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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <script async="async" src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-QVC3JNXR3E"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-QVC3JNXR3E'); </script> <title>Norfolk Mills - Harleston 20th Century steam mill</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <link href="../Linkstyle.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <style type="text/css">  </style> <link href="../Font10.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <style type="text/css">  </style> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFF9F9" link="#0000FF" vlink="#990000"> <a name="top" id="top"></a> <br /> <table width="300" border="5" align="center" bgcolor="#C5E6FE"> <tr> <td> <div align="center" class="style6"><font size="7" color="#000066">Harleston<br /> 20th Century <br /> Steam Mill</font></div> </td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="158" border="1" align="center" cellpadding="3" bgcolor="#C5E6FE"> <tr> <td width="70" height="20"><div align="center" class="style11"> <div align="left" class="style19"> <div align="right" class="style26"> <div align="center"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" color="#0000FF"><a href="../index.html" class="style19">Home</a></font></div> </div> </div> </div> <div align="center" class="style11"></div></td> <td width="64"><div align="center"><font color="#0000FF" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif"><a href="../contact.html" class="style19">Contact</a></font></div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="522" border="1" align="center" cellpadding="3" bgcolor="#C5E6FE"> <tr> <td width="110" height="20"><div align="center" class="style11"> <div align="left" class="style19"> <div align="center"><a href="../windmills-corn.html"><font color="#0000FF" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif">Corn Windmills</font></a></div> </div> </div></td> <td width="100" valign="middle"><div align="center" class="style19"> <div align="center"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" color="#0000FF"><a href="../watermills.html">Watermills</a></font></div> </div></td> <td width="150" valign="top"><div align="center"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" color="#0000FF"><a href="../windmills-corn.html" class="style19">Drainage Windpumps</a></font></div></td> <td width="120" valign="middle"><div align="center"><a href="../steam-mills.html">Steam Mills</a></div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="600" align="center"> <tr> <td><img src="../images-steam/Harleston-20th-Century-steam-mill-c.1906.jpg" alt="c.1906" width="600" height="403" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="17"><div align="center"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2">c.1906<br /> </font></div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="1000" align="center"> <tr> <td valign="bottom"><img src="../images-steam/Harleston-20th-Century-steam-ad-4Aug1866.jpg" alt="1866" width="500" height="650" /></td> <td><img src="../images-steam/Harleston-20th-Century-steam-ad-4-Aug1866.jpg" alt="1866" width="500" height="667" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="17" colspan="2"><div align="center"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2">Sale Document - August 1866<br /> </font></div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="900" align="center"> <tr> <td><img src="../Maps/Harleston-20th-Century-steam-mill-map-1866.jpg" alt="1866 map" width="900" height="871" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="17"><div align="center"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2">Sale Document map - August 1866<br /> </font></div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="640" align="center" bgcolor="#FFE6E6"> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif">Harleston 20th Century steam roller mill and maltings, beside the Great Eastern Railway, was bought by Henry Hudson in 1895, when he left <a href="../Windmills/harleston-jays-green-towermill.html">Jay's Green towermill</a>, where he had been in business with </font><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" color="#000066"><span class="style4"> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> </script> </span></font><font size="2" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif">William Blackwood.</font><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" color="#000066"><span class="style4"> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> </script> </span></font> </td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="500" border="1" align="center"> <tr> <td><img src="../images-steam/Harleston-20th-Century-steam-ad-May-1906.jpg" alt="Unsuccessful sale" width="500" height="219" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="17"><div align="center"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2">Unsuccessful sale - Norfolk News - 26th May 1906 <br /> </font></div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="640" align="center" bgcolor="#FFE6E6"> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif">It would appear that the mill had closed down by 1908 as Kelly's directory of that year lists Henry Hudson as being at the Magpie Hotel and there is no mention of the mill. Henry Hudson having left the mill and business when he married the widow owner of Harleston Magpie.</font><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" color="#000066"><span class="style4"> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> </script> </span></font> </td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="640" align="center" bgcolor="#FFE6E6"> <tr> <td><div> <div align="justify" class="style10"> <div class="style12">'Mill Premises, known as '20th Century Roller Flour Mills' with stores, granaries and stabling contained a five bedroom house, garden, offices and two cottages and was the property of Henry Leonard Hudson. He was a prominent business man in the town and had been a director of Harvey and Hudson the bank which became bankrupt and was bought by Gurney and Co in 1870. The rolling plant of two sacks capacity was contained in a four storey building.</div> <div class="style12">On the ground floor was the engine house with a 20 hp horizontal girder steam driven engine. Adjoining was a stone floor containing two pairs of 4 ft French Burr stones, wheat dressing machinery, wheat screener (used for removing dust and dirt from grain prior to grinding) with all the necessary gears, pulleys and hoists. the second floor had a rotary scalper and sifter, a double purifier and 3 flour mixers. the dust collector was on the fourth floor.