Selkirk, Dunsdale Road, Riverside Mills
Spinning Mill (19th Century)
Site Name Selkirk, Dunsdale Road, Riverside Mills
Classification Spinning Mill (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Dunsdale Haugh; Linglie Mill; Dunsdale Mill; Riverside Mill; Laidlaw And Fairgrieve; Waddle And Turnbull; Waddel And Turnbull; Brown And Allan
Canmore ID 177037
Site Number NT42NE 114
NGR NT 47361 29566
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/177037
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Selkirk
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Ettrick And Lauderdale
- Former County Selkirkshire
NT42NE 114 47361 29566
Prior to 1863 Messrs Waddel and Turnbull had rented Dunsdale Mill. From that time, 1863, Bremner notes that Waddel and Turnbull greatly enlarged their mill. Bremner adds that they had a good reputation as general tweed-makers, and a well established name as first rate producers of heavily milled tartans. As with Messrs Roberts at Forest Mill, Bremner notes that Messrs Waddel and Turnbull likewise found that water power could not meet their power needs and had therefore recently (wihin two years of 1868) erected powerful steam engines.
D Bremner 1969.
(Location cited as NT 474 295). Linglie Mill: mid 19th century. A large complex, with a three-storey, four- by sixteen-bay main building. This has a central projecting stair bay with a circular window. The other principal buildings are two-storey, seventeen- and eighteen-bay blocks. There are several ranges of single-storey weaving sheds.
[See note below].
J R Hume 1976.
During March 1999 RCAHMS conducted a photographic survey of Riversdale Mill. The purpose of this was to enhance and augment the holdings of the existing National Monuments Record Scotland. At the time of this survey Laidlaw and Fairgrieve who had been using Riversdale Mill for storage purposes, were preparing to leave this mill.
Visited by RCAHMS (MKO), February 1999
The "Little Guide to Selkirk Mills" refers to this mill as "Dunsdale Mill". This booklet adds that Dunsdale Mill was built in 1837, adding that it was owned by Waddle and Turnbull. The next owner-partnership to be mentioned is Brown and Allan. This booklet clearly suggests that Brown and Allan originally based their operations at "Riversdale Mill (Whinfield)(Carding and Spinning) built 1875" Oracle NT42NE 113. Following a fire at this mill at Whinfield, in 1909,the booklet adds that Brown and Allan moved to a mill on Dunsdale Haugh, which one can presume is Dunsdale Mill. It is also quite likely that Brown and Allan took the name "Riversdale Mill" with them when they moved.
In 1915 Laidlaw and Fairgrieve bought Dunsdale Mill or Riversdale Mill from Brown and Allan.
Source: 'The Little Guide to Selkirk Mills' [c. 2000].
The text entry for this mill in J Hume, The Industrial Archaeology of Scotland, 1 Lowlands and Borders (1976), has been incorrectly attributed to Linglie Mill. The text entry refers to Riverside Mill or Dunsdale Mill (NT42NE 114).
Information from RCAHMS (DHR), January 2001.
J R Hume 1976.
