2010

TL9369 : Waterwheel at Pakenham Mill

taken 16 years ago, near to Ixworth, Suffolk, England

Waterwheel at Pakenham Mill
Waterwheel at Pakenham Mill
A view of the waterwheel, in working order. It is over 100 years old, due to its age it needs £40,000 of restoration. Mainly to replace the rotting buckets.
It is breast shot, a half way between undershot and overshot. The original was undershot which is less efficient. When the mill was rebuilt there was a massive project to increase the height of the pond so this wheel could be added.
Pakenham Watermill

Pakenham is a unique parish in Britain, being the only one with a working watermill and Windmill in the same gridsquare! TL9369 : Pakenham Windmill.
There has been a watermill on this spot since at least 1000 years when the Bishop of Suffolk, Theordred mentioned it in his will. In 1060 it was passed from Edward the Confessor King of England to the Abbey of St. Edmundsbury. The next record was the famous domesday report of 1086 which put it down as a 'winter mill'.
The Abbey was the owner until the dissolution by Henry the 8th between 1536 and 1541, being sold to Robert Spring in 1545, a Suffolk clothier. The foundations of the Tudor mill are still extant and it is thought this was built around this time. 1813 saw Charles Lowe take lease of the building, as part of the lease he spent £400 (a large sum then) building the present building. Putting his initials on the 1814 datestone. It was then that the mill was enlarged, with the pond and stream height. Making the water wheel a breast shot instead of a less efficient undershot. In 1903, ownership of the mill and the farmhouse was split. By 1930 a 17 horse power paraffin engine was installed (purchased third hand from another mill) replacing a steam engine, it would power the flour rolling mill and other machinery. The site was used mainly as a livestock food production unit, being closed only during the second world war (1939-45). It ceased to be a working mill in 1974. Being purchased by the Suffolk Building Preservation Trust. It has since been restored to working order complete with tearoom. It still grinds wholemeal flour from locally grown wheat. On some occasions bread is baked in the 18th century oven.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Ashley Dace and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Category: Waterwheel
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Pond [14] · Working Order [7] · Breast Shot [5] Other Photos: · Large Cogs - Pakenham · Pakenham - The Pit Wheel Title Clusters: · Waterwheel at Pakenham Mill [3] ·
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TL9369, 261 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Ashley Dace   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Thursday, 5 August, 2010   (more nearby)
Submitted
Thursday, 5 August, 2010
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TL 937 694 [100m precision]
WGS84: 52:17.3204N 0:50.3175E
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TL 937 693
View Direction
Northwest (about 315 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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