St Benet’s Abbey Gatehouse, nr Ludham, Norfolk, UK.
This Benedictine abbey is thought to have been founded c.1019AD, the abbey had been abandoned by 1545 and most buildings were demolished by 1580. The abbey gatehouse was built in the 14th century and largely survived destruction until around 1725, when the upper storey (known from drawing c.1720) was demolished and a windmill was constructed over the west end of the gatehouse. In the mills earliest phases, it appears to have been used for processing oilseed, after 1740 and until 1863 when it fell from use documentary sources only record it serving as a drainage mill.
For a cutaway showing the gatehouse structure inside the windmill see: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/st-benets-abbey-gatehouse-2-cutaway-50ccbac06f444c6782735bae74bfff5d
All photographs were taken from the ground or with the aid of a pole, hence poor coverage in some upper areas of the monument.
Grid reference: TG 3803 1579
Photographed 14 April 2023
Model created with Agisoft Metashape
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