program of major repairs and renovations to the mill and machinery in 1982. David Mayes of the Estate provided general liason, using the advice of millwright Peter Warwick BSc, DFH.
The building and bank restoration work was carried out by Patrick Matthews & Sons of Holt, while restoration of the waterwheel, pitwheel, sluices, weedgrids and guards were carried out by Richard Matthews.

Each of the wheel buckets was 8 feet wide and needed two men to lift them. Of the 32 buckets, 10 were replaced and 22 were repaired. The cast iron pitwheel was cut into segments before being removed for repairs.

In 1984 the millwright, Peter Warwick converted the mill from diesel power back to water power for the first time in 40 years for the Cozens-Hardy estate.

According to Basil Cozens-Hardy - there are or have been 3 water wheels, 11 sluices, 1 turbine,
5 hydraulic rams, 2 fountains, 5 cascades, 3 piped or culvert siphons under roads, a reservoir, an artificial lake and 6 bridges.

The right hand tun in current use contains a pair of millstone grit composite stones and the left hand tun has a pair of 220 year old French burr stones. The lifting gear to raise the runner stones for dressing can be seen to the left. - 2003

A horizontal turbine was also used on the Cozens-Hardy Estate on the opposite side of the road to the north.

Mike Thurlow began restoring the mill further in 1987.

The hurricane of October 1987 provided 200 oaks that were used to restore 2,000 feet of beams and 10,500 feet of flooring. The roof was renewed and the wheel was realigned (a major project). In 1990 the mill was opened to visitors and the 2½ tonnes of stone ground wholewheat flour produced every week sold on to local businesses and visitors.

All restoration had to be privately funded as no grants were available.

Retirement brings little rest for this miller

Restoration is finished

Michael and Marian Thurlow had no milling experience when they took on the lease. Michael spent almost all his working life in the Royal Navy as a radar operator and travelled the world 7 times, before being invalided out in 1981. He had to learn all about milling from scratch by reading the few books on milling available and visiting other mills that are still working. Needless to say he has learnt he new trade mostly the hard way - by trial and error! Today the restoration continues with Michael carrying out as many jobs as he can, with professional assistance being provided by Nibbs Rawlings and George Rudd.
Letheringsett Watermill - official booklet on sale at the mill in 2014

Miller Mike Thurlow, who rescued the building about 17 years ago, has built up a thriving trade in his traditional flour. Today, he supplies his special brand of wheat flour half-way across the world with several tonnes despatched to our Embassy in Moscow, two tonnes to Japan for the health food market and almost 800kg to Hong Kong. It has also been possible to export flour to the United States.

Five years ago, he installed another set of stones to double the capacity at the watermill. He has shown that there is a real demand for a quality local product – made and milled from wheat grown in Norfolk. Today, he mills one of the oldest wheat varieties known – spelt wheat. It was known to the Egyptians some 9000 years ago and today, seed from this ancient variety is grown on a farm in the heart of Norfolk for milling at Letheringsett.

The flour is sold to eight bakers, 37 shops, seven hotels and bed and breakfasts around the region. Although the yield is much lower than the conventional modern varieties, at about 1.75 tonnes an acre, it is ideal for people unable to eat normal flour, including coeliacs. Farmer David Hill at Bradenham, near Dereham, grows the variety for milling by Mr Thurlow, and some 200 tonnes of wheat will be harvested this year. It produces a very fine grade of flour - perfect for baking quality bread and some cakes.

“We can hardly keep pace with the demand. I would like to install a third set of stones to produce more flour,” Mike Thurlow said.
Eastern Daily Press - 9th May 2003

New chapter for old mill as it opens doors to public

He said: " There was a bit of an intractable problem but here we are five years later and it is tremendous that it is finally resolved.
And the future is bright for the water mill after Mr. Thurlow was officially named the nation's Local Food Hero in a competition run by UKTV Food.
He picked up £40,000 in prize money which paid for improvements and had enabled him to order a new set of grindstones.
Eastern Daily Press - Monday 8th October 2007

Booming demand for miller Mike

In 2009, Mike Thurlow acquired the clock that used to hang in the mill house. At that time the clock did not work, had no glass and was in need of full restoration. Clockmaker Kristian Buller of Frettenham, restored the clock and returned it to the mill on 25th March 2009.

