Kirkwall, Ayre Road, Ayre Mill
Barracks (Period Unassigned), Grain Mill (Period Unassigned), Grain Mill (Period Unassigned), Kiln (Period Unassigned), Saw Mill (Period Unassigned), Tide Mill (19th Century)
Site Name Kirkwall, Ayre Road, Ayre Mill
Classification Barracks (Period Unassigned), Grain Mill (Period Unassigned), Grain Mill (Period Unassigned), Kiln (Period Unassigned), Saw Mill (Period Unassigned), Tide Mill (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Ayre Mills; Kirkwall Tide-mill; Peerie Sea; Egg Grading Station; Proposed Hotel; Flats
Canmore ID 2561
Site Number HY41SW 48
NGR HY 44387 11337
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/2561
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Kirkwall And St Ola
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY41SW 48.00 44387 11337
HY41SW 48.01 44351 11356 Ayre Mill House
HY41SW 48.02 44370 11343 4 - 9 Ayre Mill
(Location cited as HY 443 113). Ayre Mill (corn), late 19th century. A massive three-storey and attic, 12-bay range, with a kiln at each end. Now an egg-packing station.
J R Hume 1977.
Ayre Mill is a massive 19th century three storey, twelve bay building with a kiln at each end. There is a dwelling house attached to the kiln at the W end. The kiln at the E end is dated 1868 and along with the W kiln has crow-stepped gables. The mill's waterwheel used to be located in a wood and sheet metal building with slate roof attached to the end of the dwelling house. In the days of milling, the house possibly contained the millstones and associated machinery, all of which, along with the wheel, is gone. The mill ceased operations in 1940, after which the wheel was removed and the enclosing building demolished. One pair of millstones was sent to Rapness Mill in Westray. The site is especially important as it represents one of Scotland's few remaining tide mills.
The mill has had an interesting and varied history. It was originally established in 1839 as a water-powered sawmill. The mill was then converted to a meal mill sometime during the second half of the 19th century. By the time the meal mill closed in 1940 it had been converted to steam power (see NMRS MS/500/35/28, copy of Kirkwall Library photograph ref. no. 1397 showing boiler chimney). Since 1940, the mill has been used as a barracks and an egg packing station (until the late 1960s), becoming disused in the early 1970s.
Visited by Scottish Industrial Archaeology Survey, 23 October 1981.
see also NMRS MS/500/35/28.
Field Visit (23 October 1981)
Ayre Mill is a massive 19th century three storey, twelve bay building with a kiln at each end. There is a dwelling house attached to the kiln at the W end. The kiln at the E end is dated 1868 and along with the W kiln has crow-stepped gables. The mill's waterwheel used to be located in a wood and sheet metal building with slate roof attached to the end of the dwelling house. In the days of milling, the house possibly contained the millstones and associated machinery, all of which, along with the wheel, is gone. The mill ceased operations in 1940, after which the wheel was removed and the enclosing building demolished. One pair of millstones was sent to Rapness Mill in Westray. The site is especially important as it represents one of Scotland's few remaining tide mills.
The mill has had an interesting and varied history. It was originally established in 1839 as a water-powered sawmill. The mill was then converted to a meal mill sometime during the second half of the 19th century. By the time the meal mill closed in 1940 it had been converted to steam power (see NMRS MS/500/35/28, copy of Kirkwall Library photograph ref. no. 1397 showing boiler chimney). Since 1940, the mill has been used as a barracks and an egg packing station (until the late 1960s), becoming disused in the early 1970s.
Visited by Scottish Industrial Archaeology Survey, 23 October 1981.
see also NMRS MS/500/35/28.
Field Visit (29 July 2010)
These buildings have been partially converted to flats.
Visited by RCAHMS (MMD/IA), 29 July 2010
