On the death of Alphonso Vincent in 1932 , his son George inherited the property . He lived at the site in an old lorry until his death in 1973 . The mill passed to his daughter , who sold it in 1974 to Mr and Mrs Humphries , who intended to convert it into a house . They later changed their minds and offered it for sale for restoration . In 1976 , the cap of the mill was blown to pieces in a gale . Thelnetham windmill was purchased by five members of the Suffolk Mills Group in November 1979 , and plans for restoration were made . The consortium consisted of Mark Barnard , Charles Dolman , Peter Dolman , David Pearce and Chris Seago . The derelict mill and an acre of land cost £ 6 @,@ 000 .