Hawick, Commercial Road, Wilton Mills, Mill Lade
Lade(S) (19th Century)
Site Name Hawick, Commercial Road, Wilton Mills, Mill Lade
Classification Lade(S) (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Mactaggart Bros, Wool Merchants; Messrs Dicksons And Laings; Messrs Dickson, Beattie And Laing; Messrs Fuhrmann And Kramer; Scott Brothers And Co
Canmore ID 178886
Site Number NT51NW 37.01
NGR NT 50236 15054
NGR Description centred on NT 503 152
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/178886
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Hawick
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Roxburgh
- Former County Roxburghshire
NT51NW 37.01 centred 503 152
NT 503 152 (centre) A programme of desk-based assessment and fieldwork was carried out between October 1999 and July 2000 as part of a structural and historical survey of the mill lade system associated with a number of textile mills in Hawick. This work resulted in the re-forming of the River Teviot revetting wall and the exposure, consolidation and subsequent concealment of two mill lades which pass under Commercial Road. These lades were both directly associated with the Wilton Mill.
The survey involved the underground navigation and examination of several phases of lades, races and wheel pits. Selected traverses, elevations and plans were produced.
This project has provided a detailed documentary chronology and physical description of a lade system which had grown from simple beginnings to an elaborate system of lades and wheels between 1810 and c 1860, with modifications thereafter. (GUARD 786).
Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Scottish Borders Council.
K Speller and G Tompsett 2000
Laser Scanning (18 May 2016 - 26 May 2016)
NT 50298 15131 A historic building survey and structural watching brief were undertaken, 18–26 May 2016, on the remains of the wheel pit and mill lades associated with the former Wilton Mills, in advance of the development of a supermarket and car park. Wilton Mills was demolished in 2011, and the site has since lain empty.
After demolition, the only remains were the mill lade system and a few upstanding building foundations to the W of the site. The markings left on the walls of the main wheel pit identified at least three phases of waterwheels at Wilton dating to the 19th century, including an undershot wheel, a breast shot wheel and a poncelet wheel. The three mill lades that were identified consisted of the main E/W lade running the whole length of the site (and beyond), and two smaller mill lades to the S as overflow lades. These were bricked up in the later 20th century. A 3D laser scan survey was undertaken of the remains, together with a written and
photographic survey. An element of archive research was also undertaken on the site to identify the general history and development of the site, which further added to previous interpretations of the site and its mill lade system by GUARD in 2000.
Archive: NRHE (intended)
Funder: Wilton Mills Ltd
Diana Sproat – AOC Archaeology Group
(Source: DES, Volume 17)
