Site No OFIAR-032-002 Ballynacarrig Mills
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Site no OFIAR-032-002 Ballynacarrig Mills County Offaly Townland Ballynacarrig Town Planning Offaly CC Discovery map 54 Six-inch map 32 Summary Derelict shell of 18th/early 19th century water-powered flour mill, tuck mill and kiln on Silver River. Also used in later 1800s as a saw mill. A watermill is cited hereabouts on the 1655 Down Survey. History This mill may be on the site of a watermill depicted on the Down Survey of 1655. However, the scale and construction of the present mill suggests that it post-dates 1750. It is probably the same mill as that cited by Sir Charles Coote in his 1801 Statistical Survey of the King's County, “where flour is made … Mr Delany the proprietor” (pp 89-90). It is cited as a flour mill and cloth mill on the 1838 OS map and 1840s Mill Valuation book. According to the latter, the flour mill was under William Delany and had a 13ft 2in x 3ft waterwheel to three sets of stones. At the time of valuation, however, the machinery had been removed and the mill had not worked for four years. Delany is also noted as operating a nearby corn and flour mill (OFIAR-031-007). The tuck mill (described as a cloth mill) had a 12ft x 2ft wheel to one set of stocks. However, it was now in ruins and also had not worked for the previous four years. Delany also is noted in the 1854 Griffith Valuation as operating the (grain) mill and another one nearby (OFIAR-031-007). The premises comprise a house, offices and mill, all with a rateable valuation of £6.5s.0d. This relatively low figure is surprising considering that the complex is much larger than many others with higher ratings and suggests that it was probably out of use. The 1885 OS 6” map records the complex as a flour mill and a saw mill. The reinstatement of operations may have happened in the 1860s, when the adjoining farmyard was developed (the stable bears an 1868 datestone). It is likely that the emphasis was now on the milling of oats rather than wheat (as implied by the designation ‘flour’ mill). The width of the waterwheel pit now present in the mill compared with the dimensions of the waterwheels cited above suggests that a new wheel was probably installed. The milling and sawing equipment was probably on either side of it. The complex is captioned ‘Ballynacarrig Mills (corn & saw)’ on the 1910 map. Its designation as a ‘corn’ mill indicates oatmeal production. The presence of mass concrete on the headrace embankment and in the waterwheel pit indicates that it remained in use until well into the 20th century. Component OFIAR-032-002 1 Type Grain kiln; Grain mill (water); Saw Function Grain milling; Timber processing & mill (water); Tuck mill (water) products; Wool Category Food processing & products; Context Industry Timber processing & products; Textile manufacture & products Irish Grid 222588 213589 +/- 10m Survey date 12/06/2003 Surveyor Fred Hamond Building Remains Substantial remains Condition Poor Use Disused Waterworks Remains Substantial remains Condition Poor Use Disused Plant Remains No visible remains Condition N/A Use N/A Machinery Remains Traces Condition Poor Use Disused Description This mill complex is located on the left bank of the Silver River, just upstream from Ballynacarrig Bridge. It is accessible from the main road via a laneway running parallel with the river. Buildings The complex comprises a U-plan block incorporating a three-storey mill aligned north- south, a three-storey return parallel to the mill’s east elevation, a three-storey store return at right angles to the south end of its west elevation, and a two-storey kiln return at the north end of the same side. The buildings, which are now derelict and partly overgrown, are roofless save for remnants of a pitched natural slate roof on one of the stores. All the walls are of random rubble masonry, brought to courses. Some of the walls have advanced brick eaves and most have traces of render. All openings are square-headed and some have rendered brick dressings. The store at SW retains some 6/3 sliding sash windows and replacement casements. Internally, all the rooms are floorless except the SW store. The top floor of this section is incorporated into a one-storey dwelling, now ruinous, abutting at south. The ends of cast-iron drying floor beams are also clearly evident on the kiln where they are secured on the outside face of its north wall. Waterworks, plant and machinery The weir has been removed to improve the flow of the river, but a wide headrace (now dry) can still be traced around the riverbank from its former location to the mill. The bank