Lower courtyard. View from West. Digital image of AN 4355

Description Lower courtyard. View from West. Digital image of AN 4355

Date 22/4/1980

Catalogue Number SC 787444

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of AN 4355

Scope and Content Lower courtyard of Upper Dens Works, Princes Street, Dundee, from west This is the rear of the Upper Dens Mill, part of the complex known as Upper Dens Works. The building to the far right is the engine house, which was part of the first mill built in 1833. It housed a steam engine which would have powered the spindles for the spinning of flax into linen yarn. In 1851 the mill was extended, and this is the building beside the engine house, towards the left. The 1833 mill was also heightened, and the completed Upper Dens Mill was the first mill in Dundee to have a cast-iron frame. The mill was designed by Umpherston & Kerr of Douglas Foundry. Dundee became a textile centre of world importance during the 19th century. The main product was jute, but, with the development of the Baxter Brothers' works, flax also became important. In 1815 Dundee had imported 1,221 tons of flax for weaving, but by 1836 this had increased to 30,653 tons. The founder of the Baxters company, William Baxter (1766-1854), opened his first mill for spinning flax in 1822 in Lower Dens, Dundee. During the 19th century the company added other buildings to the complex, becoming the biggest manufacturers of linen in the world around 1840. They maintained this position for another 50 years. Due to the demise of the textile trade in Dundee many of the buildings were demolished in the 1980s. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/787444

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap