Mill Of Wardes
Farmhouse (Period Unassigned), Farmstead (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Mill Of Wardes
Classification Farmhouse (Period Unassigned), Farmstead (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Auchenbreddie; Mill Of Wardhouse
Canmore ID 165585
Site Number NJ63SW 197
NGR NJ 6234 3024
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/165585
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Insch
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
NJ63SW 197 6234 3024
The remains of this farmsteading, which comprise a cottage and three outbuildings, are situated in sparse woodland on the E bank of an un-named burn 100m N of Auchenbreddie farmsteading (NJ63SW 177). The cottage that served as the farmhouse occupies a platform dug into the foot of a W-facing slope, the scarp immediately E of the cottage, being retained by low stone revetment. The cottage measures 11.5m from NNW to SSE by 5m transversely over ivy-clad stone walls 0.5m in thickness and up to 2m in height, and the entrance is midway along the ENE side. The three outbuildings are set out in a line to the NE of the cottage. The southernmost, which is an open-fronted structure facing W, lies about 10m NE of the cottage; its interior, which has been dug into the foot of the slope and is retained by a revetment 1.5m in maximum height on the E, measures 6.6m from N to S by 4.2m transversely.
Immediately to the N the footings of two small structures are visible, which, although they appear to lie 2.8m apart, probably originally formed part of a range aligned N and S. The S structure measures 3.2m from N to S by 3.1m transversely overall, and has an entrance in its W side. The N structure, which measures 5.1m from E to W by 3.3m overall, has an entrance in its S side and a possible fireplace in its N wall.
The buildings that survive are probably those depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Aberdeenshire, 1873, sheet xxxv), but at that time the garden was larger and set further to the NE. The 2nd edition of the map (1901, sheet xxxv.SW) shows the cottage still roofed, with the present garden adjacent to the NE side of the cottage and the other buildings unroofed.
Visited by RCAHMS (JRS), 12 May 1999.
On the 1797 plan of Nether Bottom (E 33934 and E 33935 CN) a group of buildings annotated 'Mill of Wardhouse' is depicted near this location. Two buildings are next to a mill lade, and four others are grouped SW of them. It appears that the mill lade was taken from the un-named burn, now a drain, which joined the Kellock from the SW. However, the exact location of the buildings is difficult to ascertain because course of the burn has been altered, and the lay-out does not match the above description.
Information from RCAHMS (AC) 10 January 2008.
See also Mill of Wardes, NJ63SW 65.
