mill (water)

Detached three-bay two-storey water-powered corn mill, built c.1780 and refurbished c.1850, having breast-shot water-wheel and timber gate to east elevation. Replacement hipped slate roof with red brick eaves course and replacement rainwater goods. Coursed, squared and snecked rubble sandstone and limestone walls having squared tooled block-and-start sandstone quoins. Gauged-brick segmental-headed window openings with sandstone sills, red brick surrounds, timber fittings and metal window frames. Gauged-brick segmental-headed window opening with sandstone sill, red brick surround and timber fittings to ground floor to rear (south) elevation. Square-headed pitching door to first floor to rear, having red brick surrounds and double-leaf timber battened door, accessed via platform over half-elliptical arch, with gauged tooled sandstone voussoirs, bridging channel to rear. Gauged-brick square-headed door opening to front with timber lintel. Corn milling machinery to interior. Breast-shot water-wheel in rubble stone-lined wheel-pit to east, having timber axle, paddles and spokes, and cast-iron hub.

This mill building is a subtle feature within the local landscape, sited in a farmyard. It retains its original form and salient features, most notably the water-wheel and corn milling machinery to the interior, which are important contextual features rarely found extant in sites such as this. The building was ruinous in the 1838 OS survey memoir, and was later repaired and brought back into operation, remaining in use until c.1966. Used to mill crops grown locally, it was of social and economic significance in the Scotstown area.