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Deanston, Deanston Mills

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Cotton Manufacturing Site (18th Century), Distillery (20th Century)

Site Name Deanston, Deanston Mills

Classification Cotton Manufacturing Site (18th Century), Distillery (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Deanston Cotton Works; Adelphi Mill; Deanston Distillery; War Memorial Plaque

Canmore ID 24775

Site Number NN70SW 43

NGR NN 71540 01580

NGR Description Centred on NN 71540 01580

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/24775

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Bluesky International Limited 2025. Public Sector Viewing Terms

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Digital Images

Deanston Distillery, Interior View showing pot stills
Deanston Distillery, Interior View showing pot stillsDeanston Distillery; Interior View of mash tunOblique aerial view of Deanston Mills, taken from the NE.Interior. Turbine house, view of lade and cast iron column with archInterior. Turbine house, view of ladeInterior. Turbine house, view of north gable with gantryInterior. Mash house, detail of inside of mash tunInterior. Spinning mill, 2nd floor, staircase hall, view from westView of gatehouse from north eastSluice gates and grill, view from southLaid, view from north west with wear beyondFilter screens, general view from northInterior. Spinning mill, 3rd floor, main room, detail of cast iron columnInterior. Spinning mill, 3rd floor, main room, view from southInterior. Spinning mill, 3rd floor, main room, detail of end wall in north east cornerInterior. Spinning mill, 4th floor, main room, detail of opening in wall for drive shaftsView of site from northView of still house from SSW. This is the fomer textile mill building.View of Deanston Mills bonded warehouse from S. Formerly the textile mill weaving shed.Deanston Distillery; Interior View of washbacksDeanston Distillery, Stillhouse; Interior General ViewView looking ESE showing part of SW front of houses on N side of Teith Road with memorial, workshops and main block of mill in backgroundSpinning mill, view of upper floors from foof of bonded warehouse to westInterior. Turbine house, view of ladeInterior. Still house, lower level, view of spirit receiverTurbine house and boiler house, view from northInterior. Spinning mill, 3rd floor, main room, view of lift in south west cornerInterior. Spinning mill, 4th floor, main room, detail of windowWater-Wheel House: Upper floor plan showing ladeView of Deanston Mills from SW.View of pellet store from SSW.Interior view of still house with spirit safe in foreground, Deanston Mills. Note the inserted steel floor above and the original wooden floorOblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view.View from WSW of main office block and bonded store beyond. Mill building with still house in bottom 3 storeys beyond..View of pellet store from SSW.View of pellet store and weighbridge from NW.View from NE looking towards mill/still house and turbine house.View of courtyard area.Deanston Distillery, Filling Store; Interior General ViewDeanston Distillery, Filling Store; Interior General ViewView from W showing SW front of houses with part of workshops in foreground and part of waterwheel house and main block of mill in backgroundOblique aerial view centred on the mills with the cottages adjacent, taken from the NW.Oblique aerial view centred on the mills with the cottages adjacent, taken from the WNW.Interior. Turbine house, upper level, detail of louvres on ladeInterior. Mash house, view of mash tunInterior. Spinning mill, 2nd floor, staircase hall, view from westInterior. Spinning mill, 2nd floor, main room, view showing original floor levelsInterior. Spinning mill, 2nd floor, main room, view showing kiosk and window to stairInterior. Spinning mill, 3rd floor, main room, detail of column head and beamInterior. Spinning mill, 4th floor, main room, view from southView of still house from SSW. This is the fomer textile mill building.View of pellet store from S.Oblique aerial view.Deanston, Deanston Mills, NN70SW 43, Ordnance Survey index card, RectoView from WSW of main office block and bonded store beyond. Mill building with still house in bottom 3 storeys beyondView of pellet store from N.Interior. View of still house.Interior. View of still house with spirit safe in foreground. Note the inserted steel floor above and the original wooden floorView from SE showing SE and NE fronts of main block of mill with part of distillery in foregroundSpinning mill, view from roof of bonded warehouse to south westInterior. Turbine house, upper level, view showing top of ladeInterior. Spinning mill, ground floor, staircase hall, view from westInterior. Spinning mill, 1st floor, staircase hall, view from westView of tank containing pot aleSluice gates, view from north westFilter screens, view from northInterior. Spinning mill, 3rd floor, staircase hall, view from westInterior. Spinning mill, 5th floor, main room, view from north westView from WSW of main office block and bonded store beyond. Mill building with still house in bottom 3 storeys beyondView of bonded warehouse from S. Formerly the textile mill weaving shed.View from SW.View of still house from SSW. This is the fomer textile mill building.View of pellet store from NNW.View of pellet store and weighbridge from NW.View of bonded warehouse from S. Formerly the textile mill weaving shed.View from NE looking towards mill/still house and turbine house.View of pellet store from S.Interior. View of still house.Deanston Distillery; Interior Malt MillDeanston Distillery, Stillhouse; Interior General ViewView looking SE showing workshops with main block of mill in background and with part of school in foregroundOblique aerial view centred on the mills with the cottages adjacent, taken from the SE.General oblique aerial view of Deanston, taken from the S.Interior. Turbine house, view of gantry at roof levelInterior. Turbine house, upper level, detail of cast iron archInterior. Still house, detail of spirit safeAutomated sluice gates, view from eastSluice gates and grill, view from south westFilter screens, view from south eastInterior. Spinning mill, 2nd floor, main room, view from southInterior. Spinning mill, 2nd floor, main room, view of windows at south endInterior. Spinning mill, 3rd floor, staircase hall, view from north eastInterior. Spinning mill, 3rd floor, staircase hall, view of arch and underside of stairsInterior. Spinning mill, 4th floor, staircase hall, view from westInterior. Spinning mill, 4th floor, main room, detail of openings ar floor levelInterior. Spinning mill, 5th floor, main room, detail of centre bracket of roof tieView of rear of still house from SSW. Former textile mill building shows the gable wall with evidence of wall extension suggesting that there was an expectation of expansionView of courtyard area.Oblique aerial view.

