As far as it can be ascertained, there has been a mill at Briggate for at least 200 years. White's Directory of Norfolk, dated 1845, makes mention of a mill and wharf at Bridgegate in the parish of Worstead. Bridgegate or Briggate as it is now called, is one of a number of hamlets which make up the village of Worstead a place with important associations with the weaving trade. The mill is situated on the North Walsham and Dilham Canal which opened in 1826 and was one of the main traffic routes used to bring goods to and from the mill. This was the only canal in Norfolk and was really canalisation of the river Ant. it was made wider than most other canals in order to accomadate the Norfolk Wherries. The canal was just over eight and three quarters miles long, ran from Smallburgh to Antingham and contained six locks: Honing, Briggate mill, Ebridge mill, Bacton woodmill, Swafield lower and Swafield upper. The last version of the mill was three storeys high and originally consisted of weather boarding set onto a wooden frame that was in turn built into the brick base on the ground floor. The foundations however, were from an older era. There were three lucums, one of which was set over water to take advantage of Wherry transport. A eight foot six inch head of water drove a breastshot wheel that was fourteen feet in diameterand six feetwide.
In the summer of 1890 the granary was destroyed by fire, fighting the blaze was such thirsty work for the firefighters that 59 gallons of beer were drunk and further supplies had to be rushed from Norwich to the nearby White Horse public house!
Brggate mill closed down in 1969 when the milling activites were moved to nearby Ebridge mill, one night in August 1975 the mill as completely gutted by fire, started purposely, rumour has it as an insurance job.
The mill and locks have stood as they are since then, the canal is now slowly being cleared again but the future of the mill is still uncertain.


The mill in 1920.


Bonus Pilbox beside mill pool.


Canal lock.


Water wheel pit.


Wheel pit sluice


Rear mill store


Front of mill store


Mill internal


Mill internal with charred timbers


Charred floor hatch



Burnt first floor external doors


Nature taking over


Remaining electrical socket


Burnt and charred joists


External drive wheel

Thanks