Woolmill, Knockando

Woolmill, Knockando

This Grade A listed building is one of the smallest surviving vertically integrated woollen mills, retaining fully operating 19th century textile machinery in-situ. It dates from the early 19th century with subsequent additions that progressively expanded the complex.

The original structure was a small, single storey and attic rectangular-plan waulk mill built in random rubble with a corrugated-iron roof. In the mid-19th century, a 2-storey carding and spinning mill was added, creating an L-plan form, also constructed in random rubble with a corrugated-iron roof. The waulk mill features windows arranged to the north-east and north-west, with a loft door set within the gable to the north-west surmounted by a gable apex stack.

The 2-storey carding and spinning mill includes a small single storey lean-to on its south-west elevation that formerly housed a milling and washing machine. An 1860s cast-iron overshot waterwheel stands to the left of this elevation, with its rubble-lined wheel pit (though timber buckets and sole boards were missing as of 2003). A window to the right of the wheel pit and a 1st floor window to the west elevation are present, with a coped gable apex stack above. The building features timber boarded doors and various timber sash and case windows with timber multi-paned windows incorporating central top-hung ventilation panes.

In the late 19th century, the mill was further enlarged with a sizeable weather-boarded L-plan lean-to attached to the re-entrant angle, built to house additional carding and spinning equipment. It has large windows and a corrugated-iron roof. Also dating to the late 19th century is a rectangular-plan single storey outshot (weaving shed) to the north-east, constructed with concrete walls and brick repairs.

The interior contains a continental (continuous) carding set manufactured by Platt Bros in 1872, linked by a Scotch feed at ground floor and within the weather-boarded lean-to. A teasel gig also occupies the ground floor. The attic houses an early 19th century hand-fed card, piecing tray, and bobbin winder. A Platt Bros condenser spinning self-acting mule is installed in the weather-boarded lean-to. All equipment is powered by line shafting, with the re-entrant angle carried on timber posts.

The waterpower system consists of a weir to the west of the mill that feeds a lade from Knockando Burn. An earthenware pipe (penstock) buried for 300 metres runs east towards the mill. Near the structure, the pipe rises above ground level on a small embankment. Where the embankment ceases at a stone buttressed wall, the pipe is carried across a path to the north of the mill by a simple bridge onto a rubble abutment, then turns sharply 90 degrees north-east, terminating alongside the south-east wall of the mill above the waterwheel. As of 2003, this pipe system was disused and the lade was boggy and overgrown.

Tenter posts for stretching cloth during drying are located in a field to the west of the mill, comprising a timber frame structure.

A winter drying shed stands to the south of the mill, a square-plan single storey structure built with corrugated-iron walls and roof with timber slatted louvre openings on a mono-pitch. Inside are fragmentary remains of circulating pipework at floor level linked to a stove, and remnants of timber tenter frames for drying cloth.

A small shop adjoins Woolmill House to the far south-east of the complex (listed separately). This square-plan single storey structure is timber boarded with a pitched grey slate roof. It features a 2-leaf timber 4-panelled door and a 4-pane timber sash and case window to the north-east, with a small window to the south-west at the far right. A small corrugated-iron lean-to at the rear formerly housed a carbide gas plant. The interior retains timber V-groove wall panelling with timber stock shelving running from floor to ceiling, and remnants of gas piping.

As of 2003, the water pipe, tenter posts, drying shed and shop were all disused.