Building record MAB37688 - LOWER DESS SAWMILL

Former water mill, currently in use as a saw mill, probably built in the mid 19th century although a weathered datestone suggests it could be older or built on the site of an earlier building.

Former water mill, currently in use as a saw mill, probably built in the mid 19th century although a weathered datestone suggests it could be older or built on the site of an earlier building. It is shown on the 1st edition OS map as a rectangular-plan building and depicted as an old corn mill, with a rectangular-plan building to the north depicted as a saw mill. On the 2nd edition OS map it has been extended, is named Gordon Mill and depicted as a woollen mill. Current OS maps show it has been reduced in size and is now L-plan. The former saw mill building to the north is now depicted as roofless. The C-listed former water mill is a single-storey, attic and basement, three-bay building constructed from tooled, coursed granite rubble with long and short dressings, metal sliding doors and crowstepped gables. Predominantly six-pane timber pivoting windows are used. The grey slate roof has a lead ridge, a slate-hung ventilator to the centre, a coped granite wallhead stack to the east and cast-iron rainwater goods. The water wheel has been removed. The west entrance elevation is symmetrical with a door to the centre of the ground floor, surmounted by a partially obscured tooled datestone reading '??M?54'. There is a window to each flanking bay and a window set in the gablehead. The asymmetrical south elevation has a multi-light window with a sliding shutter to bay the west and a lean-to addition with a sliding door and various infills to the east. There are seven two-pane skylights to the attic floor. The asymmetrical north elevation similarly has seven two-pane skylights, and the east elevation is near-symmetrical. Documentary research by J Gilliatt noted that the building shown on the 2nd edition map as a woollen mill is reported to have been known locally as Dess Bobbin Mill, although no evidence was found to support the idea that the mill was ever used as a Bobbin Mill.

Period Notes
Listed 30/03/2000. Probably built in the mid 19th century, although it could be older or built on the site of an earlier building.

GILLIATT, J, 2018, BOBBIN MILLS IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND (Bibliographic reference). SAB4244.

Record last edited

Nov 12 2018 12:04PM