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MHG13816 - Possible site of earlier mill - John O'Groats Mill

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Full Description

The possible site of an earlier mill building within the John O'Groats Mill complex.

In 2013 AOC Archaeology Group was commissioned by the Princes Regeneration Trust in association with the North Highland Initiative to undertake the first phase of works of a much wider vision for the future of the abandoned John O'Groats Mill on the north coast of Caithness. These works, undertaken between 4th-8th March 2013, included a a detailed measured survey of the mill; a general topographic site plan of the area including the mill pond and its associated waterways; a detailed written and photographic survey of the mill, the mill cottages and the abandoned cottages to the north-west, as well as the adjacent 17th century Cromwellian Bridge and an inventory of all the moveable artefacts inside the mill. As part of the desk based assessment, research revealed that a mill had probably stood on the site since before 1750, the Houston family having aquired it from the Sutherland familiy in that year. A mill is shown here on a map of the Lands of Duncansby, Stemster and Canisby by William Matheson dating to 1817. A later owner of the mill, Magnus Houston, related that a mill was built in 1818 close negind the Cromwell Bridge with the breast wheel on the east and the kiln at the other end. The 1817 map clearly shows a smaller mill adjacent (and to the east of) the Burn of Duncansby and with the mill lade coming northwards to the mill on its east side. This lead from an earlier mill dam to the south. A representation of a drawing of the mill from the south was made in 1995 from a previous drawing completed ca. 1818. It shows a small double-height mill with waterwheel to the north-east gable - an undershot wheel powered by a diverted lade - and presumably the mill that succeeded the previous mill that was taken over by the Houstons 60 years before. Whether it is the one depicted in the 1817 map is unclear, although looks to be in the same position. However, it could have simply replaced an earlier building in the same position. It appears to have a thatched roof with small chimney to the north end and two small upper floor windows to the west elevation. A loading door to the east of the end gable can also be seen. Built in the sloping ground going down to the river bed, the wheel would have received a good head of water from its lade. This mill was replaced in 1845 with a grinding mill to the north (see MHG1728) and a threshing mill to the south (see MHG19964). It is also said that in the 1980s, a group led by the University of Stirling, whilst cleaning up the stonework around the Cromwellian bridge, uncovered the remains of a possible wall which, at the time, was thought to be the remains of a Norse mill, or indeed a much earlier mill building (possibly taking its power from the burn as opposed to the present mill lade). The details of the discovery, however, were never published apart from a small sentence in a self-published book, now in the possession of the present mill owner. The stones now lie against the south elevation of the mill forming a 'garden feature'. <1>

A geophysical survey was undertaken in the area thought to be the location of the former mill by Rose Geophysical Consultants in 2013 as part of the abovementioned AOC project. Survey of this area (Area B) was requested with the hope of identifying wall foundations. However, the data from this very small survey area was difficult to interpret. Although high resistance readings were apparent around the edge of the survey area it was not possible to determine if these were due to potential wall footings or simply due to adjacent slopes and extant walls. <2>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred ND 3718 7334 (17m by 12m)
Map sheet	ND37SE
Civil Parish	CANISBAY
Geographical Area	CAITHNESS

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