Despite the existence of well-preserved Domesday records of 1086 for Martham and the 1292 Stowe Survey neither show any evidence of windmills at Martham.
Much later, Martham had at least three wind mills, or corn mills, and some that looked like it but were in fact drainage mills used primarily during the winter months to drain excess water off the marshes. Drained marshland led to earlier crop production and reaching the market first produced better profits. Land values and rentals increased accordingly. Drainage mills are not technically mills, they are wind pumps.
Corn windmills, as a fixed structure, would only work if the wind was blowing in the right direction so the post mill which could be turned into the wind on a central post was soon preferred. A logical development was to build them higher and so the tower mill was developed and only the cap holding the sails revolved on an iron ring, like a rail, at the top of the tower.
Martham had a post mill, two tower mills and three wind pumps. The mills each have their own page which can be selected by clicking on the list below. In addition there are pages that give you information about some of the millers at the windmills.
Windmills and Wind Pumps
Hemsby Road post and tower windmills
Martham Boat Building windpump
Martham Pits skeleton windpump