</div> <div class="style11"><em>The whole property, with immediate possession was offered for sale at the Magpie Hotel in May 1906 when Henry Hudson at 58 years old, decided to retire from the business. In fact he took on the Magpie Hotel. Charles Marston of <a href="../Watermills/bungay.html">Bungay</a> took over the mill in 1909, and on his death in 1919 it was passed to his son Charles Candace Marston who in 1923 was awarded the prestigious silver challenge cup ' The Miller' at the baker's exhibition.'</em><br /> Whatever happened to Musketts? - Harleston Heritage Group </div> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="640" align="center" bgcolor="#FFE6E6"> <tr> <td><div> <div align="justify" class="style10"> <div><span class="style12"> </span> <div class="style12">Harleston Mill was in 1935 producing meat pies. The premises were rented by British Cooked Meats, which was owned by the butcher Frank Spurgeon* and a farmer from Alburgh, Harry Andrews. At the outbreak of the war, the Army commandeered the mill and soldiers from the Camerons Highlanders were stationed there. They used the facilities there to produce food for the troops. At the end of the war, the mill was taken over by the British Government and used as a sugar store until it was discovered that virtually all the sacks of sugar had been attacked by rats. By 1851 it had come under the ownership of Charles Candace Marston, who was still trading as Charles Marston (<a href="../Watermills/bungay.html">Bungay</a>) Ltd, Harleston Norfolk. he had bought the property  in 1909 for £600. The company was a subsidiary of Hovis and Co. In 1956 Hovis amalgamated with McDougall and flour continued to be produced at Harleston, and the mill buildings were demolished soon after. To prevent the flour dust from falling through the floor, the heavy boards had been jointed as tongue and groove with a zinc strip inserted in the joint to perfectly seal between the boards. These floors were fifty feet long'</div> <div class="style12"> *Frank Spurgeon occupied the neighbouring premises from at least 1933 - the family business returned only a few years ago and is now in different more central premises</div> <span class="style12"></span><span class="style11">Whatever happened to Musketts? - Harleston Heritage Group </span></div> </div> </div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="414" border="1" align="center"> <tr> <td><img src="../images-steam/Harleston-railway-steam-ad-Sep1909.jpg" alt="Diss Express - 24th September 1909 " width="414" height="334" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="17"><div align="center"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2">Diss Express - 24th September 1909 <br /> </font></div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="640" align="center" bgcolor="#FFE6E6"> <tr> <td><div> <div align="justify" class="style10"> <div><span class="style12"> </span> <div class="style12">Probaby William Oliver Brock who would have then been in his mid 40-s.  In the 1911 census he was living in one of the grand pseudo regency terrace houses on the London Road - Wilderness Terrace and described himself as assisting in the Corn and Coal Business.  Corn and Coal being the main string of the Hudsons commercial bow.  The 1901 census had him claiming to be a manager in the same business.  I suspect he took on the Mills when his boss retired and overextended himself, may have been forced to sell on to the Marstons who had deeper pockets</div> <span class="style12"></span><span class="style11">Kate Chenneour - 4th May 2023 </span></div> </div> </div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="800" border="1" align="center"> <tr> <td><img src="../Maps/Harleston-20th-Century-steam-mill-map-1903.jpg" alt="1903" width="800" height="450" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td><div align="center"> <p><span class="style7"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2">O. S. Map 1903<br /> </font><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="1">Courtesy of NLS map images</font></span></p> </div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="640" align="center" bgcolor="#FFE6E6"> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif">Kelly's 1912: Henry Hudson (Mrs.) Magpie family & commercial hotel, Market place </font> </td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="640" align="center" bgcolor="#FFE6E6"> <tr> <td><p><font size="2" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif">White's 1864: Henry L. Hudson, corn miller <br /> <br /> Saturday 4th August 1866: Mill advertised for sale by auction <br /> <br /> Kelly's 1896: Henry Hudson, miller (steam) coal, corn, & general merchant & maltster, Redenhall road </font></p> <table width="640"> <tr> <td width="80" valign="top"><font size="2" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif">Kelly's 1900: </font></td> <td width="548"><div align="justify"> Hudson Henry, miller (steam) (E. R. & F. Turner's roller process), coal, corn & general merchant & maltster, 20th Century flour mills & farmer, Darby's farm, Redenhall </div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="640"> <tr> <td width="80" valign="top"><font size="2" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif">Kelly's 1904: </font></td> <td width="548"><div align="justify"> Hudson Henry, miller (steam) (E. R. & F. Turner's roller process), coal, corn & general merchant & maltster, 20th Century flour mills & farmer </div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> 1909: Charles Marston took over the Mill <br /> <br /> 6th October 1909: Mill machinery and contents sold by auction<br /> <br /> Kelly's 1912: Charles Marston, corn & flour merchant, Railway station <br /> <br /> 1935: British Cooked Meats producing meat pies on the mill premises <br /> <br /> c.1955: Mill demolished </td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="577" align="center" bgcolor="#FFE6E6"> <tr> <td><div align="justify"><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" size="2">If you have any memories, anecdotes or photos please let us know and we may be able to use them to update the site. By all means telephone 07836 675369 or </font><font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif" color="#000066"><span class="style4"> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> </script> </span></font> </div></td> </tr> </table> <br /> <table width="640" align="center"> <tr> <td width="188">Nat Grid Ref TM24648360</td> <td width="243"><div align="center"><font size="2" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif"><a href="#top"><b>Top of Page</b></a></font></div></td> <td width="193"><div align="right"><font size="1" face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif">Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2007</font></div></td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>