Flour Mill

Situated in a short W-E valley with a small stream that joins a larger N-S stream c. 350m to the E. This point is c. 650m W of where the unified stream enters the N-S River Blackwater. Boyle had established ironworks at Ballynatray by 1606, and this was leased to Thomas Ledsham from 1632. In 1638 it produced more than 70 tons of iron (Power 1978, 34). Boyle owned the mill at Ballynatray in the Civil Survey (1654-56) (Simington 1942, 20). A grist mill is marked on the Bateman map of 1716 in this valley. A flour mill is marked here on the 1840 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, deriving its power from the N-S stream by a long mill-race (L c. 600m). The mill is described as a saw mill on the 1927 ed. of the map, and it is known locally to have continued in use as a sawmill until c. 1964. The central mill building is a four storey structure and probably dates from the 19th century and its use as a flour mill, but there is no evidence of Boyle's works. Power, T. (1978a) ‘Richard Boyle’s ironworks in Co. Waterford. Part 2’, Decies No. 7, 30-36. Simington, R. C. (ed.) (1942) The civil Survey AD 1654-1656, vi, the County of Waterford. Irish Manuscripts Commission. Dublin. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 01 March 2012