North Walsham Engineer William Cubitt takes out a patent on his shuttered sail design.

Southdown Mill built at Great Yarmouth - 12 stories, 100' high and with 84' span sails - for £10,000.

One steam pump renders 70 windmills redundant at Ten Mile Bank, and a 28hp steam pump at Littleport replaces 75 wind pumps.

Norfolk Engineer & Millwright Thomas Smithdale born.

First record of a windmill on the Denver site by Ordinance Survey.

The Slavery Abolition Act comes into force, abolishing slavery throughout most of the British Empire.

Denver Post Mill demolished and present Tower Mill built for John Porter.

Milling Engineer Henry Simon born.

Queen Victoria accedes to the throne of the United Kingdom.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel's paddle steamer SS Great Western crossed to New York from Avonmouth.

Penny Post introduced in the UK and Penny Black stamp issued.

The Mines Act becomes law, prohibiting underground work for all women and boys under 10 years old in England

A suspension Bridge collapses in Great Yarmouth leaving 80 dead.

Start of the Irish Potato Famine

Act of Parliament passed to repeal the Corn Laws.

Thomas Smithdale establishes the St Anne's Foundry at St Anne's Wharf, Synagogue Street, off King Street in Norwich.

Cooke's Mill Stalham - the first to be fitted with patent sails - converted to steam power.

A pair of Peak stones cost £5, a pair of French Burrs £36.

Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace, London.

The first public toilet for women and the Palace of Westminster open in London.

John Gleaves takes over as miller at Denver.

Thomas Smithdale takes over Charlotte Buttifant & Son Millwrights and Engineers of King Street Norwich.

Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War.

Cholera epidemic kills 10,000 in London and by establishing that it is water born Dr John Snow forms the science of epidemiology.

David Livingstone becomes the first European to see the Victoria Falls.

The city of Denver, Colorado founded.

Start of British rule in India.

Severe storm hits the east coast of England sinking 100 ships and killing 40 people.

Start of the American Civil War

1869 Sainsburys open their first shop in Drury Lane, London and the Co-Op is founded in Manchester

John Porter - original owner of Denver Mill - died.

First fish and chip shop in London opens.

First section of the London Underground (Paddington to Farringdon Street) opens.

First industrial meat packing plant established at Fray Bentos, Uraguay.

Father and son John and James Gleaves running Denver Mill.

The first ship passes through the Suez Canal.

Full scale commercial roller milling and sieving in Austria, Hungary and the USA.

Denver Mill advertised for sale or let in the occupation of James Gleaves

After manufacturing much of J J Colman & Co's production equipment, Thomas Smithdale sets up the Gothic Mustard Works.

Joseph Rank buys his first windmill and struggles to make a living.

Henry Simon built his first  'Gradual Reduction' roller milling plant in Manchester.

First fully automatic roller flour mill built by Henry Simon for McDougall Brothers

Joseph Rank builds his first roller only mill at Alexandra Mill, Hull.

Thomas Harris born at Southery

The Association of British and Irish Millers complain to the British Government about the effect of American flour on the British market.

James Gleaves listed in Whites as corn miller and corn merchant at Denver Mill.

DC generators fitted to conventional windmills in Denmark by Prof Poul la Cours for village use.

Richard Hunt builds an 8 story, 8 sail windmill at Much Hadham with 4 pairs of burr stones for £5,000.

Denver Mill bought by Tom Edwin Harris, miller at Southery.

W S Barron & Son started at Sweetbriar Street, Kingsholm, Gloucester.

Thomas Smithdale and Son open works in Acle, Norfolk.

Thomas Smithdale and Son open works in Ramsey St. Mary, Huntingdon.

Southdown Mill, Great Yarmouth sold for £100 and demolished.

60 million bushels of wheat home grown, 300 million imported and nearly all roller milled.

Ashtree Farm windmill built by Smithdale's of Acle at "Nowhere" on the Bure loop out of Gt Yarmouth.

