Welcome to Nathanville

Red Mill, a derilict Windmill, now a holiday home.  On first approaching the Windmill from across the fields it looks very much like a derilict windmill, but first impressions are very desceptive.  Once there, it is a windmill of Inner Beauty, and a most wonderful place from which to holiday.

The stairs are quite narrow and steep so you need to be reasonably fit to stay there, but then I guess if you are opting for a holiday in the countryside you are likely to be anyway.  And if you love nature, wildlife and the countryside, and the isolation of the place you should certainly enjoy every moment of your stay at Red Mill. 

Red Mill, built during the Victorian era stands on a triangular inland island of about 2000 acres of marsh land.  The Windmill on Haddiscoe island, in the Norfolk Broads, is about 4.8 miles off the road and takes about 20 minutes to drive across fields at about 15mph which is the fastest one can safely drive on the dirt tracks from road to mill.  A most wonderful 20 minutes journey each time being confronted by a wide variety of wildlife e.g. swans, owls, herons, hairs, dears, sheep, cows, bulls and so on.  On most evenings going back to the Windmill we were stopped by a family of swans standing on the dirt track and who resented moving to let us pass, and we having no option but to keep to the track due to drainage ditches on either side.  On several occasions when going out in the mornings we were stopped by the infamous herd of black bulls.  Infamous because the black bulls get frequent mention in the Red Mill's guest book, one couple writing how the bulls tried to mount their car resulting in a £60 paint re-spray job.  On several occasions a black bull or two would temporarily stand in our way, but on one occasion the herd ambushed us and proceeded in pushing and shoving the car backwards towards the drainage ditch; but fortunately after what seemed like ages, but was in fact only a few minutes, a farmer came to the rescue.

Haddiscoe island (where the Windmill is sited) in Roman times was an estuary leading out to sea.  The Romans built a fort on either side of this estuary, Burgh Castle being one such fort and is visible from the windmill.  Burgh Castle isn't anything special to see, just three long weathered flint stone walls in a field, but the guide book "Burgh Castle and History" available from the local post office near the fort is packed with lots of local history and well worth getting.