And then, of course at Letheringsett, we did put the diesel engine in there because the cogs had got so bad.
Peter Gowing, millwright, F. Flowerdew & Son,
interviewed by Janet Few for NIAS Journal - 5th December 2008

The team at Letheringsett Watermill near Holt has carried out a months’ work in two days in a bid to satisfy orders from farm shops, delicatessens and domestic bakers – some of which are trying their hand at bread-making for the first time while confined to their homes.

Owner and manager Michelle Thurlow, who inherited the restored mill from her parents and runs it despite her allergy to flour, has been milling up to 12 hours a day to clear the backlog.
“Normally two tonnes of wheat would last four weeks, but we had 2.8 tonnes delivered last Monday and we had milled that by Wednesday,” she said.
“A lot of our trade customers are double-buying and I have had so many emails either from home-bakers saying they have run out of flour, or from people starting home-baking because they are self-isolating.

“It means people are getting used to our flour and hopefully they will come back and continue to buy our flour once this is all over. You cannot beat home-made bread, so I think a lot of people will carry on baking after this.
“We cannot get yeast anywhere at the moment, but you can still make levain bread, or soda bread or sour-dough.”
The mill’s shop was temporarily closed while its stocks of flour was replenished, but it is hoped that the shop will re-open on Friday and online orders will continue again later this week when the backlog is cleared.
“We will continue running and continue to produce flour, people just need to bear with us a bit,” she said.
Chris Hill, Eastern Daily Press - 24th March 2020

Letheringsett is one of just 24 working water mills in the UK, harnessing the power of the River Glaven to produce 4-5 tonnes of flour a week in the way it has been done for hundreds of years.
Miss Thurlow's dad, Michael, took on the mill in 1987 and had it up and running a couple of years later.
Miss Thurlow was a police officer for nine years and left the force to run the mill after her dad died in 2013.
Miss Thurlow said her dad travelled around the world with the Royal Navy and had seen heritage being lost everywhere, so wanted to dedicate his life to saving part of the UK's heritage when he left the service.
She said: "This was his world. He built it up and learned all his milling knowledge from books, and I learned my milling knowledge by growing up here."

Pieces from the past: Antiques shop launches

Letheringsett Mill has stopped turning after major breakdown

An urgent appeal has been launched to raise £10,000 to carry out major repairs at Norfolk's only remaining working water mill that makes flour.
The 222 -year-old grade II listed Letheringsett mill, near Holt, stopped turning after teeth on its wheel broke.
The mill is run by couple Michelle Thurlow and David Gay.
Ms Thurlow took over the mill from her late father, Michael Thurlow, in 2013.
The breakdown is preventing the couple from doing any milling of flour and muesli, which is widely sold and used by local shops and restaurants.
Ms Thurlow said: "Great Spur is the main cast iron wheel in the mill. It has wooden teeth that turn the millstone.
"Last Tuesday when I started up the machine to mill some rye, within 10 minutes, there was a big banging noise.
"The teeth had been pulled out and snapped off the wheel."
The couple were also affected by a flood last year that left the downstairs of the mill submerged in more than a foot of water. 
Ms Thurlow said: "The teeth had been worn for some time and we were raising money to repair them before we flooded last year, but then we had to spend the money on the flood damage." 
The repairs required to fix the teeth cost around £10,000 and require specialist expertise.
Clare Walton, who runs yoga classes at the mill, is running a fundraiser on behalf of the couple to raise £10,000 for the repair work.
On the fundraising page she said: “It would be very sad to lose this space for many reasons.
"It is a community hub with many people visiting for a peaceful break away from the hustle and bustle of the busy local town and life in general.
“If we can raise some funds this will go directly into finding a skilled craftsperson to restore the wheel ensuring many more years of milling ahead for the family."
The tea room and shop at the mill are still open for business.
Ms Thurlow said: "Everyone has been amazing locally, we are very hopeful that we will be back up and running again soon.
"These are just the joys of having a 200-year-old working mill."
So far, donations have reached over £2,400.
You can find out more and donate by visiting www.gofundme.com and searching save our working watermill.
Jack Warren, Eastern Daily Press - 17th September 2024

Letheringsett Watermill
will be open and working
throughout the year -
see its own website for times etc.
www.letheringsettwatermill.co.uk
Contact tel. 01263 713153

1791: Thomas Youngman, millwright, Letheringsett

1839: Thomas Youngman, millwright, Letheringsett