British Government rule that windmills can only produce animal feed.

Tom Harris dies and Denver Mill is inherited by his Engineer son Thomas Edwin

W S Barron move to new Bristol Road works in Gloucester and agree with Henry Simon to co-operate on technical and commercial matters but retain their independence.

Thomas Harris awarded the prestigious SPAB Windmill Section Certificate.

Denver windmill struck by lightning, damaging one of the sails and wind milling ceased.   Little Gem roller mill and boulter removed from Steam Mill where feed milling continued by diesel power from the Blackstone.

Ashtree Farm - the last operating wind pump - stops work after tail winding.

Billingford Mill - the last operating windmill - stops work.

Norfolk County Council commission R Thompson & Son to carry out a detailed survey of Denver Mill.

SPAB considered that Norfolk had a special heritage of windmills and approached Norfolk County Council to take a lead in their preservation.

Arthur Daines, miller at Billingford received no assistance to keep the mill going from SPAB who considered it Norfolk County council's responsibility.

Rex Wailes urges Norfolk County Council to take the lead with Billingford and announces a CPRE appeal.

Cecil Smithdale of Acle carries out an inspection at Denver Mill.

Floor and ladders replaced in Denver Windmill by the Norfolk Windmills Trust at a cost of £507.

Norfolk Windmills Trust formed 'For the Preservation of Windmills of Beauty or Historic Interest in or near the County of Norfolk'.

Barron & Sons merge with feed section of Henry Simon forming Simon-Barron Ltd.

Thomas Harris died and Denver Mill gifted to Norfolk County Council by Thomas' sister Edith Staines in memory of her father and brother.

Repairs to Denver Windmill curb completed at a cost of £914, paid for by CPRE, Downham RDC and Norfolk County Council.

Gales blow a sail off Denver Windmill, snapping the stock at the canister and damaging the gallery and office.

Thomas Smithdale & Son in Acle cease trading when Cecil (Thomas grandson) who ran the business since 1955, retired.

Millwright John Lawn fits the first pair of his Mk ll hollow steel stocks to Denver Windmill at a cost of £2,250.

A gale lifts the cap off Denver Windmill and damages the curb and repairs are agreed by the Norfolk Windmills Trust along with replacement of the external render.

The Abel family’s proposals of a fifteen year plan to turn round the business and establish a sustainable long term project are accepted by the Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust and Denver Mill Ltd takes on the lease.

Henry Simon Ltd and Thomas Robinson & Son merged to become Robinson Milling Systems Ltd

Denver Mill transferred to the Norfolk County Council & CPRE (Norfolk) run Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust who apply for grants and set up Denver Windmill Ltd to run the project.

Robinson Milling Systems Ltd acquired by Satake Corporation.

Denver Mill commercially producing flour for the first time in over 60 years.

Denver Mill re-opens as a working project with funding from the HLF, RDF and Local Authorities.

The project failing, Denver Windmill Ltd, the Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust and the Abel family brought together by the Norfolk Rural Business Advice Service.

The Mill has been here for nearly 200 years and it is easy to forget just how this fits in with the history and technology of the period.  These are some ‘mill’ based pointers to what was going on during that period.

Denver Mill one of three finalists in the Taste of England category for the 2009 Regional Enjoy England Awards for Excellence

Denver Mill one of three finalists in the Taste of England category for the 2010 Regional Enjoy England Awards for Excellence

15th January 2011

756 Kg local wheat milled in the Windmill - the most since 1941!

5th - 7th of February a further 1½ tonnes flour from the windmill.

4th October 2011

A John Lawn metal stock sheared whilst freewheeling during busy lunchtime and school visit.  Only prompt action by staff prevented a disaster turning into tragedy.

15th October 2011

Mill landlords the Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust admit to not being adequately insured.

Denver Mill takes first prize for stall and third prize for products at the North Norfolk Food Festival held at Holkham Hall, third prize at the Norfolk Smallholders Association show and shares an award with Poplar Farm for diversity.