First published 2010
Norfolk's windmills once numbered around 700 at their nineteenth century peak. These structures served as sentinels of industry, grinding corn and draining marshlands that allowed farming communities to flourish. The engineering feat began over 250 years ago when dykes and windpumps transformed waterlogged terrain into productive land. Today diesel and electric pumps have largely replaced the original drainage mills, yet many examples survive across the county in both operational and abandoned states. The Norfolk Broads contain the most famous survivors of this wind-powered heritage. Professional photographer Chris Herring presents his favorite mills from across the region, showcasing structures that helped shape the landscape visitors see today. His images capture both working mills and derelict remains, revealing the enduring romance of these historic monuments to human ingenuity and the harnessing of natural forces.
Genres: history, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, 19th-century, art-history, architecture, engineering
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-nonfiction
Setting: Norfolk, Norfolk Broads
Period: 19th Century
64 pages · Hardcover · PiXZ Books