Disused Flax mill, Ballycoshone Rd, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down

Disused Flax Mill, Ballycoshone Road, Rathfriland

This complex represents at least a century and a half of water-powered industry at this location on the right bank of the River Bann immediately south of Ballycoshone bridge. The site began as a corn mill in the 18th century, later converting to flax scutching. The principal interest lies in its 1940s scutching mill, which unusually employed both water and diesel power—a contrast to the larger electrically powered mills built elsewhere during this period. The survival of the all-wooden waterwheel is of particular note.

The complex comprises two main units: a small house to the north and the mill complex proper to the south.

The house is a single-storey, two-bay building aligned north-south with a pitched natural slate roof with cement-rendered skews and a small brick chimney on its south gable. Walls are of random rubble fieldstones, rendered and whitewashed. The west elevation, facing the river, is blank except for a window opening at right. The north gable is blank. The east elevation has an entrance door (now sheeted over) at right on the left bay, with a blocked window opening to its left. The right bay contains a 2/2 top-hung metal-framed window. All windows lack cills. The south gable is cement-rendered with a blocked doorway at left.

The mill building comprises four principal elements. The flax store forms a large one-storey, single-bay unit with a pitched corrugated asbestos roof carrying three skylights on both slopes, supported by metal-truss frames. Asbestos rainwater goods are present. All walls are smooth cement render over concrete blocks. The east elevation features a large sliding door sheeted in corrugated metal. The south gable is abutted by the scutch mill, with the exposed wall above blank. Other elevations are similarly without openings.

The scutch mill (detailed as store) has two skylights to each roof pitch. Its east elevation has an opening for the headrace intake to the internal waterwheel at left. An external flight of concrete stairs rises at left to a small footbridge over the headrace, which is clearly evident as a deep channel contouring along the roadside bank. To the right of this opening are six further openings: from left, a door, two 5-paned windows, a 3-paned window, another 2-paned window, a door, and a 3-paned window. All windows have metal frames with casements, top-hung transoms and concrete cills. Both gables are abutted by adjoining units. The west elevation contains an engine room at left and a single sliding door to right. The right end is open, making the waterwheel clearly visible with an open tailrace to the river.

The engine room has a monopitched roof with two skylights and materials matching the main block. Its west face has a 3-paned metal casement window. The right cheek is blank, with a concrete platform built up on this side that formerly supported two water tanks (now removed) for cooling the engine, with a rainwater pipe draining into one. The left cheek has an entry door sheeted in corrugated metal.

A rubble stone building occupies the south side of the waterwheel. This two-storey, one-bay building is cut into the west-sloping bank, accessed at first floor level from the east and ground floor level from the west. It has a pitched natural slate roof without rainwater goods. Walls are of random rubble fieldstones. The east elevation is smooth cement-rendered with a first-floor door. The south gable is unrendered and blank except for a small abutted rendered shed at ground left. The shed has a monopitch asbestos roof, cement-rendered walls and a door to the west. The west elevation has a ground-floor doorway at right and window opening to its left; the first floor is blank. A ragged wall end at left suggests a former building now removed.

Historical records confirm a mill at this location on a map of circa 1800. An 1834 Ordnance Survey map shows a building with mill race. The circa 1835 Valuation records identify a corn mill belonging to Francis McLoughlin, measuring 40 feet by 23 feet by 8 feet (single storey), together with a kiln measuring 55 feet by 20 feet by 14 feet and an outbuilding measuring 20 feet by 10 feet by 6 feet 6 inches. The 1836 Ordnance Survey Memoir describes the waterwheel as breast-shot, measuring 11 feet 6 inches in diameter by 2 feet 8 inches wide (also noted as 14 feet diameter). The present rubble stone building measures 19 feet 2 inches wide by 25 feet 3 inches deep. Although neither dimension corresponds precisely with the historical record, this building is very probably of at least that date, if not from the 18th century; however, only a vestige survives. By the 1859 Ordnance Survey map, a flax mill had been added, with both facilities belonging to Eleanor McLoughlin. An L-shaped plan was indicated. The flax mill contained six stocks and a set of vertical breakers. The corn mill contained two pairs of stones. The corn mill appears to have ceased operations around 1888. The flax mill operated continuously through much of the 19th and 20th centuries, remaining in McLoughlin ownership and cited as Ballycoshone flax mill on the 1919 Ordnance Survey map. Field evidence indicates substantial rebuilding during the Second World War.