Millrace and Sluice Gate

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Picturesque sluice gate located in a particularly dramatic location on the River Roe near the base of O’Cahan’s Rock. Six vertical timbers with cast iron saw teeth attached, hang from two horizontal timbers with a cast iron gearing system with a 300mm cog centrally placed. Behind and to the sides a stone retaining wall surrounds the gate. In front, a low level concrete bridge cast between two railway tracks spans the mouth of the opening to the river. The stone wall behind is 800mm wide with two small parapets around a path. A weir in the river largely intact serves the sluice.

The millrace is about 2½ metres wide and banked on either side in places by a stone wall. Not far from the sluice is a second entrance to the race more perpendicular to the river and served by a more decayed weir. A small timber bridge crosses it. Further along the race is crossed by a small picturesque stone bridge with segmental arch and no parapets. There is a second such bridge before the race ends near Roemill (HB02/13/004) though this has a semi-circular arch and has been repaired recently.

Historical information

Reputed to be the millrace built by Sir Thomas Philips in 1611 to serve his mill at Roemills near Limavady. Some opinion holds that the race was constructed in the 13th century to serve the Norman ‘mill of the Roo’ and that Philips only repaired the structure. The decaying weir is known as the ‘Old Weir’ or ‘Philips Weir’. The present appearance of weir, sluice and race dates from a renovation of the system in 1926 when the Limavady Electric Supply company bought Roemills to generate Hydro Electricity.

References:
0SS 1831 and later
J S Stevenson- Electricity from the Red River - (NIE)
Roe Mill Country Park Guides (D O E )
IHR Reference: 1462

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A piece of industrial archaeology. The infrastructure of which it is part is possibly of very great age although individual components have largely been replaced in the late 19th. and early 20th. Century. It is associated with the history and development of Limavady. The sluice gate at O’Cahan’s rock is picturesque and compliments the setting of the rock and the nearby summer house. (HB02/13/009A)