Kelso, Mill Wynd, Kelso Flour Mills
Mill (Post Medieval)
Site Name Kelso, Mill Wynd, Kelso Flour Mills
Classification Mill (Post Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Abbey Mill; River Tweed
Canmore ID 58423
Site Number NT73SW 21
NGR NT 72604 33937
NGR Description Centre of sluice
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/58423
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Kelso
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Roxburgh
- Former County Roxburghshire
Until the sixteenth century, the Mill of Kelso was owned by Kelso Abbey and stood near, or on, the site of Hogarth's flour mill in Mill Wynd by the banks of the River Tweed.
Part of the mill survives as a fragment of walling with an arch allowing water from the lade to flow through to the mill wheel. This probably dates to the seventeenth century, while a pair of blocked pointed arches above may be medieval. These may be the remains of a pair of intakes into the mill building for two water-wheels.
Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project
NT73SW 21 7262 3391
(NT 7262 3391) Kelso Mill (NAT).
OS 6" map, Roxburghshire (1918-38).
The Mill of Kelso is thought to have been erected shortly after the foundation of the Abbey. It is certain that it existed at the end of the 12th century. (C Innes ed., Liber de Calchou 1846).
A Jeffrey 1857.
Abbey Mill. The abbey mill (RCAHMS 1956, 246) stood on the site now occupied by Messrs Hogarth's mill in Kiln Wynd on the bank of the Tweed. Some 500 yds. upstream there is a cauld from which a lade runs to the mill; both cauld and lade are, in part, ancient. Of the monastic mill a single fragment survives. This seems to be shown conventionally in Slezer's view of Kelso (1693) (J Slezer, Theatrum Scotiae, 1693). It dates from about the 15th century and consists of a heavy wall, at present about 9ft high, which extends on a segmental arch across the lade from the NW corner of the mill premises and ends on the outer side of the lade in an angular abutment. The arch is not earlier than the 17th century, but two pointed arches can be seen, built up, above it. It would thus appear that the lade, from this point onwards, was originally double, supplying two undershot wheels in the monastic mill. This construction would protect the mill-wheels from damage by floating tree-trunks in time of flood.
RCAHMS 1956, visited 16 June 1932 and 16 October 1944.
The surviving fragment of the monastic mill is at NT 7260 3393. Though less overgrown than in the photograph it is as described above.
Visited by OS (RDL) 4 December 1963.
Sbc Note (15 April 2016)
Visibility: Standing structure or monument.
Information from Scottish Borders Council
Standing Building Recording (February 2017 - May 2017)
NT 7261 3395 A programme of archaeological work was undertaken, February–May 2017, in advance of development work. The results of the ground investigation and the evaluation of Building 1 indicate that there is over 1.4m of made ground laid to construct the existing building and that extensive levelling of the area probably took place to create a construction platform. This ground reduction is likely to have removed any trace of any earlier buildings
and probably any archaeological features or deposits in this area.
The results from the test pitting within Building 2/3 would suggest that the 19th-century buildings were constructed directly on top of the natural river gravel. The test pits showed only a small amount of recent build-up within the undercroft of the building, indicating that the whole area was stripped to the natural prior to construction. A standing buildings appraisal was also carried out on four individual buildings earmarked for demolition. Building 1 was a 20th-century steel-framed shed built directly on the earlier ashlar footprint of the so-called ‘pier head’. This resulted in an irregular shaped structure. Buildings 2 and 3 were partly timber-framed and clad with clapboard, brick and asbestos sheeting with hipped slate roofs and dating to the late 19th century. Building 4 was a square shaped three-storey structure accessed from the basement area of the main 19th-century mill complex. This building had the remains of a 19th-century line shaft fixed at second floor level. A detailed photographic record of each building was made prior to the demolition of Buildings 1–4.
Included in the survey was a probable medieval sluice comprising ashlar at its base surmounted by a gabled end built of random rubble. Its S-facing low segmented arch dates to the 17th century. Inset within the spandrels were two earlier pointed arches of probable medieval date. This feature straddles the 19th-century mill lade at its N end. This historic arched abutment will not be affected by the new development.
An advanced building survey was conducted on the pier head, sluice gate and mill lade as part of mitigation work. A photographic and written record was produced and the construction phases for each established.
Archive: NRHE (intended). Report: Scottish Borders HER
Funder: Bain Swan Architects on behalf of John Hogarth Ltd
Magnus Kirby, Michael Cressey and Stuart Mitchell – CFA Archaeology Ltd
(Source: DES, Volume 18)
Standing Building Recording
An archaeological evaluation was carried out to determine the presence of an early watermill below the present 19th century mill complex at Hogarth’s Mill, Kelso. The results of the trial evaluation were negative and no archaeological finds were recorded.
A standing buildings appraisal was also carried out on four individual buildings earmarked for demolition. Building 1 was a 20th century steel-framed shed built directly on the earlier ashlar footprint of the so-called ‘pier head’. This resulted in an irregular shaped structure. Buildings 2 and 3 where partly timber-framed and clad with clapboard, brick and asbestos sheeting with hipped slate roofs and dating to the late 19th century. Building 4 was a square shaped three-storey structure accessed from the basement area of the main 19th century mill complex. This building had the remains of a 19th century line shaft fixed at second floor level.
Included in the survey was a probable medieval sluice comprising ashlar at its base surmounted by a gabled end built of random rubble. Its south-facing low segmented arch dates to the 17th century. Inset within the spandrels where two earlier pointed arches of probable medieval date. This feature straddles the 19th century mill lade at its north end. An enhanced building survey was conducted on the Pier Head, Sluice Gate and Mill Lade as part of the mitigation and prior to site redevelopment. Scaled colour photomontages were produced and the fabric was described and contextualised. The construction phase was established for each of the three main elements that formed the subject of the final report.
Source: CFA Archaeology Ltd (MC) to SBCHER (CB)
Funder: Bain Swan Architects on behalf of John Hogarth Ltd
