Water mill

Archaeological excavation, to the N and S of a stream known as Whitecastle creek, was undertaken in 1996 on the wheel-house section of a vertical-wheeled water mill. The remains consisted of a S soleplate (L 3.72m NE-SW; max. Wth 0.33m; T 0.37m; H 0.4m) which formed the basal section of the frame of the wheel-house and a flume support beam (L 2.63m NW-SE; max. Wth 0.25m; T 0.35m; H c. 0.35m). Three irregularly spaced mortises (av. L. 0.32m; av. Wth 0.13m; av. D 0.1m) were cut into the upper face of the soleplate. The N soleplate (L 4m) was recorded in situ in 1995 but had become dislodged prior to excavation in 1996. The E edge of the tailrace, which was constructed on line with the pit dug for the wheel-house, was also excavated. A number of timbers were on, and partially embedded, in the fill of the tailrace. Many of the other structural timbers had been removed from the site prior to excavation. A dendrochronology date of AD 787±9 was obtained from the flume support beam. (Cleary 1997b, 10; 1999b, 37-58) The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009