Archaeology Notes

Event ID 857095

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/857095

NR97SE 24.02 centred 9582 7057

The structures situated to the W of the Craignafeoch Burn and S of the B8000 public road.

Within this area were found the upstanding remains of the Cooperage, smithy and wright's house, mixing houses, several powder mills and a charge house. In addition several of the company cottages survive.

The Cooperage (NR 95787 70667) is a rubble built rectangular building with a pitched roof which has been removed. The building measures about 17m x 11m overall with a retaining wall running off at an angle from the SW end. There are openings on three sides with roughly squared quoins at the corners some of which are brick. The lintels are of wood and iron.

The remains of the granulating house (c.NR 9587 7042) are immediately N of a drain formerly part of a lade that led to a corn mill (NR 95821 70135). All that survives are rubble built foundations and the pit for a low breast shot water wheel. Running along the S side of the structure is the lade with a sluice at the W end. In the area of the wheel pit are further concrete foundations for machinery, perhaps reflecting the change from water to steam power.

At NR 95895 70544 and NR 95892 70509 are two powder mills. Both stand to roof height and constructed in random rubble with the inside faces of the walls cement rendered. The openings are of wood or iron. The waterwheel pit is located is centrally in both buildings and the site of the turbine was noted in the powder mill to the N.

The charge house at NR 95860 70517 is a roofless rubble building having four walls upstanding, with three openings in the front elevation, two of which have curved arches with the central door opening having a much flatter curve to the arch.

Visited by RCAHMS (MKO), 19 April 1988