Mill in Mosstown, County Longford

This does not grant access. Most recorded buildings are privately owned; view them only from public ground unless the owner allows entry.

What is recorded here

Read the whole record

Detached multiple-bay four-storey former flour mill on L-shaped plan, built c. 1800, now disused. Roof now collapsed. Roughcast rendered roughly coursed limestone walls. Square-headed window openings with tooled cut limestone sills. Square-headed door openings. Machinery now removed. Set at a bend in the road at the north end of a mill complex incorporating millrace to the west of site and interconnecting millponds to south. Tooled carved monolithic limestone gate pier to east of site. Former bathing house at edge of millpond to south of site, of roughly coursed limestone construction and having cast-iron boat rings to pond elevation. Located to the west of Keenagh.

The substantial remains of a large-scale former milling complex, which retains its enormous industrial scale and character despite its derelict condition. The remains of the millponds to the south and the millrace to the west provide an interesting historical insight into past industrial processes. It probably dates to the late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth century, which was a boom period for the Irish corn milling industry. It formerly had a breast water wheel, later replaced by a turbine. It was a source of employment for the town of Keenagh until 1912, when it accidentally burned down. The location of this mill adjacent to the east of the Royal Canal suggests that it may have availed of commercial opportunities associated with this transport amenity. Local landlords were often involved in the development of the canals and local industry and the location of a bathing house to the south of the site, accessible from the Mosstown Demesne, may indicate a landlord involvement in the development of this complex. This flour mill complex forms an attractive group in the landscape and represents an important part of the social history and the industrial and architectural heritage of the Keenagh/Mosstown area.

From the Buildings of Ireland (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage) record 13313004

Places near here

Photo credits

Maker not stated on source page, fi.pinterest.com
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Royalcanalrunner, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
JP, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Kmcnamee, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Maker not stated on source page, it.pinterest.com
Maker not stated on source page, uk.pinterest.com
Maker not stated on source page, www.findagrave.com

Standing stone in Mosstown (rathcline By.)Standing stone · 255 yd

Explorer Tom Standing stone in Mosstown is playing a game of peekaboo that’s got me losing my mind. It was on the old maps but…

kiln324 yd

Explorer Tom Kiln in Mosstown would describe the 1800s to a teenager as 'basically a giant oven for rocks.' This lime kiln is…

gates/railings/walls387 yd

Explorer Tom Gates in Mosstown are the remains of a deer park, so imagine angry stags charging through while you’re trying to look…

Mosstown HouseWalled garden · 475 yd

Explorer Tom Mosstown House in Mosstown is all walls and no house now, which is weirdly liberating. The Tudor doors are still…

41st LockLock · 559 yd

Explorer Tom 41st Lock tells its replacement that it looks cheap, like a plastic toy compared to this limestone masterpiece. It’s…

Coolnahinch BridgeBridge · 577 yd

Explorer Tom Coolnahinch Bridge in County Longford was built by an engineer who was definitely thinking about his next cup of tea.…

canal overflow651 yd

Explorer Tom Canal overflow in Mosstown in County Longford is where a priest once lost a bet and had to walk home barefoot. It’s…

Mosstown HarbourHarbour/dock/port · 880 yd

Explorer Tom Mosstown Harbour started because two lads bet they could build a canal stop with just rocks and luck. Now it’s…

McGann Park, KenaghGAA ground · 1051 yd

Ballyknock Castle (in Ruins)Castle, tower house · 1419 yd

Explorer Tom Ballyknock Castle is perched on a hillock like it’s trying to get a better signal on its ancient satellite dish. It…

Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Stonepark (moydow By.)Fairy fort / earthen ringfort · 1681 yd

Explorer Tom A local in Stonepark claims he invented this fort himself using a shovel and pure confidence. It is barely visible now…

Mapped graveyardGraveyard · 1.0 mi

Explorer Tom Mapped graveyard in County Longford gave up eating fresh flowers for Lent because it found them too distracting. It’s…

More historic places in County Longford · All of County Longford

Add to this placeAdd a picture Add a detailed tip Add a story

Explore the map1,095,414 places to discover