Number 37 July 2014 Spring Outing 2014: Gunton Sawmill
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BAHS Newsletter Number 37 www.history-blakeney-area.org.uk July 2014 Spring Outing 2014: Gunton Sawmill... Top: the frame saw carriage with timber to be cut. Above left: the lake that feeds the mill. Gunton Hall is in the distance behind the trees. Above right: the mill header pond which is fed via a sluice gate prior to starting the wheel. Water here is about 3 feet deep. Front cover: more machiney. n Monday 12th May, six- teen members of the BAHS ...and a Church or two Oset off for the water-pow- ered Sawmill in Gunton Park. The rain held off and we were wel- comed by Barré Funnell and his enthusiastic band of volunteers. Our visit began with a short climb up to the Lake behind the Mill; from here we could see the dam which held back the water needed to power the wheel. Once back under cover, the water was released and we watched, in some amazement, as the Saw chugged its way along the length of a 12 foot lime log to create a long, even plank of wood. The whole process took about 40 minutes. This historic Mill was built in the early days of the Industrial Revolution, between 1821 & 1824. It served the needs of the Estate for a hundred years until after the first world war, when it was replaced by a horse-drawn portable steam engine. Subsequently, the Watermill fell into disrepair and the skilled craftsmen who had looked after it became redundant. A circular frame-saw, powered by steam, continued to be used until the mid-Thirties. During the second world war, when there was great demand for timber, a steam-pow- ered sawmill was set up outside the building and operated with the help of a Scotch Derrick crane. The mill is open to the public on the last Sunday afternoon of the month, April to September. After such a fascinating display the Group needed some lunch, for which we went to the Erpingham Arms. Here we enjoyed a good meal in a relaxed setting, whilst it rained outside! With our batteries re-charged, we drove to St Mary’s Church which, along with Erpingham View down the nave of St Mary's where a churchwarden, Mrs Helen Church, is in the Scarrowbeck church, Erpingham showing Burrell, kindly greeted us. She Benefice. As at St Nicholas in the Victorian rood screen and gave us an interesting talk about Blakeney, the chancel dates back cross. The church is unusual in the history of the Church. This is to the 13th century. There were that it has an aisle on the bound up with the story of Sir some original Laudian communion south side but nothing on the Thomas Erpingham whose sur- rails and, at the west end, a fine north. It also has a 15th centu- name features around the top of looking 15th century font. It was ry tower with set of working the tower. He was in charge of the interesting to make the connection bells. As well as a fine 13th famous longbow archers at the between Calthorpe church and the century parish chest, with its Battle of Agincourt (600th early Calthorpe family who, sever- three locks, the church has Anniversary to be celebrated next al generations later, were to be so acquired a number of interest- year). influential in the coastal villages of ing relics from other Norfolk Our last stop was the Calthorpe the Glaven Valley. churches including the font Church of Our Lady & St Margaret Diana Cooke from St Benedict's in Norwich. News from the History Centre Summer Openings In a bold move this year, the History Centre will open every Tuesday morning during the months of July, August and September from 10.30am to 1.00pm. If these hours are not suitable then it may be possible to arrange an opening at an alterna- tive time, for a small fee, and as always, subject to the availability of a volunteer. Simply phone 01263 740388 to make arrange- Follow the connection, all will be explained on the Summer ments. Outing: Thaxters of Holt (above left), end of the line for Page and Turner The Centre now holds thou- Seed Merchants where both their names and business can just be seen sands of records, books, family painted on the bricks. This was their last commercial office as they history folders, cuttings, maps, ceased trading in 1922. The Merchant’s House (above right) in the heart and photographs relevant to of the High Street, Blakeney, home of Randle Brereton some 200 years Salthouse, Cley, Blakeney, ago when he added the fine Georgian front then, more latterly, the home Wiveton, Morston and all neigh- of Martin Fountain Page. bouring parishes inland to Letheringsett. People and places, Date, time and cost are on the sequently there were uncertainties from medieval to modern, are well Back