Wreningham post windmill stood to the south of the village at Toprow on the west side of the Norwich road. The mill buck was set on a roundhouse and was turned to wind via an 8 bladed fantail on a frame attached to the end of the ladder leading up to the leanto porch. The mill was built with common sails to drive the two pairs of 4ft 6ins French burr stones, a flour mill and a malt mill but the sails were eventually converted to patent sails and in later years an auxiliary steam engine was installed. A bake office was also run on the site.

Royal Exchange Fire Insurance policy 98804

To Millers & Bakers
To be Let And entered upon immediately for the term of 12 years
A Wind CORN MILL, baking office & good dwelling house, garden and orchard, with convenient outbuildings, estimated within 8 miles of Norwich on the turnpike of Wymondham & 5 of Long Stratton in an excellent corn neighbourhood.
Enquire of the Printers of this paper.
Norfolk Chronicle - 1st, 8th & 15th July 1815

WRENINGHAM
To be LET & Entered upon at Lady day next
A Substantial POST WINDMILL with two pairs of French Stones, Flour Mill & Going Gears complete
Also a good Dwelling house, Baking office & suitable Buildings with Garden & Yards adjoining & situate about 8 miles from Norwich.
Enquire of Mr. John Leeder, Wreningham or of Mr. Charles Woodcock, Coachmaker, Norwich.

WRENINGHAM
To be Sold or Let
A Good Dwelling House, Brick & Slate with Granary, Stable, Piggeries & other Buildings, good Garden & Orchard, a capital POST WIND-MILL driving two pairs of Stones & Flour Mill & about 2 acres of ARABLE LAND situate near the Norwich & Old Buckenham Turnpike in Wreningham & in the occupation of Mr. Henry Banham the proprietor.
Freehold. Possession may be had at Michaelmas 1870.
Apply Messrs. Mitchell & Clarke, Solrs. Wymondham.
Norfolk Chronicle - 3rd September 1870

HADDISCOE, THORPE, WRENINGHAM & WYMONDHAM
Terrible thunderstorm & hurricane, injuries done to the above mills.
Norfolk Chronicle - 16th August 1879

WRENINGHAM & WYMONDHAM
Windmill at above dismantled & much injured by violence of wind on the 3rd.
Eastern Daily Press - 4th August 1879

TERRIBLE THUNDERSTORM IN THE EASTERN COUNTIES.
… windmills at Wreningham & Wymondham were dismantled & much injured by the violence of the wind …
Eastern Daily Press - Monday 4th August 1879

2nd August 1879 – terrible thunderstorm & cyclone (several tower mills decapitated)
Windmills & Millwrighting - S. Freese 1957-1971

WRENNINGHAM
TO BE SOLD by PRIVATE CONTRACT a Brick & Slate DWELLING HOUSE together with a Post Windmill with Round House & convenient Outbuildings, situate within easy distance of Great Eastern Railway Station & well for retail trade.
Apply to John Standley & Sons, Auctioneers, Wymondham.
Norfolk Chronicle - 13th & 20th September 1884

An indenture of 1887 lists the following items:
For with the Boulting Mill sails sail cloths stones farms scales weights irons grasses wheels movements running and going gears Iron Crows tackle apparel furniture implements for buildings therein...

WYMONDHAM & WRENNINGHAM
Salter & Simpson are favoured with instructions from Mr. Daniel Jermyn to Sell by Auction at the Kings Head Hotel, Wymondham on Friday September 30, 1887
IN WYMONDHAM
Lot 1. Six Cottages …
IN WRENNINGHAM
Lot 2. A Post WINDMILL driving two pairs of Stones & fitted with all necessary Gearing, with Granary, Stables, Cart Lodge, Piggeries & a piece of ACCOMODATION LAND. Also detached is a Comfortable & well build DWELLING HOUSE with Garden & Orchard, the whole containing 1a. 3r. 24p. situate within a quarter of a mile of Ashwellthorpe Station, abutting on the Main Road to Norwich & Property of Mr. Bullemore & Mr. Vincent Jermyn, in the occupation of Mr. Robert Andrews at the annual rent of £30.
Further particulars of Messrs. Whites & Pomeroy, Vendor’s Solrs. Wymondham or of the Auctioneers, Attleborough.
Norfolk Chronicle - 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th September 1887

