Corn Mill, Coolkill Road, Tynan, Armagh, BT60 4RB

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Imposing four-storey (with loft level) corn mill of 1844, with single-storey early to mid 20th century two-storey corrugated-iron clad extension to the north side, and smaller single-storey extensions to south. The building, which is no longer worked, is set within a rural location, to the west side of Coolkill Road, 1 Km. north of Tynan. It is surrounded by flat countryside and sits in a slight hollow sandwiched between the road and the Tynan River. The site is contained behind a low stone boundary wall. Vehicular access is through a field enclosure to the western side; a bridge spans the river giving access to a level area in front of the west façade; the area is secured with a cast-iron gate with overgrown square stone pillars.

The original structure is rectangular in plan with walls of squared snecked rubble with dressed quoins and brick surround to the openings. The roof of the mill is gabled and covered part with natural slate and part with corrugated iron; the gables are topped with stone skews and a circular ‘weather vane’ ventilator is perched in the middle of the roof, centred on the ridge. Parapet walls rise through the roof, dividing it into three sections. The rainwater goods are cast-iron with ogee guttering and round downpipes.

A now dilapidated two-storey projection attached to the western gable that houses the remains of a waterwheel. To the north is the aforementioned (perhaps c.1920s) corrugated-iron extension, and adjacent to the southern side there are two single-storey corrugated-iron sheds, the smaller containing the remains of a steam engine, the larger derelict and largely collapsed. The Tynan River and tail-race flow past the western gable. The site is very overgrown; it was not clear whether and sluice gates are extant.

The symmetrical eastern gable fronts the Coolkill Road. To the left side of the ground floor there is a George V post box; otherwise the ground floor is blank. At first and second floors there are two evenly spaced window openings, with top opening frames; metal with multiple panes. Set within the gable is a Diocletian style window opening; the tripartite frame is constructed in timber, the central light is sash. All other window openings are flat-headed; these have radial-brick flat arch lintels and brick dressings; sills are cut stone. A date stone of 1844 is centrally positioned between the second and third floor window openings. A number of tie-rod ends are visible. To the right site is the lean-to gable of the two-storey corrugated extension; this rises off the random rubble boundary wall. There are two flat-headed door openings each with a timber sheeted door; that to the left is set at ground level while that to the right is raised about 1m off the ground.

Fenestration to the south façade is regularly arranged. Windows are as before, although some openings are now bricked-up. The façade is much overgrown with ivy.

Attached to the west façade there is a two-storey gabled addition. The pitched roof has collapsed. The gable of the addition is blank. The western gable of the main mill is matches that to the east side; the Diocletian opening and fourth floor window openings are now bricked-up. To the left side is the lean-to gable of the early 20th-century extension; this is clad in timber.

Ground and first floors of the north façade are obscured by the full-width corrugated extension. The ground floor of the extension has a number of wide openings; the upper level has a series of flat-headed window openings. The upper floors of the main mill is as the south façade with regularly arranged window openings. Some openings have been bricked-up. A timber feature was attached to the upper part of the wall; this has fallen away and now rests on the corrugated-iron roof.

Historical information

The datestone upon this mill states that it was built in 1844 by Sir James Stronge of Tynan Abbey. It replaced an earlier mill on the site which is shown on the 1835 OS map 'Tynan corn mill' and recorded in the 1837 valuation as an old single-storey thatched structure measuring 42½ft x 24 x 11, with a slate-roofed corn kiln of 19 x 18½ x 18½, and a thatched ofiice of 17 x 16 x 8; to the south was was a relatively newly-built slate-roofed flax mill of 35½ x 20 x 14½. The corn mill, which was then in the hands of a John Ferguson, had 'two pair of stones for shelling 4ft 8in in diameter, that for grinding 5ft in diameter', with a wheel of 14½ft with buckets of 3ft 10in, but the machinery was 'old' and there was only 'water and employment for six months in the year.' The flax mill had 8 stocks, 4 of which were 'in disuse', a 'good roller' and a 'very old wheel' of 15ft diameter with 4ft buckets, but seemed 'not often employed'.

The present mill is shown on the revised OS map of 1860 with the much smaller flax mill to the south, and, on the opposite side of the road, the miller's house. Run by a John McGrath, the mill and kiln are noted in 1864 as measuring 93 x 25 x 36, with the 'office over wheel 12 x 25 x 10, and the miller's house 36 x 20 x 14; the diameter of the wheel was 16ft and its breadth 5ft, depth 1ft and fall 8ft, the stones were 'French [?]buntans', and the elevators and machinery grade 'A'. The valuers describe the concern as 'a country mill, [with] 3 pairs of stones, only 2 worked, time 6 months, 9 or 10 hours a day.'

John McGrath appears to have operated both the corn and flax mill until the 1890s. In 1906 a Peter Clow is listed as the tenant, followed by James Clow in 1911, James Craig in 1921 and Alex McDermott in 1923. The property remains with Mr. McDermott's descendant. At some point between 1906 and 1952 the full-length corrugated-iron lean-to was added to the north side of the mill. The building appears to have remained in operation up until at least 1972.

IHR 00185:001:00

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL1A/2/11 OS map, County Armagh sheet 11, with valuation
references, 1835(-37)
2 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland…vol.1 (QUB, 1990), ed. Anqelique Day and Patrick McWilliams, (1835, 1838)
3 PRONI VAL1B/238 First valuation, Tynan Parish, 1837
4 PRONI VAL2B/2/11A OS map, County Armagh sheet 11, with valuation references, 1860(-64)
5 PRONI VAL2B/2/43A Second valuation, Tynan Parish, 1864
6 PRONI VAL12B/10/39A Annual valuation revision book, Tynan Electoral Division, 1865-76
7 PRONI VAL12B/10/39B Annual valuation revision book, Tynan Electoral Division, 1876-82
8 PRONI VAL12B/10/39C Annual valuation revision book, Tynan Electoral Division, 1882-94
9 PRONI VAL12B/10/39D Annual valuation revision book, Tynan Electoral Division, 1894-1909
10 PRONI OS6/2/11/3 OS map, County Armagh sheet 15, 1906
11 PRONI VAL12B/10/39E Annual valuation revision book, Tynan Electoral Division, 1909-29
12 PRONI VAL3B/2/3 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Milford ED, 1935
13 PRONI VAL3C/2/5 First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Milford ED, 1936-56
14 NIEA OS map, County Armagh sheet 15-2, 1955
15 PRONI VAL4B/2/7 Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland, Milford ED, 1957-72
16 NIEA McCutcheon Collection AR/936-58, 1262-75 Photos of Tynan corn mill, c.1960s, (959-61 flax mill)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Prominently sited, this virtually intact mid-1840's corn mill with surviving machinery is of significant industrial heritage value and is a rare example of a medium sized mill of this period. Architecturally it exhihits good quality stone masonary and its gable to the road is surprisingly detailed with a Diocletion window to the top floor. It enjoys as unspoiled rural setting and has a boundary wall with a stile to the Cookill Road that adds to its interest.