East Ruston New Mill East Ruston · Norfolk · England

East Ruston towermill was built in 1868 for John Rudd Turner by the millwright Thomas Smithdale of St Anne's Foundry, King Street, Norwich. The mill was known locally as New Mill, distinguishing it from the older East Ruston post mill, sometimes known as High Mill or Old Mill. The tower is red brick and was built with six storeys.

Norfolk Mills records the height as 64 feet to the tip of the upper sail. It was said to have been originally fitted with cloth sails before later being converted to double shuttered sails, which would make it the last known newly built Norfolk mill to have started with common sails. By the late nineteenth century it had four double shuttered sails, each with nine bays of three shutters, struck by rack and pinion.

The boat-shaped cap had a petticoat, gallery and eight-bladed fan. A stage was set around just above the second floor, dropping to loading-door level. The second floor was the stone floor and held three pairs of stones.

Two pairs were later worked by steam power through an external pulley wheel. John Rudd Turner's sons, George Robert Turner and Horace Turner, took over the mill from their father by conveyance of sale dated 6 April 1873. Robert and Horace traded as Turner Brothers from 1875 to 1900 and had installed a steam engine for auxiliary power by 1883.

Horace Turner later entered partnership with his sons from 1904 to 1908. The mill was advertised for sale by auction on 25 November 1919. Herbert Walter Turner, who had been running the tower mill from about 1912, appears to have bought it, while John Rudd Turner took on the adjacent steam mill.

Herbert Walter Turner was the last miller to run the tower mill. In 1926 the mill was still wind powered, but by 1936 only one pair of sails remained after lightning damage. Production ceased in 1946 and the mill was derelict by 1949.

Machinery remained until about 1962, when it was removed. The surviving tower was later recorded as a red-brick shell with five floors, no cap, sails or fantail, retaining the memory of its former stage, iron windshaft, iron wallower, wooden upright shaft and iron great spur wheel with wooden cogs.