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Summary

Description

John Kerr & Co, 1864-5, incorporating earlier 1820-30 mill, converted to museum and visitor centre. 2-storey with raised basement and attic, 8-bay jute spinning mill. Rubble with ashlar dressings.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 7 regularly-disposed windows to ground floor over full-width lean-to slate roof of raised basement, and lean-to roof of later link in bay to right; timber doors close to outer angles at 1st floor, that to left with ironwork fire escape ladder, and later heraldic device at centre. Full-width banded rooflight above.

W (RIVER ERICHT) ELEVATION: 8 windows to each floor except to outer right at basement with timber door.

N AND S ELEVATIONS: ball-finialled gabled elevations each with small window high up in gablehead, that to S over lower wheelhouse (see below), that to N with single 1st floor opening to centre over earlier mill.

Multi-pane glazing pattern in timber sash and case windows. Grey slates. Ashlar-coped skews.

1820-30 MILL: single storey and raised basement, 4-bay, rectangular-plan slated rubble mill with gables to E and W and adjoining above-detailed mill at N; converted 1865 to house steam engine, additional brick-built storey added circa 1960.

BOILER HOUSE AND STALK: single storey, rectangular-plan, slated rubble boiler house with ball-finialled gables and tapering octagonal red brick chimney stalk, reduced to 105'.

WHEELHOUSE: 3-bay, gabled rubble wheelhouse at lower level to S.

ANCILLARY BUILDINGS: timber and corrugated-iron clad links to 2-by 4-bay warehouse at N with 1st floor loading door to E. Isolated slate-roofed ancillaries to E.

Associated concrete lade and sluices.

INTERIOR: timber floors and roof on cast-iron columns, cast-iron roof trusses to single storey N outshot. Single cylinder horizontal engine, 1862-5 by J & C Carmichael (Dundee), 22" cylinder, 4' stroke, 17' flywheel, later drop valves. Waterwheel 1865, by J Kerr (Dundee), 14' wide, 18' diameter, 4 sets cast-iron spokes. Ruston & Hornsby Diesel Engine, 1937. Associated gearing, some line shafting, diesel engines and generator also of interest.

Statement of Special Interest

Formerly listed as 'Keathbank Mill, Wetsfield of Rattray'. Earlier water-powered mill converted and extended for Matthew Low, spinner, to run off single cylinder horizontal steam engine. Of special interest as a combined steam- and water-powered mill containing original power plant. During the 19th century, there were 12 mills along the River Ericht, with flax spinning overtaken by jute from the 1850s. The declining textile industry meant gradual closure of all but Keathbank which finally closed in 1979. At the time of resurvey (2002) the mill is once again for sale. 'A' group with Item 4 Blairgowrie Parish, Oakbank Mill.

References

Bibliography

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