1-12 Thomsons Mill, Skene Street

Thomson's Mill is a three-storey, twelve-bay former weaving mill, built in 1847 and converted to housing in 1999. It is the main surviving structure of a former steam-powered linen factory, located to the north side of Skene Street in the village of Strathmiglo, Fife. It is constructed of red/pink sandstone rubble with droved dressing stones and raised cills. There is a full-height outshot at the southwest corner angle (forming an L-plan) with a hoist opening (now a window) at the third floor. The roof is pitched with a grey slate covering. Windows are double-glazed units with a matching glazing pattern.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: interior, boundary walls, archway and two-storey building (Skene Works) to west.

Historical development

Skene Street is named as Town Feus of Strathmiglo on the 1832 map of the village by David Miller. The steam-powered linen factory was built in 1847 by local businessman Alexander Troup, initially having 64 weaving looms (Fife Herald, 1866). The footprint of the three-storey, L-plan mill building is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1854). A pencil sketch of the building dated 25 March 1858 shows that the external form of the former mill has altered little since that time.

The linen factory was increased in size in 1870 and by 1871 had 193 looms and 230 workers, many of whom lived in Skene Street (Dundee Advertiser, 1871). The factory was bought by Alexander Thomson in 1894 (Dundee Courier, 1938). The enlarged works are shown on the second Edition Ordnance Survey map (revised 1894).

The engine-house, industrial chimney stalk and sawtooth-roofed weaving sheds were demolished around the middle of the 20th century, after the works had closed. The mill was converted to housing (as 1-12 Thomson's Mill) in around 1999.