Necton Tower Mill Necton · Norfolk · England

Necton towermill stood in Mill Street. Norfolk Mills describes it as a five-storey tower mill with a Norfolk boat-shaped cap, petticoat, gallery and six-bladed fan. Four double-shuttered sails, each with nine bays of three shutters, powered three pairs of stones, a flour mill and jumper. By 1868 a bake office was being run on the site and auxiliary steam power had been installed.

The mill was associated with William Trundle, who appears to have moved to Necton from Little Cressingham around 1782. In 1783 a windmill and house at Necton were advertised together with the Little Cressingham watermill and windmill. Faden's map of 1797 marked a windmill at the site, and William Trundle was recorded as miller in the 1802 poll book. Bryant's map of 1826 also showed the windmill. The 1840 tithe award recorded John Trundle as owner and occupier of the mill and stable. John D. Trundle was later recorded as miller and baker, and in 1857 the mill was advertised to let with patent sails, three pairs of stones, flour mill, jumper, bake office, dwelling house and four acres of arable land.

In 1868 the property was advertised as a fine tower windmill driving three pairs of stones, with appliances for steam power, dwelling house, bake office, granaries, barn, stable, piggeries, orchard, garden and about three acres of land. Later millers included John Dunn, Frederick Trundle, Francis Nelson, John Henry Meek and John Nelson. Mrs A. Mitchell, daughter of John Nelson, later stated that her father took over as miller in 1896. Haze Howlett took over running the mill around 1901, and the mill was tail-winded about the same time.

By 1911 the mill was derelict but basically intact, with parts of the sail stocks missing. Haze Howlett continued to be listed as a baker in later directories. A Karl Wood painting of 1933 showed the mill with a three-storey tower and corrugated-iron roof, and in 1939 the tower still had Hovis signage. By 1949 only the single-storey base of the tower remained. By 1970 the base had been converted into a single-storey dwelling with a flat roof, standing close to the road near a shop and petrol pumps. In 1971 the base was in use as a storehouse, and in 1991 it was being used as a shop called Mum's Delight selling babyware.