Building record MAB8851 - MAINS OF MULBEN

Farmstead and mill complex with cottage.

Farmstead and mill complex with cottage. The mill is mid-19th century in date, probably incorporating earlier fabric and on an earlier site, there are also some later additions. On the 1st edition OS map of 1867, three mill dams, five sluices, a mill lead and weir are depicted to the north and south of the various buildings. The farmstead comprises a U-shaped steading open to the south, with a further large building to the south and smaller buildings to the north and west. There is a polygonal garden enclosure to the north. The mill complex (Listed B) lies just to the west, accessed from the farmstead by a footbridge, and comprises a group of 6 buildings including the Miller's Cottage (Listed C). The rectangular mill and kiln range are built against the slope. There is a 3-storey west elevation with three wide irregular bays, and a 2-storey east elevation with two later projecting gabled wings. They are constructed from harled and harl pointed rubble, with tooled rubble dressings. Varied glazing is used. There is a ridge vent to the kiln, and mainly slate roofs are used, with corrugated asbestos to the wing. The Miller's Cottage is also from the mid-19th century, and is a single storey and attic, 3-bay west facing house with a rear wing, constructed using rubble with tooled rubble dressings. A centre door is masked by later timber porch. There are two early-20th century piended wallhead dormers in the outer bays, and 4-pane glazing is used. There are coped end stacks and a slate roof. A rubble wall encloses the front garden. It is shown on the 1st edition OS map as a corn and saw mill. Miller's Cottage is contemporary with the main mill complex, and is a single storey and attic, 3-bay west facing house, constructed of rubble, with tooled rubble dressings. By the 2nd edition of 1888, the sluices are not depicted, while only part of the mill lead and 2 of the dams are shown. The farmstead has been enlarged, with the steading and building to the south being incorporated into a larger structure and new buildings added to the west. The mill remains the same. On the current edition (2006), the three dams are shown as ponds, but the mill lead is no longer depicted. The original buildings of the farmstead appear to survive, with new buildings added to the east and west. Only four of the mill buildings survive, with the other two buildings shown as ruins. The footbridge survives, while the garden enclosure is shown as a field. There is documentary evidence of the site of a manor to the east of the mill (NJ35SE0002). Part of the millpond was within the area subject to field survey by Clyde Archaeology in October 2023 (NJ35SE0041) ahead of overhead line reinforcement.

Period Notes
The mill and cottage were built in the mid-19th century, with some later 20th century additions. The mill was designated on 22/02/1972, and the Miller's Cottage was designated on 24/03/1988.

CLYDE ARCHAEOLOGY, 2023, MALCOLMBURN AND AUCHROISK OVERHEAD LINE REINFORCEMENT, MORAY: HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT, Site no 1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8870.

Record last edited

Feb 4 2025 2:09PM