Water mill — unclassified in Unknown Townland

Medieval watermill and mill race known as the 'Pool Mill' located on the N side of Ship Street Little formerly known as Pulle Street, to the SE of the 'Pole Gate' (DU018-020021-) and to the SW of 'Stanihurst's Tower' (DU018-020006-) a mural tower on the Dublin City walls with Dublin Castle (DU018-020488-) to the NE. The 'Pole Mills' are listed amongst the possessions of the Holy Trinity (Christ Church) in 1504 (Bradley & King 1987, 1, 40). They were powered by the River Poddle. Test trenching in 1992 exposed an in situ worked timber wheel which was probably part of this mill and evidence for the 13th century re-channelled course of the River Poddle (Scally 1992, 26; Clarke 2002, 26). The results of the excavations by Georgina Scally in 1992 at No's. 1-2, 6-7 Little Ship Street was summarised as follows; 'Test-trenching in advance of a possible acquisition of the site was carried out over the period of one day in December 1992. The site is located on the corner of Werburgh St and Little Ship St, the latter being known in medieval times as Pole Mill St., taking its name from a number of water-mills powered by the River Poddle which were located in this area. Three trenches were opened, each being dug through a 2.5m-4m depth of red-brick rubble, resulting from the demolition of a number of Georgian houses which had previously stood on the site. Between 2.2m-4.3m of archaeological stratigraphy was shown to exist on the site. The trenches were dug to a depth of 5.3m-8.3m and natural boulder clay was not exposed. In one of the trenches a substantial depth of a stoney gravel deposit was exposed, together with a number of possibly in situ worked timbers. It is likely that the deposits are part of the 13th-century rechannelled course of the River Poddle and the timbers may relate to the mills previously mentioned. Alternatively they may be revetting timbers along the side of the river channel; however, it is not possible to ascertain their purpose from such test-trenching. A 2nd trench exposed a 4.3m depth of more diverse deposits of silts and clays interspersed with organic debris containing animal bones, sea shells and hazelnuts. A number of barrel staves with internal lime accretions were identified, these may relate to leather tanning pits located adjacent to the river Poddle. A 3rd trench exposed a 2.2m depth of silts and clay with a small amount of organic deposits. Funding was provided by the developer' (1992:076 1-2,6-7 Little Ship St., Dublin; https://excavations.ie/report/1992/Dublin/0001271/). According to Smith (1857, 1) the church name of St Michael; ' "Le Pole" or "Le Poole" originated from the church being near the pool, or mill-pond, from which the Castle Mills were worked; or, possibly there was some reference to the name of the "Polls" "Poddle" or "Polebell” River, which ran along the city wall, and from which the millpond was supplied'. On Speed's 1610 map of Dublin City the watermill, millpond and millrace can be seen to the N of the church of St Michael le Pole where it runs parallel to the external face of Dublin City Wall. The watermill stood just outside the city wall and the to the S of St. Werburgh's Church and E of the City Gate called 'Pole Gate' (DU018-020021-) which is labelled no. 39 on Speed's 1610 Map of Dublin City. A lease made by the city in 1657, relating to a piece of ground adjoining the city walls, at the end of Ship street, near the mill-pond, there where the water-course runneth; and amongst the covenants of the lease is one : "that the Lessee do leave 'and permit the slip leading into the river, or water-course, then being three yards broad, to be in the place where now it is, "and that it shall not be stopped up at any time during the continuance of the lease' (ibid.). the name "St. Michael's, of Pols," or "de Paludibus," (on the original drawing made in 1751); and to that of the city gate near it, which was called the "Poule gate" and the passage leading to it, which was called "the Poule mill street" (ibid.). The mill-pond or 'pool' of this medieval watermill could be the pond or pool depicted on Rocque's 1756 Map of Dublin City which is shown midway along the N side of Little Ship Street. The Dublin White Book recorded a; 'Demand for four score and five pounds of pepper, arrears of rent of water-mills outside of St. Werburgh's gate [Pole Gate], from 1230-313 to 1318-19. Payment to be made at the exchequer on Monday next after [July 20] the festival of St. Margaret, Virgin' (CARD Vol. 1, 148). In 1385 the Dublin White Book recorded a; 'grant to Thomas Marewarde of the mill del Poll, with appurtenances. Annual rent during life, thirteen shillings and fourpence of silver, instead of double that amount as formerly' (CARD Vol. 1, 125). Smith, J.H. 1857 The Church and Round Tower of St. Michael Le Pole. Dublin. See attached Speed's 1610 Map of Dublin City which shows the watermill with mill race outside and running parallel to the Dublin City Walls, to the E of the 'Pole Gate' (No. 39) and to the S of St Werburgh's Church (no. 41) (DU018-020090-) with the church of St. Michael le Pole (DU018-020082-) to the S. See attached Google Street Maps showing the location of the watermill on Ship Street Little to the E of the Pole Gate Compiled by: Geraldine Stout Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 6 July 2023