Islay, Conisby
Horse Engine (19th Century) - (20th Century), Horse Engine Platform (Post Medieval), Smithy (Period Unassigned), Thatched Cottage (Period Unassigned), Threshing Machine (Post Medieval), Township (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Islay, Conisby
Classification Horse Engine (19th Century) - (20th Century), Horse Engine Platform (Post Medieval), Smithy (Period Unassigned), Thatched Cottage (Period Unassigned), Threshing Machine (Post Medieval), Township (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Conisby Horse-gang
Canmore ID 37425
Site Number NR26SE 18
NGR NR 263 618
NGR Description Centred on NR 263 618
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/37425
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Kilchoman
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Argyll
NR26SE 18 centred on 263 618
Manuscript annotation on RCAHMS working map indicates horse-mill at NR c. 2632 6180. Of building at NR 2631 6179 notes 'Reed-thatch on peg-jointed coupled roof. ?House and byre with later addition. Other houses and outbuildings also reed thatched'.
(Undated) information in NMRS
A township comprising three unroofed buildings, one partially roofed long building, nineteen roofed buildings, four of which are long buildings and another is annotated as a Smithy, and sixteen enclosures is depicted on the OS 1st edition 6-inch map (Argyllshire 1882, sheet ccvii). One unroofed, one partially roofed, eleven roofed buildings and seven enclosures are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1981).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 9 November 1998
Field Visit (1980)
Horse-gang, Conisby
NR 262 618
This open platform, one of two such horse-gangs in Conisby township and characteristic of many small farms throughout Scotland, was complete with drive mechanism and threshing-mill in working condition at the time of survey in 1980 (cf NR61SE 10.01). It stands adjacent to a small barn at the lower (SE) end of a linear range comprising a house and steading. Part of the dwelling is covered with rush thatch bedded on heather divots, but the barn itself is roofed with corrugated iron. The horse-powered equipment was introduced in 1910, superseding the traditional practice of threshing with flails. The platform measures 30ft (9.14m) in diameter overall; the underground drive-shaft, hub, gearing and harness-bar (swing-tree) are of all-iron construction, and the spur wheel measures 3ft 6in (1.07m) in diameter.
RCAHMS 1980
Publication Account (1986)
This open platform, one of two such horse-gangs in Conisby township and characteristic of many small farms throughout Scotland, was complete with drive mechanism and threshing-mill in working condition at the date of survey in 1980. It stands adjacent to a small barn at the lower (SE) end of a linear range comprising house and steading. Part of the dwelling is covered with rush thatch bedded on heather divots, but the barn itself is roofed with corrugated iron. This horse-powered equipment was introduced in 1910, superseding the traditional practice of threshing with flails. The platform measures 30 ft (9.14m) in diameter overall; the underground drive-shaft, hub, gearing and harness-bar (swing-tree) are of all-iron construction, and the spur-wheel measures 3 ft 6 in (1.07m) in diameter.
Information from ‘Monuments of Industry: An Illustrated Historical Record’, (1986).
