1800–1866
Tower mill built
Historic England describes the tower mill as early to mid nineteenth century.
Site overview
Tower Mill is the Historic England listed name for the former windmill on Ely Road in the parish of Downham, at Little Downham. The official list entry describes it as an early to mid nineteenth-century tower mill of tarred gault brick. It has three storeys, no internal surviving features, and window openings without frames.
Historic England records Grade II designation from 26 February 1985. Windmill World identifies the site as Little Downham tower mill and records it as house converted in 2017. Architectural material for the later conversion describes a contemporary dwelling scheme incorporating a nineteenth-century Grade II listed windmill, with the full height of the windmill remaining visible from the road.
The consulted sources do not give its builder, miller, machinery, sail arrangement, cap form or final working date. It survives as a listed tower-mill shell incorporated into residential use.
Map
Map markers and directions links are provided for location reference only and do not indicate public access or permission to enter a site.
No site photograph is currently available. Images will be added as field visits are carried out.
History
Tower Mill stands on Ely Road at Little Downham, within the parish of Downham. Historic England records the official listed name as Tower Mill and gives the statutory address as Tower Mill, Ely Road. Windmill World identifies the same site as Little Downham tower mill.
The listed building entry dates the mill to the early to mid nineteenth century and describes it as a tarred gault-brick tower mill. By the time of listing it survived as a three-storey tower with no internal surviving features and window openings without frames. The building was listed at Grade II on 26 February 1985.
Later specialist and architectural sources record the tower's residential conversion. Windmill World notes the site as house converted in 2017, while Freeman Brear Architects describe a project incorporating a nineteenth-century Grade II listed windmill into a contemporary home, with the tower kept visible from the road. The consulted sources do not identify the original owner, builder, millwright, millers, cap, sails, windshaft, millstones, gearing or date of closure.
The evidenced account is therefore centred on the survival of the early to mid nineteenth-century tarred brick tower and its later incorporation into domestic use.
Timeline
1985
Grade II listing
Tower Mill on Ely Road was listed at Grade II.
1985
Empty tower recorded
Historic England recorded the three-storey tower as having no internal surviving features.
2017
Residential conversion recorded
Windmill World records the Little Downham tower mill as house converted in 2017.
Sources and records
Historic England listed building entry for Tower Mill, Downham
Windmill World entry for Little Downham windmill
Freeman Brear Architects description of Tower Mill residential project
Historic England Images of England record for Tower Mill, Ely Road
Mills Archive material for Little Downham tower mill
Windmill World entry for Little Downham windmill
Freeman Brear Architects description of Tower Mill residential project
Historic England Images of England record for Tower Mill, Ely Road
Mills Archive material for Little Downham tower mill