Water mill - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

The Civil survey (1654-6) mentions a mill at Gracedieu (Simington 1945, 56). The present remains of a 19th-century mill in a yard E of the nunnery (DU007-015001-) probably occupies the site. There is a re-used dressed limestone corbel supporting a weighing scales, in the present building. This may have been part of the earlier mill (VBSCD: 2/124). A millrace runs eastwards past the nunnery to the south. In 1988 the associated millrace was investigated. It was found to have been faced with a strong mortar-bonded wall but there were the remains of a substantial wall to the north of the millrace which may have served some related structural purpose. Traces of further wall trenches were located. As most of the finds recovered from this area are medieval, the structures represented, albeit enigmatically, are likely to be medieval and thus related to the occupation of the nunnery (Gowen 1988, 16-17).

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Update by: Christine Baker

Date of upload: 29 November 2014

References

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1945 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. VII: county of Dublin. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Gowen, M. 1989a Gracedieu. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1988: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 15, 16-17.Bray. Wordwell.