WRENINGHAM MILLER’S DEATH
A Verdict of ‘Suicide by hanging whilst in a state of unsound mind’ was the verdict returned at the inquest held by Mr. C. T. Barton, the Deputy Coroner, at Wreningham on Monday as to the death of Harry Andrews (45), miller of Wreningham, who was found hanging from a beam in a shed at the Mill on Sunday (July 26) - Fredk. William Andrews of Keswick, brother of the deceased, said he sent the children of the deceased to find their father, to ask him to come to breakfast on Sunday about 9.30 am. They came back and told him their father was hanging from a beam in the shed near the Mill. Witness went and cut him down. Deceased was then quite dead. He had been much worried by business lately and had been depressed. P.c. Tuttle deposed to being called in to see the body. In his opinion deceased had been dead some hours. On his person was found a purse containing a cheque for £7. 9s. 7d., £2. 18s. 3½d. in cash and a return half ticket from Norwich to Ashwellthorpe.
Dereham & Fakenham Times - Saturday 1st August 1908

Kelly's 1912: Pillar Letter Box, near the Mill, cleared at 10.45 a.m. & 6.15 p.m. week days only.

c.1980 Harry Apling reported that Mrs. Agnes Cain, 12 West Raynham, Fakenham, whose mother was Harry Andrew’s daughter had a photo of the mill still in working order.

September 1786: Robert Long, owner, insured the mill for £200 with Royal Exchange Fire Insurance

Faden's map 1797: Windmill

Poll Book 1806: Edmund Cork, miller

July 1815: Mill advertised to be let

Bryant's map 1826: Windmill

Greenwood's map 1834: Windmill

White's 1836: Henry Buck, miller

February 1837: Mill advertised to be let

Census 1841: Dale ? (40), miller and family

Whites 1845: Thomas Tillett, miller

White's 1854: Thomas Tillett, corn miller

1856: Thomas Tillett, miller

White's 1864: Henry Banham, corn miller

1870: Henry Banham, miller

September 1870: Mill advertised for sale or let

1872: Thomas Nash, miller

Kelly's 1879: Thomas Nash, miller

Sunday 3rd August 1879: Mill damaged in a violent storm

O.S. map 1880: Windmill

White's 1883: Thomas Nash, corn miller

September 1884: Mill advertised for sale by private contract

1887: Mill still using common sails

1887: Mr. Bullemore & Vincent Jermyn, owners; Robert Andrews tenant miller at a rent of £30 p.a.

September 1887: Mill advertised for sale by auction

O.S. map 1887: Windmill

White's 1890: Robert Andrews, miller & corn merchant

Kelly's 1892: Harry Andrews, miller (steam & wind)

Kelly's 1896: Harry Andrews, miller (wind & steam)

Kelly's 1900: Harry Andrews, miller (steam & wind)

Kelly's 1904: Harry Andrews, miller (steam & wind)

26th July 1908: Harry Andrews committed suicide by hanging

Kelly's 1912: William Robert Bunting, miller (steam)

Kelly's 1916: William Robert Bunting, miller (steam)

Kelly's 1922: Herbert C. Aldridge, miller (steam)

Kelly's 1925: Herbert C. Aldridge, miller (steam)

Kelly's 1929: Herbert C. Aldridge, miller (steam)

Kelly's 1933: Herbert C. Aldridge, miller (steam)

Kelly's 1937: Herbert C. Aldridge, miller (steam) Fundenhall 239

1975: Mill site premises for Frank Aldridge (Norfolk) Ltd haulage company

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2004