New Abbey Corn Mill

New Abbey Corn Mill

New Abbey Corn Mill
New Abbey
Dumfries and Galloway
Scotland
DG2 8BX

Tel: 01387 850 260
E-Mail: hs.members@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Web: New Abbey Corn Mill

About New Abbey Corn Mill

The old mill by the stream

Beside the Pow Burn in the pretty village of New Abbey stands a three-storey whitewashed mill building. It was built around the end of the 18th century by the Stewarts of nearby Shambellie House. But the site probably reaches back to the late 13th century, when the Cistercian monks established their monastery of Dulce Cor (‘Sweet Heart’ ) at the far end of the village. The present mill is still known locally as ‘Monks’ Mill’.

Agricultural improvements in the 18th century enabled farmers to improve their crop yields dramatically. This led to the building of the present mill. It was originally just two storeys high. During the 19th century, the mill was heightened and improved, increasing the number of millstones from two to three. Thomas Millar is the first recorded miller, in 1825. The last miller, John Clingan, closed his ledgers and stopped the waterwheel soon after the Second World War.

A perfect time-capsule

In today’s world of fast food and convenience living, it is difficult for us to understand just how central the corn mill was to our ancestors’ lives. Until barely a century ago, almost every mouthful of food eaten in Scotland passed between millstones. New Abbey Corn Mill offers visitors a wonderful insight into Scottish rural life in years gone by.

The mill is a perfect time-capsule of the miller’s craft. All the essential elements are still there to be enjoyed:
•the water source of Loch Kindar;
•the long, sinuous mill lade;
•the mill pond, newly emerged from a long period of neglect;
•the restored mill itself, with its waterwheel and most of its machinery intact;
•the kiln, where the harvested corn was dried;
•the miller’s house, now serving as the visitor centre;
•and the tail-race, where the water returned to nature.

Preserving the past

Milling was once a very familiar sight and sound across Europe. Now it has largely disappeared. This makes the preservation of mills such as that at New Abbey all the more important. But in order to preserve the mill’s fragile machinery, we are unable to run it as often as we would like.

For this reason Historic Scotland has compiled a video presentation, The Miller’s Tale, which shows the mill working. On days when water is in short supply, or when the mill is not running, visitors can still hear the clack of the ‘damsel’ on the mill stones and see the trickle of the grain falling into the sacks.