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Field Visit

Date 9 June 2015

Event ID 1011621

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1011621

NB 24445 46333 An excerpt of text on Canmore explains that these two structures are a ‘traditional thatched horizontal click mill and drying kiln’ that were used until the 1930s. The buildings were restored in the late 1960s, but again fell into disrepair until they were ‘reconstructed in 1996 by Stuart Bagshaw & Assocs. for the Norse Mill Society’ (Miers, M. (2008) The Western Seaboard: an illustrated architectural guide. Edinburgh). Both structures are oval in shape and have straw-thatched roof with a continuous straw ridge. The roof has been entirely netted, including across the ridge, which has been weighted down with stones and rope. There is a continuous string of stones around the middle of the roof horizontally, attached to vertical ropes that pass over the ridge and down the other side. Twin ‘horns’ protrude from either end of the ridge and are used to secure some of the ropes for weighting the stones. The netting is additionally weighted by stones placed on the edge of the netting along the wallhead, which is additionally weighted with turf. In some places, the turf from the wallhead has begun to grow up onto the straw thatch, particularly upon a lower area of the south elevation. The buildings are not occupied but are open to the public for viewing as an example of a once common building type on the Western Isles.

Visited by Zoe Herbert (SPAB) 09 June 2015, survey no.229

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