Ironmacannie Mill is a historic watermill near Balmaclellan in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Built in the 18th and 19th centuries, on the site of an older mill, it retains a substantial amount of original gearing and machinery, and was designated a Category A listed building in 1971. It was converted for domestic use in the 1990s, and is currently used as holiday accommodation.
| Ironmacannie Mill | |
|---|---|
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| General information | |
| Type | Watermill |
| Location | Near Balmaclellan, Dumfries and Galloway |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°03′16″N 4°05′14″W / 55.05444°N 4.08722°W |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Whinstone rubble |
| Designations | Category A listed building |
Description
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The mill stands on a site about 2.4 miles (3.9 km) south of Balmaclellan, on the north bank of the Shirmers Burn. It is a three-story L-plan building, with rubble masonry made of locally mined whinstone.[1] The windows are plain, and mostly in the south-east wall.[1] Two cast iron waterwheels survive, fed via its mill races by water from a dam some 80 metres (260 ft) north of the mill.[1] The larger wheel formerly drove the mill's three grinding stones, while the smaller one operated the bellows for the mill's kiln.[2] There is now a micro hydro generator, providing power for the building.[3]
History
editMost of the surviving structure dates to the nineteenth century,[4] but the oldest parts of the building are late eighteenth-century,[5] and it was built on the site of a much older mill.[2] It was designated a Category A listed building in 1971; its designation describes it as being "remarkable for the survival of most of the internal gearing and machinery".[5] In 1990, consent was granted to convert the building for use as domestic accommodation, while preserving the historic gear and machinery in-situ;[1] work began shortly afterwards,[1] and the building is currently used as holiday accommodation, marketed as The Hidden Mill.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Canmore:Ironmacannie Mill.
- ^ a b Hume 2000, p. 147.
- ^ Gardens open for charity.
- ^ Gifford 1996, p. 115.
- ^ a b Historic Environment Scotland & LB3315.
- ^ Hidden Mill Website.
Sources
edit- "About". The Hidden Mill. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- Gillespie, Stuart (26 June 2008). "Gardens open for charity". The Daily Record. Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- Gifford, John (1996). The Buildings of Scotland:Dumfries and Galloway. London: Penguin. ISBN 0140-71067-1.
- Historic Environment Scotland. "Ironmacannie Mill (Category A Listed Building) (LB3315)". Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- Hume, John R (2000). Dumfries and Galloway: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. The Rutland Press. ISBN 1-873-190-344.
- "Ironmacannie Mill". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 9 April 2022.