Heading for Horsey Mill NT
The Broads are manmade waterways. Along with many other mills, Horsey Mill was built to drain the water to create more farmland. Here are some facts quoted from. www.nationaltrustscones.com/2019/10/horsey-windpump.html?m=1
“Here are some historical facts:
There has been a drainage mill on the site since the early 1700s
There are similar mills dotted all around this part of Norfolk - by draining the land using wind power, landowners could make more area available for farming
Drainage continues today - there's an electric pump doing all the work these days, but if it wasn't there then the area would be flooded:
The area used to be an island used for grazing or keeping horses (hence the name), with one access road that regularly flooded
The current windpump structure was built in 1912 on the foundations of the 19th century mill
Horsey Windpump was working until 1943 when it was struck by lightning
It was acquired by the National Trust and has been restored - its sails were set in motion for the first time in 76 years in May this year, which must have been a great moment
As with all mills, it's not the most accessible property - there are several floors and 61 steps to negotiate to get right to the top, most of which are very narrow (I can report that the young sconepals cared not a jot about this and were scampering up the stairs like squirrels)”
Heading for Horsey Mill NT
The Broads are manmade waterways. Along with many other mills, Horsey Mill was built to drain the water to create more farmland. Here are some facts quoted from. www.nationaltrustscones.com/2019/10/horsey-windpump.html?m=1
“Here are some historical facts:
There has been a drainage mill on the site since the early 1700s
There are similar mills dotted all around this part of Norfolk - by draining the land using wind power, landowners could make more area available for farming
Drainage continues today - there's an electric pump doing all the work these days, but if it wasn't there then the area would be flooded:
The area used to be an island used for grazing or keeping horses (hence the name), with one access road that regularly flooded
The current windpump structure was built in 1912 on the foundations of the 19th century mill
Horsey Windpump was working until 1943 when it was struck by lightning
It was acquired by the National Trust and has been restored - its sails were set in motion for the first time in 76 years in May this year, which must have been a great moment
As with all mills, it's not the most accessible property - there are several floors and 61 steps to negotiate to get right to the top, most of which are very narrow (I can report that the young sconepals cared not a jot about this and were scampering up the stairs like squirrels)”