Smailholm

The upper portion of a hand-mill or quern was found at Smailholm during the nineteenth century. The circumstances of its discovery remain unknown.

Rotary querns like this consisted of two small circular stones, similar in shape to curling stones, but with a flat face. The stones were placed on top of one another with the flat faces touching, and grain would be fed between them through a hole in the upper stone. A handle placed in a second hole would be turned to rotate the upper stone and grind the grain to flour.

The rotary quern first appeared in the Iron Age, and enjoyed a long history of use through to medieval times and beyond. This particular example is said to have measured about 400mm in diameter. Its current location is unknown: it was held in Kelso Museum until the museum closed in 1907 and its subsequent history is unrecorded.

Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project

NT63NW 7 c. 64 36

The upper stone of a quern, 16 in. dia., with two finger holes, found at Smailholm, Spittal, Roxb. is now in Kelso Museum.

G F Black 1888.

Kelso Museum, defunct in 1907, was finally wound up in 1927. The best of the exhibits went to the Museum of Antiquaries in Edinburgh. It is not known what became of this upper quern stone. The find spot was not located. (Information from Walter P Bird, Librarian, Kelso Public Library).

Visited by OS (WDJ), 17 September 1962.