Water mill

The central mill is perhaps the last structure to have been constructed and marks Phase 5, as its headrace (Wth 2.2-4.5m; D 0.45-1.45m) cuts through features associated with the habitation S of the burial ground (ME045-036003-) and all the major boundaries (ME045-036006-) and features in this area. The source of this headrace could be c. 20m W of the excavation limit, and its E end must have been an elevated wooden channel/flume as a stratigraphic gap (L c. 12m) intervenes before the stone-built undercroft. The undercroft pit (dims 5.45m E-W; 3.35m N-S; max. D 1.15m) has a large ramp notch (dims 1.25-1.65m E-W; 0.9m N-S; D 0.42-0.9m) in its W edge to support the flume sloping steeply downwards at this point. The undercroft was retained by stone walls at N and S, and the interior was filled with the collapse of these walls. Any timbers from this mill structure had been removed before its complete abandonment, and a single sherd of Dublin Ware, dating from the late twelfth/thirteenth century, was recovered from its upper fill. The undercroft merges easily with the tailrace, which narrows slightly and does not have stonework. (Seaver 2009, 92-96) Sporadic activity from Phase 5 occurs in other areas, including at least one burial. Some gullies and hearths are being utilised S of the silted ditches of the burial ground and metaled surfaces created overlying major field boundaries and ditches from the rectangular enclosure of Phase 3. One hearth contained cereals with dates of 890-1000 cal. AD and 955-990 cal. AD as well as a rotary quern. (ibid. 96-98) See the attached plan from Seaver (2009, vol. 2, fig. 102) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 20 December 2021