Upper Mill, Barry

Rebuilt 1814, earlier kiln, lean-to annex extended 1930s, kiln lowered circa 1940, conservation programme 1988-92 (see Notes). Rare survival of 3-storey, irregular L-plan, water-powered, working meal mill with outstanding Angus-type semicircular kiln (lowered), enclosed iron and wood overshot wheel and remarkable interior in use (2009). Sited in picturesque rural setting with mill dam (fed by Barry Burn) and lade to NW and miller's cottage to SW. Snecked red sandstone rubble with roughly squared dressings, some tooled; small red brick extension.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: symmetrical 2-storey, 3-bay entrance elevation to NW with door in full-width single storey lean-to range. Conical roofed semicircular 2-storey kiln at NE with blocked openings and 'auld wife' type ventilator. Wheel housing to gabled SW elevation and 3-storey elevation to SE.

Small-pane glazing in timber fixed and sash and case windows. Pitched and piended Angus stone slate roof.

INTERIOR: remarkable survival of interior workings to lower ground (meal) floor, ground (milling or stone) floor, 1st (hopper or bin) floor. 2 pairs of millstones for shelling and milling. Milling pair comprising segments of French burr stone, crafted by Messrs J Smith & Son, Edinburgh. Other machinery includes, fanners, elevators, sieves and sack hoist, all powered from the same water source.

KILN: 4.4 metre diameter semicircular kiln with small brick fronted fire at lower ground, access to kiln floor at ground via timber steps, 3 kiln shutes (1 in use) at 1st floor. Some areas patched in brick and metal drying platform. Evidence of lowered wallhead.

WHEEL: 4.7 metre diameter overshot wheel with 30 wooden buckets. Pit wheel by Messrs Thomson, Son & Co of Douglas Foundry, Dundee (possibly 1881). Teeth of other main gears comprise alternating metal and beechwood. Wallhead now of reinforced concrete.

MILLER'S COTTAGE: single storey, 3-bay, slated, stone cottage with lower 2-bay extension. Original cottage with centre timber door and fanlight flanked by timber sash and case windows with 12-pane glazing pattern.