Ingham towermill unusually, was built on the site of an earlier_towermill as was the nearby Sutton_towermill. The earlier mill was built c.1763 and the new mill was built c.1872. Although named Ingham mill, it actually stood a few yards inside the parish of Sutton. The 5 storey red brick tower with its staggered sash windows was 42 feet high to the curb and had 2 pairs of double shuttered patent sails, struck by rack & pinion via a tail pole, that drove 3 pairs of stones. One pair had 9 bays of 3 shutters and the other pair had the same configuration except that it had 4 shutters on the innermost trailing edge. The Norfolk boat shaped cap had a petticoat, gallery and a 6 bladed fan with the distinctive stripes of Ludham millwrights, Englands. Unusually the tower is now 49 feet high.

Upright shaft pine. 17½ ins. diameter below the great spur wheel and square above it.
Sack hoist - gear drive from underside of wallower.
Wheat cracker and sifter.
Rex Wailes - c.1982

To be Let at INGHAM
With possession at Michaelmas
The new built MILL driving three pairs of Stones
Excellent Dwelling House & 150 acres of fine Arable Land
Application to Mr. R. Cooke, Stalham.
Norfolk Chronicle & Norfolk News - 17th August 1872

Preliminary Notice
The following valuable Landed Property will be shortly offered for Sale by Public Auction in convenient Lots, namely ...
A FARM situate in the parishes of Ingham, Sutton & Stalham in Norfolk comprising a capital FAMILY RESIDENCE & Agricultural Premises adjoining & about 155 Acres of LAND & also a WIND FLOUR MILL in good working condition. All now in the occupation of Mr. James Frosdick who is under notice to quit at Michaelmas next.
Further particulars in future Advertisements.
Norfolk News - 19th & 26th June 1875

Notice re Estate of
George Matthews, late of Ingham, Farmer & Miller, deceased.
Norfolk Chronicle - 21st April 1877

In his book Attack Warning Red, of 1976, Derek Wood provided a list of World War II Observer Corps posts and mentioned that Stalham post opened in 1934. This post appeared to be Ingham mill, with the top seven feet being renewed in modern brickwork with no batter. A Ministry of Defence notice stood outside. The post was moved underground in 1959.

The metal ladder that used to be up the side of Harpley mill was almost certainly added in the War. A few other tower mills used as observation posts, such as Ingham, and Newton Aycliffe, Durham have these.
Sue Burden - 4th March 2016

The 1872 mill rebuild was about 42 feet high but subsequently an additional storey of 7 feet without batter was added by the Royal Observer Corps during WWll.

White's 1864: James Kirby, marshman

White's 1883: James Kirby, watermill engineer

Kelly's 1892: Mrs. George Gladden, farmer, The Grove
Kelly's 1896: Mrs. George Gladden, farmer, The Grove
Kelly's 1900: Mrs. George Gladden, farmer, The Grove
Kelly's 1904: Edward Gladden, farmer, Hall Farm
Kelly's 1904: Misses Gladden, farmers, The Grove
Kelly's 1908: Edward Gladden, farmer, Hall Farm
Kelly's 1908: George Robert Gladden, farmer, Mill house
Kelly's 1908: Misses Gladden, farmers, The Grove
Kelly's 1912: Edward Gladden, farmer, Hall Farm
Kelly's 1916: Edward Gladden, farmer, Hall Farm
Kelly's 1922: Edward Gladden, farmer, Hall Farm
Kelly's 1922: George Robert Gladden, farmer
Kelly's 1925: George Robert Gladden, farmer
Kelly's 1925: Kenneth R. Gladden, fruit grower
Kelly's 1929: Gladden & Co. Ltd. farmers, fruit growers & poultry farmers, The Mill
Kelly's 1933: Gladden & Co. Ltd. farmers, fruit growers & poultry farmers, The Mill (150 acres or over)
Kelly's 1937: Gladden & Co. Ltd. farmers, The Mill (150 acres or over)

c.1872: New mill built on same site as demolished earlier towermill

18th April 1872: George Matthews, miller died

August 1872: Mill advertised to be let

1875: Thomas Frosdick, miller

June 1875: James Frosdick, tenant miller

June 1875: Mill advertised for sale by auction along with mill house and farm of 155 acres

1878: Henry Cook, miller

Kelly's 1879: Henry Cook, miller & farmer

White's 1883: Robert G. Gladden, farmer & miller

O.S. map 1884: Windmill

Kelly's 1892: George Robert Gladden, miller (wind) & farmer

Kelly's 1896: George Robert Gladden, miller (wind) & farmer

Kelly's 1900: George Robert Gladden, miller (wind) & farmer, Mill house

Kelly's 1904: George Robert Gladden, miller (wind) & farmer, Mill house

O.S. map 1905: Windmill (Corn)

Kelly's 1912: George Robert Gladden, farmer & miller (wind), Mill house

Kelly's 1916: George Robert Gladden, farmer & miller (wind), Mill house

Kelly's 1922: Norman J. Goffin, miller (wind)

Kelly's 1925: Norman J. Goffin, miller (wind)

Kelly's 1929: Norman J. Goffin, miller (wind)

Kelly's 1933: Norman J. Goffin, miller

Kelly's 1937: Norman J. Goffin, miller

Karl Wood painting 1937: Mill outwardly complete with cap, sails, fantail and chainpole

May 1939: Mill with cap, petticoat, fanstage, 2 sails with shutters in first two bays and two empty stocks

1939-1945: Mill occupied by Royal Observer Corps as their Stalham post and they removed cap and sails

1949: Mill tower remaining but truncated

c.1982: Mill tower remaining, 42 feet in original brickwork and top 7 feet in modern brickwork with no batter

2004: Mill tower still remaining

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2004