separating it from the river is of earth, but part of it has been pitched with stone and repaired with mass concrete. There is an overspill at the end of the headrace just before it enters the mill. The tailrace is culverted under the mill yard to an open channel which is ducted under the road through a semicircular arched stone culvert. The internal waterwheel was located in the middle of the main block. The width of the wheel pit is 2.2m (7ft 3in). The existing complex undoubtedly incorporated the corn, tuck and saw mills. No machinery now survives except at the entrance to the site, on the main road, where there is a one-piece conglomerate runner millstone 1.37m (4ft 6in) in diameter. Set into a nearby wall is an octagonal centrepiece of another grindstone. Interest Archaeological; Architectural; Historical; Setting Evaluation The complex is of some architectural interest because of its massing and scale. It is also of historical interest in having incorporated such a diverse range of past industrial activities and being the only mill in Co Offaly explicitly cited by Coote. The buildings would repay more detailed inspection as wall breaks are apparent between the main block and some of the returns. This suggests a multi-phase site, the last addition to which might conceivably have been in the 1860s. The complex is a notable landscape feature hereabouts on account of its proximity to the road and river. The site is of regional heritage interest and warrants its designations both as a Recorded Monument (OF032-00701-) for its archaeological interest and as a Protected Structure in the Co Offaly Development Plan 2009-15 on account of its upstanding remains. Rating Regional Protection RMP OF032-00701-; Action None (in RMP Offaly RPS 42-07; and RPS) Offaly RPS 42-08 Associated with OFIAR-031-007 Other dbase NIAH 14932002 (R); NIAH 14932003 (R); SMR OF032-00701- References Archaeological Survey of Ireland record. Page(s) Coote, Sir Charles. Statistical Survey of the King's County (Dublin, 1801). Page(s) 89-90 Garner, W. Churches and Houses of Architectural Interest in Co Offaly Page(s) 41 (Tullamore: Offaly Historical Society, 1985). Valuation Mill Book, 1840s. Reproduced by Hogg, W. The Millers and Mills Page(s) of Ireland c.1850 (Dublin, 2000). OFIAR-032-002_01 FWH 12/06/2003 View from west showing mill in middle background, kiln at left and store return at right. OFIAR-032-002_02 FWH 12/06/2003 View from north-east with mill at centre/right, and store return at left. OFIAR-032-002_03 FWH 12/06/2003 External north elevation of kiln showing projecting ends of metal drying floor beams. OFIAR-032-002_04 FWH 12/06/2003 Looking west along headrace at weir end. OFIAR-032-002_05 FWH 12/06/2003 Looking up waterwheel pit towards water intake end. Note semi-elliptical brick arch at far end. OFIAR-032-002_06 FWH 12/06/2003 Millstone at roadside entrance to premises. Site no OFIAR-032-004 County Offaly Townland Cappagowlan Town Planning Offaly CC Discovery map 54 Six-inch map 32 Summary Site of 18th/early 19th century water-powered corn mill on Silver River. History Cited as corn mill on 1838 OS six-inch map. The 1840s Mill Valuation book notes the cornmill as being operated by Jonathan Yates. A 13ft 6in x 3ft3in waterwheel drove three sets of stones. Still operated by Yates in 1854 Griffith Valuation. Premises rated at £5. Not explicitly cited on 1885 or 1910 maps. Component OFIAR-032-004 1 Type Grain mill (water) Function Grain milling Category Food processing & products Context Industry Irish Grid 222305 213761 +/- 10m Survey date 12/06/2003 Surveyor Fred Hamond Building Remains No visible remains Condition N/A Use N/A Waterworks Remains No visible remains Condition N/A Use N/A Plant Remains No visible remains Condition N/A Use N/A Machinery Remains No visible remains Condition N/A Use N/A Description Site of corn mill on right bank of Silver River to west of Ballynacarrig Bridge. Interest None Evaluation No industrial heritage significance. Rating Record only Protection Action Associated with Other dbase References Valuation Mill Book, 1840s. Reproduced by Hogg, W. The Millers and Mills Page(s) 74 of Ireland c.1850 (Dublin, 2000). Site no OFIAR-032-005 County Offaly Townland Killoughy Town Planning Offaly CC Discovery map 54 Six-inch map 32 Summary Remains of 18th/early 19th century water-powered corn mill on tributary of Silver River. History Noted in 1838 and 1885 OS maps as corn mill. 1840s Mill Valuation book notes its owner as Thomas Malone. A 13ft x 2ft 6in waterwheel drove two sets of stones. James Malone was the owner in 1854 (Griffith Valuation). The corn mill and offices were rated at only £2.15s.0d.