Flax Mill, opp 15 Turnavall Road, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1LZ

Flax Mill, opposite 15 Turnavall Road, Rathfriland, Newry, County Down

A mid-19th century former flax scutching mill, formerly known as McMinn's Mill. The complex comprises eight distinct sections aligned along the north side of Turnavall Road.

The principal structure is a mid-19th century block of one and two storeys, with one section recently converted to a dwelling; the remainder is ruinous.

Section 1: Two-storey, two-bay former water-mill with hipped natural slate roof (slates now gone). Walls of squared rubble granite brought to courses. The principal south-facing elevation is three openings wide, with a doorway at ground floor centre into the right-hand bay and a loading door directly above. The left bay has a ground floor window and the right bay has two ground floor windows with corresponding windows to the first floor, the right window being a circular opening with brick trim. The west gable has an infilled ground floor window to the right. The rear north elevation is abutted to its right-hand half by a one-and-a-half storey return, indicated by wall breaks to be a later addition. The exposed left bay has a pedestrian entrance at ground floor left and a wider door approached by an earthen ramp at first floor right. The lean-to return has two infilled doors to its north face and an infilled first floor window to its right cheek. Internally, a wide semi-elliptical brick archway exists in the party wall between the right-hand bay and its return. Directly below the first floor door are vestiges of a former headrace channel to the waterwheel, which was formerly located in the right-hand (east) bay. The east gable has a doorway through to section 2.

Section 2: One-storey, one-bay infill with pitched natural slate roof (sagging). Walls of coursed and snecked granite blocks. Wall breaks in the south elevation indicate it is a later addition to the flanking sections. The south elevation has a door at left; no openings exist in other elevations except in the party wall to section 1.

Section 3: One-storey, one-bay former water-mill with pitched natural slate roof and walls of coursed and snecked granite blocks. The south elevation has a door at right and an infilled semi-elliptical brick archway to the right again. No openings in either gable. The rear north elevation is abutted by a one-storey block with pitched natural slate roof aligned parallel to the main block, with no wall where these meet. The right cheek of this addition has been built up with concrete blockwork and may originally have been open. At extreme left, an elevated random rubble and earth embankment carries an open water channel to the former internal waterwheel. A wrought-iron pipe laid in this channel is steeply inclined through the back wall into an internal turbine under the floor.

Section 4: Two-storey, one-bay block of similar design to section 1 but narrower, with pyramidal natural slate roof. Walls are harled over coursed and squared granite rubble. The south elevation has a door to centre and wall windows to each side (heads extending part-way into the first floor, infilled with concrete blockwork). A loading door to first floor centre is flanked by a circular brick-trimmed opening to each side. The exposed west elevation is blank; there may formerly have been an opening in the party wall with section 3, now infilled. The rear north elevation is abutted by a one-and-a-half storey lean-to with a door at ground floor centre and infilled windows to each side of its north face; its left cheek has a first floor window. The party wall with the main part of this section contains a wide semi-elliptical brick opening similar to that in section 1. The east side was formerly abutted by a later one-storey lean-to (roof now gone), with an infilled semi-elliptical arch in the party wall between them.

Section 5: One-storey, one-bay former boiler house aligned north-south with natural slate roof (hipped at its north end) and random rubble granite walls (in part squared blocks). It is devoid of openings save for a wide doorway in its south gable and ventilation slits at wall head height along its east side. Just east of this house is an enclosed yard with large stone slabs suggesting a former steam engine mounting.

Section 6: A tapered square-section brick chimney on a 2.2 metre high square granite base with projecting coping, situated just north of the boiler house. It survives to its full height, estimated at 13.5 to 14 metres, and has an oversailing stone coping. A slender semicircular-headed recessed panel exists on each face. A brick flue joins the base of the pedestal with the north gable of the boiler room.

Section 7: A one-storey random rubble shed towards the southwest side of the complex, aligned parallel with the road, with no features of special interest.

Section 8: A dwelling with pitched natural slate roof, random rubble walls and brick chimneys to each gable, with no features of special interest.

Waterworks: Only vestiges of the former mill pond remain to the north. The head and tailraces have been infilled.