Union Mills, Burnham Overy

The watermill was built in 1737, this date being recorded on the watermill. The windmill was built in 1814 and bears a tablet inscribed T. B. 1814 PEACE, referring to the banishment of Napoleon to Elba in that year. In 1896, the mills had a steam engine as auxiliary power. This had been replaced by a gas engine by 1925. In May 1935, the mill tower was burnt out in a fire. The tower was refitted, and the former conical roof replaced with two cowled ventilators. An oil engine was the auxiliary power source in 1937. On 1 February 1953, the mills were flooded to a depth of 7 ft. The mills were still in use at this time but had ceased working by 1969. In 1999 the mills were purchased for…

The windmill is a six-storey tower mill with an ogee cap which has a gallery. There is a stage at third-floor level. The mill had four double Patent sails carried on a cast-iron windshaft. The windmill drove two pairs of French Burr millstones, and was also capable of driving the three pairs of French Burr millstones in the watermill. The watermill is a three-storey brick building with a roof of pantiles. It is powered by an undershot Poncelet waterwheel made by Whitmore & Binyon, the Wickham Market, Suffolk, millwrights. The watermill drove three pairs of French Burr millstones and was also capable of driving the two pairs of French Burr millstones in the windmill.