Former Flax Mill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single storey, long, stone built, gabled, corrugated iron roofed former mill.

Elevation to laneway is 6 bays long with 2 square headed openings.There is another narrow elevation where the mill wheel can be observed. There is a concrete block shallow small lean-to with small opening over it and 2no. segmental arched openings in brick with redbrick reveals. Walls stone built, corrugated iron roof, part ready to collapse. One gable has a large opening in the form of a segmented brick arch with brick reveals. Walls are stone built with cement barges. Other gable without openings. Rear elevation has no openings except for flume to pass through to supply water. Nothing remains of flume.

The mill race passed behind the building, running parallel to it, issuing from a pond nearer to the Glenedra Road and turned at right angles to supply flume. There is no trace of race overflow or bypass as there must have been to the river given that the disused quarry behind the mill prevented route elsewhere.

This mill is situated at the top of Fincarn Glen beside the Altcattan burn and a short distance by laneway from Glenedra Road.

Historical information

The O.S. Memoirs describes a 13 foot diameter breast water wheel in Fincarn but whether it is this one it is difficult to tell, probably not. It is probable that this mill operated until the 1940s.
I H R No. 1968

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. Map 1830 Londonderry sh. 30
2. O.S. Map 1830 Rev. 1856 Londonderry sh. 30
3. O.S. Map 1830 Rev. 1905 Londonderry sh. 30
4. O.S. Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of Co Londonderry X, 1833-34, 1838
Ed by Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams Q.U.B. p. 127

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An abandoned flax mill of the 2nd half of the 19th cent. which probably operated up to the 1940s. The metal mill wheel and some scutching machinery still extant. Interesting layout in that the wheel is located in the middle of the long low stone building.