Flour Mill, water mill in County Tipperary (TS070-040112-)

In The Valley, Fethard (TS070-040----), on the S bank of the Clashawley River and immediately SW of Watergate Bridge (TS070-040017-). This watermill is indicated on the Grace map of 1708 at the SE end of a weir running NW-SE across the river (O'Keeffe 2003, map 5). It is indicated as a ‘Flour Mill’ on the 1st (1840) ed. OS 6-inch map, a roughly L-shaped building consisting of two rectangular blocks, one orientated N-S (max. L c. 11.2m; Wth c. 7-8m) and the other running E-W (L 14.68m; Wth 6.87m) from the W side of the N-S block. The weir is shown and named ‘Mill Weir’, appearing to meet the mill at the NW angle of the N-S block. The N-S block appears to be the earliest surviving portion of the watermill which was constructed of limestone rubble, roughly coursed, typical of medieval masonry. Of this block only the W end of the N wall (int. L 1.8m) and the W wall survive; also visible is the concrete floor which is now external. The S end of the W wall may be incorporated into the E gable of the upstanding E-W block, all external faces of which has a pebble-dash render. Only the external face of the N end of the W wall (L 4.33m; max. H c. 2.2m) is visible (the internal face has been refaced with masonry (L 5.15m; H 2.7m) and currently reads as an external wall). In this face there is an externally chamfered flat-headed single-light window (opening H 0.76m; Wth 0.16m; H above ext. ground level 1.24m; chamfer Wth 0.1m) of 16th/early 17th-century date. The cut limestone surround has punch-dressing with drafted margins. N of this, at ground level, there is a round-headed opening (Wth 2.1m; H 0.96m above ground) with voussoirs. The opening, now blocked up, gave access to the millrace. The N wall of the millrace, running NW-SE, joins the mill at the N end of its W wall. This millrace wall has been heightened. The lower courses (H 0.6m) project out 0.1m beyond the line of the later wall, which suggests that this part of the millrace is contemporary with the medieval phase of the mill. While the E-W block post-dates the medieval/early modern phase of the mill, as is evidenced by its N wall which runs into the S jamb of the N-S block window, its E gable is likely to contain pre-1700 fabric. See attached photographs: TS070-040112-_01 Exterior – N end of W wall TS070-040112-_02 Exterior – N end of W wall TS070-040112-_03 Exterior – S face of NW-SE wall TS070-040112-_04 Exterior – S face of NW-SE wall TS070-040112-_05 E gable of later mill building and W wall (interior) of earlier mill TS070-040112-_06 Interior - W wall and section of N wall of earlier mill TS070-040112-_07 N wall of earlier mill (heavily overgrown) and N face of NW-SE wall Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 2 March 2022