Briggate Mill Under Threat from

New Village Resident

 

During the summer of 2007, a new resident, David Turner, moved into the village of Briggate, near Worstead, North Walsham in Norfolk to a property close to the site of the old watermill and steam mill. 

 

Aerial view of Briggate Mill site April 2007

prior to fencing in.

Photo courtesy of www.mike-page.co.uk

 

By November the villagers noticed the mill site had been securely fenced in and had allegedly been claimed by Mr Turner, as the true owner could not be found. The owner is believed to be known to the North Norfolk District Council as a Mrs Allen who lives in London.

 

Fence erected around the Briggate mill site

On the weekend of the 5th January 2008 a 360 mechanical tracked excavator and skip were used to clear and level the site surrounding the mill buildings. The site of the mill was recognised as an Environmentally Sensitive site. This site apparently had the only known Black Water Vole colony, in England. 

Photos taken on 5th January showing clearance work in progress on land surrounding the Briggate mill site

The villagers fear that Mr Turner is trying to "land grab" Briggate mill and an area on the opposite side of the road that used to be the mill dam with a view to developing the site for profit.

If you have any further information on this, please

For more photos, latest developments and a detailed history of Briggate mill,

please click on www.norfolkmills.co.uk/Watermills/briggate.html