White House Mill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey (+ attic)/ two-bay water-powered corn mill of 1847, complete with waterwheel and milling equipment. It is abutted by a roofless single-storey/ single-bay flax scutching mill of c.1915, also containing all its machinery.

Corn mill

The corn mill is cut into a south-facing slope overlooking the Glendun River. It is aligned E-W with its principal elevation facing S.
Pitched natural slate roof with overlapping ridge tiles and dressed stone verges. No RWG. Walls are of random rubble brought to courses and embellished with dressed sandstone quoins. All openings have flat hand-made brick heads and stone jambs, and the windows have slate cills (now mostly missing).

The S elevation has five openings to its GF. At right is the entrance doorway (door missing) and at left is a small window ope which illuminates the waterwheel is this bay. Between them are three window opes, of which only vestiges of the frames survive. Several dressed sandstone blocks mark the W end of the E bay and suggest that the waterwheel was originally intended to be external. In the event, a second bay was added to enclose the wheel and create additional storage space above. There are five window opes to the FF - two to the W bay and three to the E one. The top halves of 8/8 sliding sash windows survive in two of them. There are two cast-iron tie plates through to the N elevation at eaves level.

The W gable has a narrow doorway into the waterwheel bay and a small light in its apex. A structural crack runs vertically up the left side of the gable but, according to the owner, has been stable for many years.

The N elevation is visible at FF level only. It is devoid of openings save for a doorway into the west bay. This particular opening has a flat voussoired stone head but is missing its door.

The E gable is also visible only at FF level. At right is a double-leaf sheeted timber door, above which is a dressed sandstone plaque reading "A.D. 1847". A small apex opening lights the attic.

Roof: Natural slate.
Rainwater goods: None.
Walls: Random rubble stone.
Windows: 8/8 timber sliding sash (vestiges only).

Flax mill

The flax mill is also aligned E-W and has been added to the W gable of the mill; its principal elevation faces S. Although the roof is now missing, its profile is discernible as a line of cement flashing on the gable; the historical records indicate that it was of corrugated iron. No RWG. The walls are of rubble masonry.

The entrance doorway is at the extreme right-hand end of the S elevation (door missing). There are also five window opes to this elevation (the one next the door has collapsed). None of their frames survive; they may have been simple timber shutters rather than glazed. All the opes have machine-brick jambs, reflecting this building's later construction date. The heads of all the opes are missing, but they probably comprised the timber wall plate originally.

Only a small vestige of the W gable survives, at its N end. Most of it was probably corrugated iron over a timber frame, all of which has long since disappeared.

The N elevation also doubles as the south wall of the headrace and has no openings.

Roof: Missing (formerly corrugated iron).
Rainwater goods: None.
Walls: Random rubble stone.
Windows: Missing.

Waterworks

The water for the mill was diverted off the river at a weir upstream from Knocknacarry Bridge and along 450m long headrace to the mill. The first section as far as the bridge has been infilled by a neighbouring landowner, but the remainder is clearly evident as an overgrown channel along the field boundary. Just after a dogleg in the race, c80m west of the mill, is an overspill channel, which returned excess water back to the river; it now acts as a drain, carrying off field seepage. From that point to the mill, the race forms a deep channel, the N side of which is lined with rubble stone. Just above the mill, the race is crossed by a segmental-arched bridge on the access route to the mill.

Having passed through the internal waterwheel (see interior description, GF2), the water passed along a segmental-arched culvert for c.5m underneath the strip of ground in front of the mill and then emerged in a stone-lined tailrace. A short distance further on, the race makes a right-angle turn and runs parallel with the river, entering it c.110m further along. The spoil from the excavated channel was evidently heaped up on the river side of the race to prevent the latter flooding into it and causing backwatering of the waterwheel. The race is now open and dry for the most part.

Setting

The mills are located behind 44 Glendun Rd and is approached along a sloping grassy track from the concrete yard in front of the house.

To the corn mill's immediate north is a long slated two-storey/ four-bay building which was the original store and grain drying kiln, all contemporary with the corn mill. It has a pitched natural slate roof, dressed stone verges and vestiges of half-round plastic gutters. It has random rubble walls and all opes have brick heads. Like the mill, it is cut into the slope such that only its first floor is visible on its N side. The kiln was at the E end of the building but its fire hole and drying floor have been removed and only a few 2ft square perforated cast-iron tiles survive.

On higher ground to E of the store/ kiln is a modern two-storey dwelling on the site of the earlier mill house.
The areas E, S and W of the mill comprise the grassy floodplain of the Glendun River.

