Just to let you all know the EH has not been back to me about the mill!
I think it's time everyone who wants to see the mill back in full working order should speak out and contact EH.

Ill be phoning them sometime this week to see what I can find out.

emails over the last 4 years from EH.

02 October 2002 13:31
Further to your recent e-mail concerning Berney Arms Windmill in Norfolk I am pleased to be able to confirm that in February 2002 repair and conservation of the mill commenced with the fabrication of four new stocks and sails, which have been completed and are presently in dry store.

Commencement of structural repairs to the cap is expected within the next six weeks and will begin with the removal of the cap from site to a workshop. A temporary roof will be placed on the brick tower of the mill to protect it during the winter months and then the repaired cap will be lifted back into position in Spring 2003.

At the beginning of summer 2003 the tower will be fully scaffolded in preparation for works to repair and re-tar the eroded exterior of the tower and then repairs and conservation will finally be completed at the end of the summer by hanging and commissioning the new sails.

I would like to thank you for your interest in Berney Arms Mill. It is an important feature of the Marsh and until recently its sails were a landmark amongst so many other marsh mills of which only the tower now remains. I hope that perhaps you will be able to find the time to return to Berney Arms in 2004 to see the repaired mill turning under sail once again.
18 August 2004 09:44

I sent this email to EH about 2 weeks ago, I've had no reply and the people who were in charge of restoring the mill who I used to speak to are no longer working for EH.
Do EH Give a **** anymore.
Think people should start complaining...

Over the last 3 years I have been in contact with people from English Heritage regarding the Berney arms Windmill in Norfolk.
I had many emails tell me the new sails for the windmill have been ready since 2002, every year they tell me the sails will be put onto the mill in the spring or summer. This has never happened. The Mill now looks derelict, for 6 years the mill has been without sails, it would have been better to leave the old sails on, at least the mill would still be looking like a windmill and not a brick tower.
I would just like to know a date when the mill will be restored back to full working order.
If not anything is to be done with the mill maybe it would be would be a good idea to hand the mill and the new sails over to the Northfolk Windmill Trust, who have been doing some great work on mills that were in a poorer condition than the Berney Arms.

Many Thanks For Your Time

Ron Smith

Came upon your interesting site whilst delving into the history of the old Beccles to Yarmouth stretch of railway. This was after a recent walk along the Waveney that passed the location of the swing bridge near Beccles.
Do you know where there are any photos of the bridge?

I received a postcard from my parents today who are in their second week on the broads. They report that the Berney Arms "mill is still boarded up and no sails"

They also say that there are not many boats out for this time of year. Could be the weather this summer or the fact that there are dwindling boat yards every year. At least they did not have to deal with a tornado which luckily petered out up the road from me before it reached my road!

Hi, just returned home from a week on the broads, and I have to say the best day we had was at the Berney Arms inn, what a quaint little pub, the hospitality we received was amazing. The food was excellent, and the beer was too. We took our grandchildren with us and all they keep saying is PLEASE CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT PUB PLEASE NAN. Anyway I just want to say if it wasn't for your web site we wouldn't have known it existed, so many many thanks to you and the Berney Arms.
xxx

Hi Guys, may I introduce myself, I am the station adopter for Berney Arms, normal clean up duties require picking up the odd bit of litter and weeds. I also report directly to One Railway about any problems, e.g the white platform edges have been repainted as soon as they have been reported as fading, recently myself and other helpers have cleared the platforms of weeds and grass, repainted the back fence (still on going as we speak) planted bulbs, cleared the bramble growth at the back and had a major litter pick, when we finish the east side of the fence (past the waiting shelter) we hope to start on the station approach path.
The main request we get is increase the trains at night, sorry under railway health and safety a train cannot call at a totally unlit station during darkness, plus at Berney Arms the platform and crossing also come into the problem with night time boarding (plus it's a request stop - how would the driver see you at night)
As for the most common item picked up in the litter, well apart from fag ends it's shoes or trainers - assume the ones which got wet in the marshes.
Any problems let me know or post it on here and it will get reported ASAP to One Railway if we don't spot it first.
Regards
James

Hi. When asking around about local green lane routes the Berney Arms has cropped up several times in conversation. Checking on the O.S. maps doesn't show a public right of way for vehicles. I am a member of a 4x4 owners club and a public house at the end of a good drive would make the ideal place for local members to meet. But obviously wanted to check the situation with access and I guess parking with yourselves.

On behalf of myself and www.the-norfolk-broads.co.uk could I ask if anyone here knows the exact status of the moorings in front of and upstream of the Berney Arms Mill? Is this also owned by English Heritage or is the entire frontage owned by the pub? I ask because the pub are it seems attempting to only allow mooring for their patrons whilst not everyone going to look at the mill necessarily wishes a meal or a drink

Really liked the old photos brought back many memories. Would be nice to have some of the other parts of the old broadland railway system relics of which still exist. (Haddiscoe High Level bridge and station for example)

Please arrange for more trains to call at Berney Arms railway station during the morning and evening rush hours.

Went for a walk across the Halvergate Marshes on Sunday, When I reached the Berney Arms I was disappointed to see that the sails still have not been replaced, and the doors padlocked. Any ideas on when the sails will be replaced, as it is already 4 years overdue!! What a shame

Still no sign of the sails on the Berney Mill and the mill remains closed to the public. It can only be opened for parties by arrangement by ringing 08453010006 or 01493857900.
The 5th Berney Arms Reunion will be held at The Berney Arms pub on Sunday 4th September at 12 noon. Everyone who is interested will be made welcome.

Shorebase has 9 more aerial photos taken 26/05/05. One of them shows the still sail-less Berney Arms mill.

The homepage is:
#@*%!://www.shorebase.co.uk/home/home.asp

The BBC Norfolk Broads Webcam is now back online. This season it's on a Broads Authority launch based on the River Bure.

The #@*%! is:
#@*%!://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/webcams/webcam_mobile_webcam.shtml

An excellent site. I used to go to Gt Yarmouth for childhood hols in the '50's & '60's. I found the railways fascinating then, and still do today. The pictures brought back many happy memories, especially walking along beside the long wall of the Beach Station, wondering when it was ever going to end! I must get back there one day, but I'm afraid that seeing the place again will ruin some of the memories that are locked away.

Excellent web site. I really enjoyed the railway photos in particular.

Just checking out my 19 century roots in Great Yarmouth when I stumbled across your site. Thrilled..... I will surely give the pub a visit next time !

Cheers Al

The length of Berney Arms platform is about the length of one or possibly two coaches of a normal train.

Can anyone tell me the length of the usable bit of Berney Arms station platform?

I've had a look around your excellent site and can't find the answer.

Darren
Sudbury Branch Line Website
SBL Forever!

With a surname like mine I am interested as to how this mill got the name "Polkey's mill. I know it came from Polkey Thaxter, but where did the first part originate?

Charles Polkey