Water mill - horizontal-wheeled

The National Monuments Service's description

On SE-facing slope, c. 40m W of fast flowing stream. Discovered during land drainage in April 1981 when penstock and two other timbers were disturbed from their original position. Subsequently investigated by C. Rynne (1988, 298-323). Penstock (L 2.3m; Wth 0.15m) was incomplete, though probably not much longer than its present measurement; its face at fore-end was cut to slope downwards at an angle of 25°; two rebates were cut along upper edges to accommodate lid; investigator suggested that one of the other timbers found with it may have been used as a makeshift lid. Investigation revealed headrace to W of mill, exposed for a length of 4m, stepped at E end by three neatly-cut rock ledges to facilitate water flow and support penstock. Ledges led downwards to rectangular rock-cut platform (c. 3.8m E-W; c. 2.5m N-S) on which lay wooden foundations of partially-sunken rectangular wheel-house. Two sole-plates (L 4.03m; 0.23m X 0.3m: L 3.7m; 0.2m X 0.32m) defined N and S walls of wheel-house. Each sole-plate rested on ledge just above rock cut platform. A short run of rudimentary dry-stone walling (H 0.43m; L 1.98m) lay on top of N sole-plate at its E end. Rynne (ibid., 323) suggested that this was used to 'position a wallplate and to revet the sides of the excavation [of the rock-cut platform]'. Support beam for fore-end of penstock (L 2.5m; 0.3m x 0.15m) was tenoned into W end of N and S sole-plates. Remains of two flooring planks were found in the wheel-house with the remains of a horizontal water wheel hub (diam. 0.32m; H 0.23m) and eight dished paddles (L c. 0.42m). Support beam (L 2.6m; 0.2m x 0.37m) for rear end of penstock found ex situ at W end of rock-cut platform ; Rynne (ibid., 303) suggested that this 'would have originally been positioned over the head race channel'. Tailrace to E of millhouse was cut into bedrock (D 0.2m) and contained large fragment of runner millstone (projected diam. c. 0.7m). Dendrochronological date of c. 833 AD was established for site. No visible surface trace remains. All timbers removed to Department of Archaeology, UCC.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 3: Mid Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009