Water mill - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

At the SE angle of the monastic precinct of Kells Priory (KK027-029004-). Indicated on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map as a ‘Mill (in ruins)’ and also appears to be indicated on the Down Survey (1655-6) barony map of Kells, Co. Kilkenny (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin). A mill associated with the Augustinian Priory is mentioned in the foundation charter in the Ormond Deeds, which dates to c. 1204-06, whereby Geoffrey FitzRobert grants that the Priory, 'may enclose and make the said fisheries and their mill ponds in my land beneath my mill towards the north wheresoever they wish or are able, and their mills wherever they are beneath the church of St. Mary I grant and confirm to them. And whoever of my men shall wish to do so shall fully and freely grind in their mills, nor shall it be lawful to any of my men to bring to law those who wish to grind there' (Curtis 1932, vol. 1, 15, deed 30). Several water mills are listed in 1541 as part of the former property of the Priory following the dissolution of the monastery, one possibly within the precinct and it also mentions that it is the duty of the tenants to, 'find a man for cleaning the water-mill when necessary' (White 1943, 188-9).
Clyne (2007, 35) suggests that there was a watermill at this location since the 13th century, with the stream which ran along the outside the S wall of the precinct doubling as both a moat and a millrace. In the 15th century the mill became incorporated in the southern walled enclosure, known as the prior’s vill. The N end of the building (int. Wth 6.65m) is built of, ‘random coursing, using unhewn and roughly squared stones. There are squared quoins on both corners. The east wall (extant L 4.5m) is best preserved and the segmental arch beneath, spanning the millrace, has roughly squared voussoirs’ (ibid. 36). Clyne (ibid.) notes that as the building straddles the mill-stream, this may indicate that it used a horizontal wheel.

See attached:
KK027-029006-_01 extract from the Down Survey (1655-6) barony map of Kells, Co. Kilkenny (Hibernia Regnum, courtesy of Trinity College Dublin)

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 22 May 2023