The sail shutters were removed in 1934 and stored in the mill and the fantail was lost in a storm in the 1940s.

A hundred years old, Buttrums Mill was still in excellent condition and East Suffolk County Council took the decision to save it, as a county example of a brick tower mill.

In 1950 the County Council took a 99-year lease on the mill, taking responsibility for maintenance of the structure and machinery.

Repairs have been made over the years, the most spectacular being the replacement of the fantail gear and the construction of new sails and shutters. Buttrums Mill came alive again as the sails turned to the wind for the first time in 50 years.