Historical information

A datestone on the E gable of the corn mill attests to its construction in 1847. It was undoubtedly erected by the local landowner, James R White.
The building is captioned as "corn mill" on the 1857 OS map. North of it is a kiln/store and mill house at east (neither is captioned).
The 1859 second valuation describes the mill complex as "house, offices, corn mill and land", all leased by William McGregor from Mr White. The dimensions of the mill are given as 16yds x 8yds, the kiln is 14yds x 6yds, and the store 12yds x 6yds; all are two storeys high. There was also a 1½-storey house measuring 7yds x 6yds in plan and a single-storey outbuilding 4yds x 5yds. The valuation entry also notes that Mr White's tenants were bound, under the terms of their leases, to take their corn to this mill for grinding.
The 1893 valuation revision book entry notes the corn mill as now "at rest" and the 1904 OS map captions it as "corn mill (disused)". A small extension of unknown function is also depicted on the mill's W gable.
The 1918 valuation revision notes the complex as now comprising a corn mill and kiln (at rest), offices, and flax mill. All belonged to Robert John Carey, father of the present owner. The entry also notes "the corn mill has been at rest for many years. A new flax mill - four stocks - now worked." Evidently the flax scutching mill had been erected since 1904 - most probably during the First World War when there was a surge in the growth of flax and demand for linen.
The dimensions of the buildings are given thus: corn mill - 51ft x 24ft x 29ft, flax mill - 40ft x 23ft x 10ft, and store - 74ft x 17ft x 18ft. All were of rubble masonry construction and had slated roofs except for the corrugated iron roof on the flax mill. The dimensions of the present mill and store correspond with those for the mill and store/kiln in the 1859 valuation and are undoubtedly the same buildings.
The corn mill may have restarted operations shortly after the war as the 1922 OS map shows the corn and flax mills with the caption "corn & flax mill".
A valuation survey of February 1933 notes the corn mill as containing three pairs of stones, "said to be worked two months each year; waterwheel 15ft dia x 7ft wide". The flax mill contained three stocks but was "very little used at present". The kiln is crossed out, indicating that it was defunct.
Both mills were still in use during 1936-38 as they continue to be described in the valuations as "corn mill, flax mill and offices". It is highly likely that they continued to operate for the duration of the Second World War given the increased need for self-sufficiency and resurgence in flax cultivation.
Mr Carey died in June 1954 and a valuation book entry for October of that year describes both mills as "now at rest" and used for agricultural purposes only. It is possible, however, that they had stopped shortly after the cessation of the war in 1945.

References - Primary Sources:
1. Datestone on corn mill.
2. PRONI OS/6/1/15/2. OS 1:10,560 map, Co Antrim sheet 15 (1859).
3. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/27B. Second valuation book, p.100 (1859).
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/2/8A-D and VAL/12/B2/15D. Valuation revision books, 1864-1930.
5. PRONI OS/10/1/15/6/1. OS 1:2500 map, Co Antrim sheet 15-06 (1904).
6. PRONI VAL/12/A/1/25. Valuation note book, p.72 (1918).
7. PRONI OS/10/1/15/6/2. OS 1:2500 map, Co Antrim sheet 15-06 (1922).
8. PRONI VAL/3/D/1/3/K/3. Valuation revision books, 1933-57.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
T. Historic Importance
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
S. Authenticity
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Architecturally, the mills are of some interest in terms of their contrasting forms and fabric: the two-storey mid-19th C mill with its dressed sandstone quoins and handmade brick dressings, and the single-storey early 20th C flax mill with its regular fenestration and machined brick openings. The waterwheel which served both mills is somewhat unusual in being located within the corn mill rather than external to its gable. The functional relationship between the floors of the corn mill is also of interest (albeit not unusual) - grain storage on the top floor, millstones on the middle floor, and power transmission on the ground floor.

The excellent preservation of all the plant and machinery in both mills is remarkable, particularly as they have been disused for over half a century. The arrangement of the corn mill's power transmission system - the segmental wheel/ bull nut, lineshaft and bevel gear configuration (as opposed to the more traditional great spurwheel arrangement) - is typical of later 19th C water-powered cornmills, but this appears to be an early example. There are also some unusual technical details, e.g. the tentering mechanism for the stones, and the angle adjusters on the meal sieves. However, the absence of elevators is surprising in a mill of such technical sophistication, reliance having been placed on the sack hoist alone for lifting sacks between floors.

The survival of the head- and tailrace in the vicinity of the mills and their close juxtaposition to the river also make the mills' setting of interest.

Historically, the corn mill is noteworthy because of its attested date of construction -1847 - two years into the Famine (which lasted until 1852). The fabric of both mills is completely original, without any additions or removals (save for the flax mill's roof). The corn mill would have been of economic and agricultural importance both to the landlord and his tenants during the later 19th and earlier 20th C. The flax mill is also of interest in having been erected during the First World War; most flax mills in Ulster date from the 1860s and American Civil War.

Such intact corn and flax mills are rare survivals in the Antrim Coast & Glens and are of local and regional significance.

General comments

Second Survey Scoping ref N05/03/010