Norfolk Mills - Saham Hills tower windmill

Capital Tower Wind Mill & Premises
To be Sold by Auction at the Crown Inn, Watton On Wednesday 10 January 1810 Unless sooner disposed of by Private Contract of which due notice will be given.
A Very Capital Tower WIND MILL now in full trade, with three pair of French stones, and going gears complete belonging the same. Also a substantial granary, barn, stable, cart lodge and other conveniences, with 1a. 2r. of excellent arable land.
Also, a Dwelling house in two tenements and Baking office in good repair standing near the above premises with the yards and outbuildings belonging thereto.
Possession of the above premises may be had on the 18th October next.
Apply to Mr. William Youngman of Saham near Watton, who will shew the premises.
Norfolk Chronicle - 23rd & 30th December 1809

SAHAM TONEY
To be Sold by Auction by Mr. Emerson on Tuesday 25 June 1861 at 4 o'c on the premises at Saham Hills. The following desirable Property in 2 lots; with immediate possession.
Lot 1. A Capital WINDMILL well situated and now in full trade with Patent Sails driving 2 pairs of French Stones with Flour Mill and all requisite gears in good repair.
Also a Stable, Cart Lodge and Hay House with Granary over and about 1 acre of Pasture Land more or less.
Lot 2. Freehold Dwelling House etc.
The above Property was late in the occupation of William Youngman deceased.
Apply to E. R. Grigson, Solr. Watton, Mr. Marsh, Schoolmaster, Saham and the Auctioneer, Watton.
Norfolk Chronicle & Norfolk News - 22nd June 1861

Notice re
John_Bristow, deceased, late of Saham Toney, Farmer, whose will was proved 27 November by William Ashley of Saham Toney, Miller, one of the Executors.
Norfolk Chronicle - 12th June 1886

Faden's Map of Norfolk of 1797 shows quite clearly that Saham had four post mills by the late 18th century, all situated in Saham Hills. The earliest, the most easterly, was Simon Wyer's postmill of 1744. In the pages of the Court Rolls there is his request to build "upon that part of the Common pasture in Saham Toney called Saham Hill...". The rent was 5/- a year.
Forty years later Isaac Hardy built two mills, one of which was run by his son Michael from 1802. Isaac's postmill stood about opposite the chapel on Saham Hills Road. Michael Hardy's mill was sold to William Youngman in 1810, then is passed to his daughter Frances Adcock but it was almost immediately sold again, this time to William Ashley in 1863, for £130. Subsequently this was rebuilt in brick and became known as Ashley's Tower Mill and was located up the lane opposite what used to be the Windmill public house.
Robert Whalebelly owned the post mill that stood behind what is now Ngong House (a slight hump in the paddock there may indicate where the foundations stood). In 1841 the land belonged to Phoebe Bowen and its site was a pasture, as it is today. An outhouse carries the initials R. W. and the date 1862. This mill was eventually sold to Robert Joseph Mace, Robert Whalebelly's son-in-law, who advertised himself as a "wind and steam baker" from 1896 and whose sons continued in the same business until 1929.
The land on which Wyer's_mill stood passed to Mary Ann Pickling, wife of William, when she inherited land from John Alderton, her father, in 1858. By then the old mill had probably disappeared, wooden post mills were somewhat less durable than brick ones and rarely lasted 200 years. Both post mills and smock mills were transportable and could be dismantled and re-erected. Bristow's_Tower_Mill, the only windmill that remains in Saham - and in nothing like its original condition - was built in 1828, as is shown by a date stone that reads: J. & S.B. 1828.
John Bristow retired in 1845 and went to live in Chequers Lane and the mill was taken over by his son who worked it until 1880, and then his son, Robert, was in charge from 1882 until about 1904 after which he advertised himself only as a baker. In 1948 the tower was converted into living accommodation for Mrs. K. M. Tice, and as such it is the only visible remains of what was once an important and flourishing activity in Saham Toney. At the time the maximum number of windmills were operating in Saham the parish was probably milling flour for much of the surrounding district. Watton only seems to have had one mill, near the junction of High Street with the Swaffham road, behind West house.
Windmill at the Hills, Saham Toney - Extracted from the Shadows on the Summer Grass - Robin Brown.

Tithe Award map 1842 - as redrawn by Harry Apling

Saham Toney & Saham Hills millers' family tree

O. S. Map 1905
Courtesy of NLS map images

O.S. Map 2009
Image reproduced under licence from Ordnance Survey

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Tithe Award 1842 Map 1842 Owner: William Youngman Occupier: do
No. 745	Mill, House & garden	part of	0a. 0r. 18p. 1a. 0r. 22p.	Nil 6s. 9d.

Rate Valuation 1891
Ashby, William own Mill & land Gross Rateable value House & land Clark, G. R. Gross Rateable value	Occupier Owner 3r. 22p. £25 £15 Owner £5 £3. 10. 0