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MHG64292 - Site of watermill - Spitalfield, Breakachy

Summary

The site of a watermill at Spitalfield, Breakachy.

Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

The site of a watermill at Spitalfield, Breakachy.

It is shown on Estate Maps owned by the Lovat Estate (though not within the Lovat Estate itself) dating to 1798-1800 and 1823. The earliest depiction, that on a map by George Brown from 1798-1800 shows the mill, labelled as such, on the west side of what is now called the Breakachy Burn but at the time was called the Tenassie Burn, near a farmstead or small settlement called 'Tarball', which would appear to be roughly where the farmstead of 'Spitalfied' is currently located. The mill sits on a lade fed from an eastwards running tributary of the Tenassie (Breakachy) Burn currently called the Allt na h' Athain, but which is unnamed on Brown's map. A second group of buildings lies to its southwest on the south side of the tributary. On the later map by John Boulton dating to 1823 the mill appears to be in more or less the same position, though the settlements/farmsteads from the earlier map have been omitted. It is shown as a simple rectangle on a lade but closer examination reveals a sketch of a water wheel over the lade. However, the mill lade is shown running more or less southwards from the Breakachy Burn itself rather than eastwards from its tributary. It may be the case that it was known that the mill was fed by a lade but that one of the surveyors chose the wrong burn, but the maps otherwise seem accurate, however, for other features. It is possible that the mill was originally fed from the tributary lade but perhaps the water was more consistent from the Breakachy (Tenassie) Burn and so a new lade was excavated. This would have probably meant, however, that the mill would have had to have been reconfigured to take water from a different direction. Only closer archaeological analysis and/or perhaps documentary evidence would likely confirm that. <1> <2>

On the OS 25 inch 1st Edition map neither the mill nor either of the lades is shown. 'Tarball' from the aforementioned 1798-188 Estate map is now unnamed but 'Millcroft' is shown more or less where the second group of buildings south of the Allt na h' Athain was shown (see MHG64294). <3>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 4696 4474 (36m by 36m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH44SE
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	URRAY

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External Links (2)