EnglandsBuildings's video: Englands Buildings Gunton Park Saw Mill

Gunton Park Saw Mill is a water driven saw Mill situated in Norfolk. The land that is now Gunton Park was acquired by the Harbord family in 1670 for sporting use for which a hunting lodge was built. By damning the Hagon Beck two the lakes were formed, the Great Lake and the Gatehouse Pond which was visible from the front of the much extended hunting lodge. The Harbord’s had been ennobled in 1776 taking the title of Lord Suffield. As with many country estates except for specialist services the estate was self sufficient but it was the decision of the third Lord Suffield who took over the estate in 1821 to improve the estate that the decision was made to build the Watermill. With a considerable head of water behind the dam it made sense to use this as the power for the sawmill. The mill became a reality in 1824, timber and thatch structure that housed a frame saw and an early circular saw. These were driven by separate waterwheels, the water having been used exited via the tail race and returned to Hagon Beck which after joining with Suffield Beck and the Blackwater flowed into the River Bure. As would seem appropriate the pond providing the water which had changed its name to the Old Farmhouse Pond now became Sawmill Pond.