Milling complex

The National Monuments Service's description

On N bank of River Ogeen. Roofless 3-storey rectangular mill (int. 13.62m E-W; 5.68m N-S), S elevation of 4 bays. Window opes have wooden lintels. Wheel-pit (Wth 1.94m; D 1.94m) alongside E wall; contains wooden axle (diam. 43.5cm; L 3.1m) of breastshot waterwheel, cast-iron gudgeon and eight iron sockets for wooden arms (one survives), and remains of wooden shrouding with outline of buckets. Axle runs into mill over internal pit for pit-wheel. Central fireplace on internal W wall. Mill built against slope with rectangular 2-storey extension (int. 5.15m N-S; 5.89m E-W) on N side atop slope. Internal features of latter removed but appears to be remains of grain-drying kiln.
Second mill to SE is 1-storey rectangular structure (5.5m N-S; 4.5m E-W). Wheel-pit (Wth 1.08m) alongside E wall, contains wooden axle (diam. 0.5m; L 2.4m) of breast-shot waterwheel with iron gudgeon. Launder (no longer survives) was supported on much-collapsed stone causeway to N. Interior overgrown: ramp of timber planks set in cement up to ope in NE corner; adjacent rectangular trough enclosed by low cement wall; both features probably associated with early-20th-century laundry. Structure to NW of mill complex is ruin of 2-storey, 4-bay house (18.2m E-W; 5.95m N-S) which is shown on 1842 OS 6-inch map. William Ashton had mill here in 1796, subsequently occupied by Barry who used mills for grinding corn and had a bakery in the yard (Grove White 1905-25, vol. 2, 28-9). In 1850 passed to Edward O'Connor (Ned the Tucker) who converted it into a carding mill; later he carried on spinning and weaving, making flannel, blankets, frieze and tweeds (ibid.). In early 20th century, owned by his son John O'Connor, who turned it into a government laundry (ibid., 29-30). Indicated as 'Old Mill' on 1842 OS 6-inch map, with millrace taken from river by weir c. 900m to N; shown on 1906 OS 6-inch map as 'Carker Mill (Woollen)' with second smaller mill to SE, sharing mill pond to E.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009