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Tucked away in a corner of south west Norfolk
lies Little Cressingham Mill. Dating back to 1821, it is unique.
The mill was built so that two pairs of stones
were driven by a waterwheel and another two by wind through the
sails of the windmill.
It's now in disrepair, but the Norfolk Windmill
Trust hasn't given up hope of restoring it to its former glory.
Amanda Ricks from the Norfolk Windmill Trust said:"It's
such a unique site.
"It's a wind and water mill combined. It's
got every part of industrial archaeology you want to see - it's
a dream."
Over the years the mill has deteriorated. After
the second world war a trap door in the mill was left open. Rain
got into the building and over the years the wooden floors have
become rotten.
In 1911 the mill lost one of its sails and was
deemed beyond repair. The mechanics of the watermill still work,
but as time has gone on the water source, a lake next to the mill,
has become over grown and water levels have dropped.
Michael Knights is the technical advisor to Norfolk's
Windmill Trust. He'd like to see the mill returned to its former
glory.
Michael Knights |
"The great thing is that all of this could be made
to work again if we can get the money and
the funding to restore this all."
The estimated cost of carrying out the work is
close to a million pounds. Amanda Ricks from the Norfolk Windmill
Trust believes it's worth saving.
"It's a major challenge and it's an awful lot
of money," she said.
"It's not just the building itself, it's the
rest of the site. The mill pond would need to be a lot bigger to
power the whole of the mill, but there's no doubt it would be worth
it."
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