Crathes Estate, Pond, Dams And Sluices

W2 Mill Pond or Lake

(photograph Ap.13.51)

As noted previous, a mill pond in this location is first shown on Garden’s map of 1774, although the feature is likely to have existed earlier given the presence of a mill in the 1590s. The 1798 New Approach plan shows ‘Damhead’ - a narrow pond c.150m long - on the east side of the proposed drive with a mill lade between the outfall burn and drive. The 1832 Estate plan calls it ‘Dam’, showing it in a different shape of about the same length.

The 1864 OS plans show the lake as it exists today, an elegant narrow sinuous shape, with four islands of different sizes, c.350m long, 30m wide at its narrowest point near the middle, and 50m wide at its widest at the north end. The 1:2,500 1864 OS plan shows its banks to have been planted with mixed woodland. The dam for the lake appears to be in the same location as the former mill pond dam. The lake continues to be prone to silting and was last dredged c.1992.

The south bank of the lake along the inner dam face is stone-edged and leads into the substantial weir, a steep stone ramp c.4m high, over the top of which bridge C31 passes. The path level is lower than the stone edge so that the haunching of the edge is visible. In flood conditions the lake water level rises almost to the top of the edging and seeps through the joints of the edging. Structural inspection of the edging and earth dam structure would be advisable if not already part of the quinquennial survey.

W3 Curling Pond

The 1864 and 1901 OS plans show the area at the north end of the lake as a wetland area with sluices draining into the main lake.

Anon. Lady records that “Up to 1901 a swamp existed at the upper end of the lake, the path near the water here approaching the burn from the West along a neck of hard ground and crossing the swamp in two places by bridges. During the summer of this and the following year a pond was excavated from this swamp the spoil being used to raise the level of the surrounding low ground. The pond was joined to the lake by a small spillwater with sluice and a path made round it.

“In 1922 one of the two bridges which then merely spanned a small bay was removed and the path diverted.”

This feature has subsequently been referred to as the Curling Pond, although there are no other references to it. It has now reverted to wetland and is overgrown with alder, willows etc, forming part of the area managed primarily for nature conservation.

(CRT97 W2 and W3)

Information from NTS (BNMMB) January 2015

Addyman Archaeology were commissioned by the NTS to undertake a Historic structure survey and watching brief at Crathes Castle weir. The recording, required in advance of modifications to part of the weir during the construction of a new fish pass.

The masonry of the weir as exposed and examined in relation to the present building works appears to relate to two phases of build. The earlier phase includes the general masonry of the existing dam and a weir within this at the site of the existing. The top of the earlier weir sat at a slightly lower level than currently; the earlier weir seems not to have had an integral sluice gate or spillway. The secondary phase appears to involve the insertion of a sluice through the pre-existing weir dam, the raising of the weir head, the building of a spillway to the rear of the dam and the (re)construction of flanking walls to the spillway.

The earlier phase is likely to be of early-mid 19th century date and corresponds to features visible on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey or 1864. The secondary phase of work, including the installation of the new sluice arrangement, may be of late 19th or earlier 20th century date.

Information from NTS (SCS) March 2014