First 100 images shown. See the Collections panel (below) for a link to all digital images.

Administrative Areas

  • Council Stirling
  • Parish Kilmadock
  • Former Region Central
  • Former District Stirling
  • Former County Perthshire

Archaeology Notes

NN70SW 43.00 71540 01580

NN70SW 43.01 70620 02332 (From NN 70265 02664 to NN 71390 01760) Lade

NN70SW 43.02 71558 01600 Spinning Mill

NN70SW 43.03 71512 01612 Water Wheel House

NN70SW 43.04 71496 01633 Houses

NN70SW 43.05 71519 01557 Old Weaving Shed

NN70SW 43.06 70309 02667 Weir

NN70SW 43.07 71483 01646 The Old School

NN70SW 43.08 71533 01654 Pellet Store

(Location cited as NN 715 017). Deanston Mills (cotton) and village; founded 1785. Oldest parts of the mill complex are: a 5-storey attic and basement, 7-by 8-bay block on an L plan, dating from c. 1827, with cast-iron columns and beams supporting wooden joists and floors; the contemporary vaulted weaving shed; and the water-wheel house, which still contains the wrought-iron flume and shuttles for 4 large water-wheels, as well as 2 Gordon turbines of 1926 and a Gilkes turbine. The 2-storey workshop building survives in derelict condition.

J R Hume 1977

The building has been utilised as a distillery and in particular as bonded warehouse storage since 1967.

Information from letter from RCAHMS (GDH) 10 November 1987 to RCHME, York

[see MS/744/69]

There are similarities between Deanston and Marshall's Temple Mill, Leeds. "It [Deanston] is clearly a highly significant site".

Information from letter dated 13 November 1986 from Dr I H Goodall, RCHME, York. [see MS/744/69]

Further Details

Architecture Notes

EXTERNAL REFERENCE:

University of Glasgow Library Archives

James Williamson 1949 - Measured Survey

NMRS REFERENCE:

Catalogue to Glasgow University Library Archives - Typescript

Further Details

Activities

Aerial Photography (17 June 2003)

2003 RCAHMS Aerial Survey

Further Details

Desk Based Assessment (19 February 2018)

Deanston Mills

Timeline

1785: Archibald and John Buchanan founded Adelphi Cotton works

1792 – Buchanan and Co warehouse cotton water twist/common weft/cording /mule twist

1793 - bankruptcy and passed to Benjamin Flounders (until c.1804)

1806 – Deanston bought by James Findlay and Co.

1807 – 17 year old nephew of Archibald Buchanan, James Smith, becomes manager

1822 – agreed that water drawn fro further up the River Teith

1825 – foundation stone for new dam laid

1830 – 2 wheels begin work

1832 – third wheel installed

1833 – fourth wheel installed

March 1834 first arch of loom shed begun – by October 50% complete

May 1834 – first self-acting mule completed

1851 – 796 persons in Deanston

1852 street lighting and lighting in Deanston homes

1852 1,535,412 lbs cotton used (£33,000)

Early 1860s mill idle for a time

1871 – 529 workers

1900 mostly towelling and cotton sheeting

1930-40 – cotton bedding

1940s – cotton and spun rayon goods

1945 – foundation stone laid

Asbestos weaving carried out

Closed 1965

Distillery went into production 17th October 1966 James Finlay and Co and Brodie Hepburn Ltd

Information from Survey and Recording Section (Architecture and Industry, MMD)), Heritage Directorate, HES, 19 February 2018

Further Details

References

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