Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Dated 1873. 4-storey, 19-bay rectangular-plan mill building with projecting stair tower projecting above eaves height to front elevation. Whin and sandstone rubble with red sandstone dressings. Rusticated quoins. Oriented roughly E-W on an open site. Eaves course. Hood moulded windows to stair tower, circular windows to upper stage. M-roof with concealed valley. Steel fire escape to rear.

FRONT ELEVATION: entrances to far left and far right; that to right blocked up and new opening formed immediately to left. Main entrance in base of stair tower.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows.

INTERIOR: Interior relatively intact. Structure of cast iron columns and timber beams and floors, including floorboards. Boarded roof to upper floor. Lower floors divided into 4 bays wide, upper floor 2 bays wide with cast iron main longitudinal beam.

Statement of Special Interest

Built for Adam L Cochrane and Brothers, Netherdale Mill is the best remaining example of a high mill in Galashiels. Netherdale was one of the premier mills in the town and the complex once exhibited an unusual formality in its layout. The design of the mill, too, is notably formal, with rusticated quoins and hoodmoulds. The survival of features such as the interior surfaces and the timber windows is notable.

The first high mill was built in 1857 for J and W Cochrane of Mid Mill by R and A Stirling and stood immediately to the east of the present mill with a castellated tower. At the time there were also single-storey sheds to the east. In 1873, the present mill was built to match the existing, and through the late 19th century the single-storey sheds more than doubled in size, with an office block of 1893 to the south. The ground to the front of the mills remained open, with playing fields provided for the workers, many of whom lived immediately to the east of the mill, in Waverley Street and Dale Street.

The mill closed in 1932 and has had a variety of uses, including as a production unit for the Scottish Woollen Technical College.

In 1976 the 1857 mill was demolished, along with the majority of the weaving sheds. The 1873 mill now forms part of the Galashiels campus of Heriot-Watt university and is used for teaching textiles students (2005).

Galamoor House, an administrative building of 1919 is separately listed.

The importance of the textile manufacturing industry to Galashiels can not be overestimated, as this industry was the sole reason for its expansion and prosperity in the 19th century. Wool manufacture has largely subsided, but the remaining buildings are important monuments to the industry.

Although there were water-powered fulling mills in Galashiels by the 16th century, the modern Textile Industry began in the 18th century. At this time, however, Galashiels was a relatively minor player in the Borders textile industry, although the establishment of the manufacturers corporation in 1777 was to play an important role. Through the 19th century the industry expanded rapidly. The arrival of the railway in 1849 allowed for easy access to raw materials and coal, which facilitated the increased use of steam power by the 1860s. The late 1860s and early 1870s were the peak of prosperity for Galashiels, which benefited greatly from a number of foreign conflicts. By this time there were over 20 large-scale producers of cloth, as well as a number of allied industries. However, Galashiels had an over-reliance on foreign trade, which led to the slow decline of the industry through the late 19th and early 20th century.

References

Bibliography

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.