Water mill — horizontal-wheeled in Bramblestown

In 1850 Prim (Anon. 1849-51, vol. 1, 155-6) related correspondence from Thomas Jekylle of Ballygub regarding the discovery of timbers from a mill. The works were carried out on, ‘the deepening of a river which runs through the Bramblestown estate, near Gowran, the property of the Right Hon. W. F. Tighe. It consisted of a frame-work, very rudely constructed of bog-deal, about eleven feet square, the scantling of each side being 10 by 16 inches [0.26-0.41m]; into which , as well for cross-bars or beams, as for upright posts, mortices were made in two places on each side; these are 10 to 12 [0.26-0.31m] by 2½ to 3 inches [0.07-0.075m] in dimensions, and these dimensions I give from the appearance which the sides and other parts presented during the process of excavation…The entire frame-work lay about four feet [1.2m] beneath the surface…we also made the interesting discovery of a quern, in fragments, which lay within the frame-work’ (ibid.). Prim notes that the ‘quern’ is an upper millstone, ‘though so small as to be but two feet five inches [0.73m] in diameter; and the other fragments, were, some of them, parts of the corresponding nether mill-stone, and the rest of a second upper stone’. Prim notes that there was no ‘excavation’ in the lower stone to receive the upper and no perforation for a handle, both of which would be present in a quern stone but not in a lower millstone. Prim concluded, ‘This would be sufficient to show that the timber structure, discovered on the rivulet at Bramblestown, was, undoubtedly, an ancient corn-mill’ (ibid.). There are several streams in Bramblestown, the main one runs roughly N-S northward through the S portion of the townland before turning eastward in the NE portion of the townland. The location of the probably horizontal watermill within the townland is unknown. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 13 October 2021