Page. Please note that you and gaps, furthermore, the true represented and this is certainly should secure your place early to identity of a few servicemen has the place to make enquiries and avoid disappointment as numbers remained unresolved till this day, start your research. must be strictly limited and after- 100 years on. Nevertheless it was noon teas booked in advance. an excellent start at a time when September Outing the information was not so readily Another activity later this summer World War 1 available. will be an afternoon 'walk and In 1998, on the 80th anniversary Surely, with so much informa- talk' exploring the evolution of the of the end of the Great War, Mary tion now available on the web, Merchant House, once part of the Ferroussat began a series of arti- there can be no better time than Page and Turner estates, in the cles that were published in the now to make a determined effort very heart of Blakeney High Glaven Historian nos 1, 2 and 3. to identify everyone on the memo- Street. All are currently available to read rials and thus honour their contri- Page and Turner were business on our website www.history-blak- bution. The History Centre is also partners, the last of the Blakeney eney-area.org.uk. compiling a log of all those serv- shipping magnates, following in • the first article listed Blakeney icemen and women who survived. the footsteps of the Temples, War Memorials and the names It is their legacy and our heritage Breretons, Robert Wells and of servicemen commenorated that we are honouring. Augustus Hill. At their zenith, thereon. So if you have a relative who these properties extended from • the next, a list of War was born, lived or had a family New Road in the west to Back Memorials in Cley, Wiveton, connection to any of our local par- Lane in the east. The walk will Glandford and Letheringsett, ishes and served in WWI and begin with the Merchant's House, together with a Summary Table would like their name to be placed the first Page home, exploring how listing all those who died in on record, please contact Pam the property grew in size from WWI with brief biographical Peake on 01263 740388 or post/ 1769 then contracted in the 20th details for each man. leave information at the History century, as fortuned waxed and • the final article was a summary Centre together with your contact waned. of what was known about local details. Thank you. Moving up the High Street, the men from Blakeney, Later in the year, you will be 'walk and talk' will widen out to Letheringsett and Wiveton – able to follow our progress by vis- explore properties such as Ponds but not Cley – who served and iting the BAHS display boards in Court, the Methodist Chapel, died in WWII. the north aisle of Blakeney Blakeney Neighbourhood cottages Church. These boards will form a and the Nora Clogstoun/John At the time Mary Ferroussat small, ever changing exhibition Wallace connection before arriving was careful to note that the infor- that will run till 2018. They will at the last merchant house, the mation for WWI was neither nec- highlight various aspects of the Turner home, for afternoon tea. essarily complete nor correct con- (continued on page 7) Zeppelins over Bayfield he recent screening of the television documentary cov- Tering the Zeppelin bombing of Great Britain during WW1 high- lighted the East Coast as a part of the new 'civilian' front line. The first raid involved two Zeppelins, L3 and L4. L3 bombed Great Yarmouth during the night of 19th January 1915 and L4 Kings Lynn. The Zeppelin raid proved to be an sky somewhere in Holt direction. A The EDP of November 23rd unexpected and terrifying develop- lull in the banging then Harman's 1963 published a letter in a series ment of warfare against the quiet voice at the door asking about the Zeppelin raids “Miss British mainland that the navy ‘what about the jewelry'. Very Appleton moved to Weybourne in was expected to defend. Initially thoughtful but what a comparative 1916 and in May witnessed a there was no defence. value jewelry seemed to have Zeppelin brought down in flames in A war diary attributed to Edith when one felt what are the bombs the sea, one airman was dragged Upcher of Sheringham Hall doing and whose turn next.” ashore and was later buried at recorded a Zeppelin raid on the The bombs dropped by this Weyboune.” North Norfolk coast (NRO UPC 188, Zeppelin fell around Bayfleld In the days before Radar, the 642 x 2 25 Feb 1916-23 Mar 1916): Lodge, most in the fields where only way to have advanced warn- "Perhaps the Zeppelin raid they made 8 large holes in which ing of bombing raids, whether by makes a good landmark — or war 22 men could stand.