Flax Mill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long single-storey/ two-bay flax scutching mill to west of corn mill and facing south to yard. Waterwheel to right gable.

Segmental painted corrugated metal roof (collapsed at right). Walls are coursed roughly squared granite blocks with snecking.

Left bay of principal facade has a single blocked up window, to right of which is a pair of large corrugated metal doors. Right bay contains four openings: second from left is a doorway and remainder are windows (without glazing).

Left gable is abutted by a later and slightly taller one-storey single-bay building. Corrugated metal pitched roof, brick verges and rubble masonry walls. A small granite shed abuts the back left corner of this addition.

Rear wall of main block has two small window openings to each bay, all boarded over.

Right gable has collapsed.

The waterwheel measures 6.54m (21ft 5in) in diameter by 1.45m (4ft 9in) wide. It has a high breast-shot feed from a concrete launder across from the millpond behind the corn mill. Cast-iron axle, hubs and rims; 12 wooden arms and angled buckets. Segment wheel affixed to arms drives bull nut, from which there is a geared step to axle entering mill. All very overgrown.

Historical information

A flax mill owned by Alexander McDonell was in operation hereabouts in the early 1830s. It was destroyed by fire in 1837. It had been rebuilt by 1837. This second mill was on the site of a former paper mill and was driven by the waterwheel which later drove the corn mill. It seems to have gone by 1853, probably as a result of the building of the corn mill in 1846.

The present flax mill seems to dates from 1854 and, then, contained 10 stocks; it was driven by the present wheel. Around 1870, it passed to the Nicholson family, in whose hands it remained until the 1980s. They owned a small water-powered scutch mill in nearly Tullyframe townland. According to local tradition this was destroyed by fire and its surviving granite walls were dismantled and re-erected at the west end of the Ballymagart scutch mill. Additional scutching equipment was then installed, being driven by a small gas engine. This engine is now in the collection of Ron Deering, Greyabbey, Co Down. It was augmented by the nearby ‘Belgian’ flax scutching mill in the 1940s (HB16/05/021D). The mill closed in the 1950s.

Sources:
1. PRONI – OS 6/3/55/1(1834 OS map Down sheet55).
2. VAL 1B/390A, (1834 valuation) p.151
3. VAL 2B/3/81B, (1861 valuation) p.44
4. D 1201/23/27 (1853 encumbered estates rental notice for the lower half-townland of Ballymogart [sic]).
5. Flax mill statistics in Agricultural Returns published by government 1852-74. PRO, Dublin: Valuation mill book 5.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

D. Plan Form
E. Spatial Organisation
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Typical of Ulster flax scutching mills in terms of construction and size. Later gas-engine powered addition is also of interest. Although ruinous, most machinery in the water-powered section appears to survive. An integral part of a much larger industrial grouping in an attractive rural setting.