Archaeology Notes

Event ID 753937

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/753937

NT17NE 69 1874 7656

'Very extensive iron works situated about 1/4 mile S of Cramond, on the River Almond. These works are carried on by Messrs. Caddell and Co, who first settled in Cramond in 1771. There are four in all connected with this company within a short distance of each other, viz. Cockle Mill, Peggie's Mill, Dowies Mill and Fairafar Mill. They receive supplies of iron for working from Russia. The tide flows as far as this mill which enables vessels of 60 or 70 tons to ship cargoes to different ports. This mill itself employs about 20 men.'

Ordnance Survey Name Book, 1852

The lowest mill on the River Almond at the highest reach of the tide is Cockle Mill (Cramond Mill), the origin of the name is unknown. Originally a grain mill, known originally as Cramond Mill, is first recorded in 1178 when it was in possession of the abbot of Inchcolm who derived annual rent from it.

Iron working began in 1752 and continued until about 1867, as by 1873 it had apparently disappeared from the valuation rolls as an iron mill, the roll for 1869 stating that a paintworks had taken over the site. By the end of the century the buildings were ruinous and the flood of 1935 probably removed much of the site.

The Cockle Mill buildings followed the same general plan as Peggie's and Dowie's Mills (NT17NE 99 and NT17NE 98). Workers cottages stood against the rising ground with the name Caddell(wrongly spelt), carved into the stonework. A date of c1760's would appear to be acceptable for most of the structures in the area.

On the other side of School Brae the surviving buildings originally included the mill offices, approached by an outside stair, the circular embrasure of the mill clock is still visible in the wall. In front of these buildings ran the lade and the horse-tramway, the lade returning to the river through the culvert in the dock. The mill buildings stood where the car park and the green lawn are now laid out. The mill, steam forge, furnaces, stalks and engine sheds have all disappeared, with only the dock surviving comparatively intact. Although now silted up, it measures 93ft long, 21ft wide and 8ft deep, giving some idea of the size of the vessels which it accommodated.

P Cadell 1973.

NT 1884 7677 Short length of iron rail, probably part of a horse railway used for transport of iron products from Fair-a-Far (NT17NE 97) and Cockle mills, visible alongside River Almond walkway. Line of tramway first shown on Carfrae's 1839 plan of the Lands of Fair-a Far.

V E Dean 1995.