Irstead mill awarded £243K by Historic England for repairs

A historic drainage mill on the Broads has been awarded £242,870 to fund repairs.

The grant from Historic England will be spent on the restoration of Turf Fen Drainage Mill in Irstead, Norfolk.

Historic England said young millwrights would be able to develop their skills working on the project.

The Grade II* listed mill, owned by Norfolk County Council, was added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register in 2023.

The Broads landmark is one of three drainage mills that sit on the How Hill estate.

It was built in about 1880, by millwright William Rust, to drain the surrounding marshland into the River Ant and make the fields on the west bank suitable for grazing livestock. 

Standing at 31ft (9.4m), with a brick tower and a wooden main shaft, it is topped by a boat-shaped cap.

The mill was constructed with four double-shuttered sails and with both high or low gears. It fell out of use in the 1920s.

Heritage England said it was now in a poor condition and at risk from further deterioration.

The ground floor floods, the cap needs attention, there are currently no sails, and it can only be accessed by the river.

It is planned that repairs to the mill will be completed by 2026.

Sarah Morrison, Historic England architect, said the restoration would "enable better access to the site and tell the story of how such mills shaped the local landscape".

Andrew Farrell, of the Broads Authority, said: "Turf Fen is one of our most iconic mills and an important part of the Broads National Park's built heritage.

"This investment from Historic England will help to ensure that the skills to repair and restore these mills remain in our area, and ensure that this beautiful and rare example of the engineering that shaped our landscape remains for many more decades to come." 

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