Water mill — horizontal-wheeled in Ballygarriff

Located on the SE bank of a NE-flowing stream. In the 1980’s two large timbers were exposed on the banks of a stream, c. 0.6m above the water surface, in a sloping cutting, which was made to facilitate cattle access to the water. The timbers represent the in situ remnants of a horizontal water mill. The two timbers lie at right-angles to each other and appear to be mortised together. The larger timber (L 2.34m, Wth 0.15m; D 0.25m), aligned N−S, is rectangular in cross-section. The second timber (L 2.11m; Wth 0.15m), aligned E−W, was embedded in the ground and its depth could not be measured, but a shallow groove (Wth 0.25m) cuts across the upper face 0.75m from its E end. A fragment (max. dim. 0.25m) of a millstone lies in the angle between the two timbers. The fragment represents about a third of a circular millstone with diameter c. 0.75m, and with a central perforation c. 0.15m in diameter. A second broken millstone was found in the stream bed, and consists of half of a millstone of diameter 0.65m, with a central perforation of diameter 13.5m. The upper edge of this stone is bevelled, and there is a lip (Wth 0.025m) encircling the central perforation. In 1985, an OPW drainage scheme was undertaken along the course of the stream. The works were archaeologically supervised to prevent damage to the timbers. The millstone fragment, which lay in the stream bed, was moved and placed beside the timbers. The timbers were then covered with soil. A cutting was opened in the bank of the stream c. 10m E of the timbers to allow cattle access to the stream, and thus minimise further disturbance to the site of the horizontal mill. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 29 January 2018