Site overview
Flixton Road Mill is a former wind-powered corn mill at Bungay, Suffolk. It was built in 1830 as a six-storey tower mill and had four patent sails, a boat-shaped cap, a fantail, a stage at second-floor level, and three pairs of millstones. Auxiliary power was provided by an engine, with an external drive belt enclosed in a wooden casing.
The mill worked by wind until 1918, when it was struck by lightning. It was later truncated by one storey and converted to residential accommodation. The surviving former mill is Grade II listed as The Tower Mill and stands on Tower Mill Road.
Map
History
Flixton Road Mill, also listed as The Tower Mill, was built at Bungay in 1830. It was a six-storey tower mill designed for corn milling. The mill had four patent sails of ten bays, a boat-shaped cap winded by a fantail, and a stage at second-floor level.
Its machinery drove three pairs of millstones, with additional equipment including a dresser and jumper. Auxiliary engine power was available, and the external drive belt was carried in a wooden casing. The mill continued to work by wind until 1918, when lightning struck the structure.
After wind working ceased, the building was altered. It was reduced by one storey and converted into residential accommodation. The surviving tower is Grade II listed and is recorded as an early nineteenth-century former mill, now converted to a residence, with altered roof and no sails.
Timeline
Wind working ended
Listed as The Tower Mill
Sources and records
Suffolk Heritage Explorer monument record: Tower Mill Road, Bungay
Windmill World entry: Bungay windmill
Wikipedia article: Flixton Road Mill, Bungay