Disused Flax mill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 1940s water/ diesel-powered flax scutching complex with vestiges of an 18th century mill, on the right bank of the River Bann immediately south of Ballycoshone bridge (HB16/07/049). The complex falls into two main units: (1) a small house at north, and (2) the mill complex proper at south.

1. House

Aligned north-south, this single-storey/ two-bay building has a pitched natural slate roof with cement-rendered skews. There are no rainwater goods. There is a small brick chimney on its south gable. Walls are of random rubble fieldstones, rendered and whitewashed.

The west elevation, to river, is blank except for a window opening at right. The north gable is blank. The east elevation has an entrance door at right on left bay, now sheeted over. To its left is a window opening, also blocked. The right bay has a 2/2 top-hung metal-framed window. All the windows are without cills. The south gable is cement rendered. There is a doorway at left, now blocked.

2. Mill

This building has four principal elements: (1) flax store at north, abutted by (2) scutch mill to south and (3) engine room to west, and south of which is (4) an older rubble stone building.

The flax store is a large one-storey/ single-bay unit. Pitched corrugated asbestos roof with three skylights to both slopes supported by metal-truss frames. Asbestos rainwater goods. All walls are smooth cement render over concrete blocks. Its east elevation has a large sliding door sheeted in corrugated metal. The south gable is abutted by the lower scutch mill; the exposed section of wall above is blank. All other elevations are also devoid of openings.

The scutch mill is detailed as store. There are two skylights to each roof pitch. Its east elevation has, at left, an opening for the headrace intake to the internal waterwheel. An external flight of concrete stairs rises at left to a small footbridge over this race which is clearly evident as a deep channel contouring along the roadside bank. Right of this opening are six further openings which are, from left: door, 2x5-paned window, 3x5 window, 2x5 window, door, 3x5 window. All windows have metal frames, casements, top-hung transoms and concrete cills. Both gables are abutted by adjoining units. The west elevation has an engine room at left and a single sliding door to right. The right end is open and the waterwheel clearly visible, with an open tailrace to the river.

3. Engine room

This has a monopitched roof with two skylights. Its materials and wall finishes are as main block. On its west face is a 3x3-paned metal casement window. Its right (south) cheek is blank. Built up on this side is a concrete platform which formerly supported the two water tanks (now gone) which cooled the engine; a rainwater pipe drained into one of them. The left cheek has an entry door sheeted in corrugated metal.

4. Rubble stone building

This two-storey/ one-bay building is on the south side of the waterwheel. It is cut into the west-sloping bank such that it is entered at first floor level from east and ground floor level from west. It has a pitched natural slate roof without rainwater goods. Walls are of random rubble field stones. Its east elevation is smooth cement rendered and has a door at first floor level. The south gable is unrendered and blank save for a small abutting rendered shed at ground left. This building has a monopitch asbestos roof, cement rendered walls and door to west. The west elevation has a doorway at ground floor right, and window opening to its left. First floor is blank. A ragged wall end at the left side suggests the presence of a former building now removed.

Historical information

A mill is marked at this location on a map of c.1800. A building with mill race thereto is shown on the 1834 OS 6" map. According to the c.1835 Valuation, it was a corn mill belonging to Francis McLoughlin and measured 40ft x 23ft x 8ft (i.e. one storey). There was also a kiln measuring 55ft x 20ft x 14ft and an outbuilding measuring 20ft x 10ft x 6ft 6in. According to the 1836 Ordnance Survey Memoir, its waterwheel was breast shot and measured 11ft 6in in diameter by 2ft 8in wide (it is also given as 14ft dia).

The present rubble stone building measures 19ft 2in wide by 25ft 3in deep. Although neither of these dimensions corresponds with the above statistics, this building is very probably of at least this date, if not from the 18th century; however, only a vestige of it now exists.

By the 1859 OS map, a flax mill had been added and all belonged to Eleanor McLoughlin. An L-shaped plan form is indicated. This mill contained six stocks and a set of vertical breakers. The corn mill contained two pairs of stones.

The corn mill appears to have ceased operations around 1888 and there is no reference to it in the valuation books thereafter. The flax mill appears to have operated continuously through much of this century, still in the ownership of the McLoughlins. It is cited on the 1919 OS map as Ballycoshone flax mill. The field evidence indicates a substantial rebuilt during the second world war.

Primary sources:
1. Map of part of Clonduff Parish, c.1800 (PRONI: D671/M7/14).
2. OS 6" map, 1834, Co Down sheet 48.
3. First valuation book, c.1835 (PRONI: VAL 1B/354, p.35).
4. Ordnance Survey Memoir, Clonduff Parish, 1836.
5. OS 6" map, 1859, Co Down sheet 48.
6. Second valuation book, c.1861 (PRONI: VAL 2B/3/49B, p.73).
7. Valuation revision book, 1888 (PRONI: VAL 12B/22/6B, p.35).
8. OS 6" map, 1919, Co Down sheet 48.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This complex is of interest in being the location of at least a century and a half of water-powered industry - first corn milling, then flax scutching. It is of note on account of its 1940s scutching mill which was both water- and diesel-powered. This building, comprising the scutching mill, store and engine room, contrasts with the larger electrically powered mills built elsewhere (e.g.. at Ballymagart, near Kilkeel, HB16/05/021D). The survival of the all-wooden waterwheel is of particular note.