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Nether Mill was an old corn and meal mill in Kilbirnie, near Kilbirnie Loch in North Ayrshire, south-west Scotland. The present ruins date from at least the end of the 20th century with structural evidence for at least three phases of development that finally ceased when the mill closed circa 1938. The mill was a single storey building, developed to become a complex when at a later stage buildings such as a grain kiln, cottage and a wheel house enclosure may have been added.

History
A 'Neth Mill' is first recorded on the 1750s William Roy military map as well as a 'Load Side' or 'Lade Side' where the mill lade runs up towards its confluence with the Garnock. The name 'Nether', meaning 'lower' may refer to the presence of Stonyholm Mill, originally a flax and later a cotton mill, that stands upstream on the River Garnock. The lade that supplied Nether Mill via it's rectangular mill pond ran down from the Stonyholm site. The miller's dwelling doubled as a small farm with a garden, Stabling and a few acres of land. Most millers had a second occupation in between the busy post-harvest times when the majority of milling took place. At Millmannoch near Coylton for instance the miller also worked as a blacksmith when milling was not required. Nether Mill was the property of the Earl of Glasgow in the 1850s with George Dickie as the tenant.

In 1792 Mr Dickie, the miller, was building the road near the mill pond when he uncovered an empty stone coffin, 6.5 feet long by 2.5 feet wide. He is recorded to have broken up the coffin and used it in the road's construction.

Thirlage


Thirlage was the feudal law by which the laird (lord) could require all those farmers living on his lands to bring their grain to his mill to be ground. Additionally, they had to carry out repairs on the mill, maintain the lade and weir as well as conveying new millstones to the site. The width of some of the first roads was determined by the requirements of at least two people on either side of a grindstone with a wooden axle called a 'mill-wand'.

The Thirlage Law was repealed in 1779 and after this many mills fell out of use as competition and unsubsidised running costs took their toll. This may explain why so many mills went out of use whilst mills such as Nether Mill thrived, expanding due to their location for customers and the natural resource of an abundant and reliable water supply.

Nether Mill
This old corn and meal mill was originally powered by the waters of the River Garnock that were stored in a roughly rectangular mill pond behind a dam located above the mill, reaching the mill wheel by a short mill race. It appears from the OS map that the wheel may have been later covered by a wheel house by 1909. The present surviving metal water wheel dates from the mid-19th century. The ruins of a rectangular rubble building survive, with some evidence of another building that stood at right angles to it. The framework of the suspended iron mid-breast wheel survives, 3ft wide by 18ft diameter (0.91m by 5.49m). The buckets and sole may have been of sheet iron and the internal drive to the mill was via an internal cast iron gear ring on the wheel itself. In 1976 the wheel was intact minus the buckets and sole, however one side has been broken since that time. The wheel pit with its well built splash wall survives and the water was carried via a tail race to a confluence with the nearby River Garnock.

The mill is recorded on the 1832 Thomson's map of Kilbirnie. In 1855 a second smaller mill pond lay below the main mill pond. A group of industrial style buildings still stand to the north of the mill that may have once been part of the mill complex. In 1909 the larger mill pond had been expanded to enncompass the smaller one and the mill somewhat enlarged with a wider mill race runnign from the mill pond to the mill and a building, possibly a cottage, lying to the south of the mill race parallel to the lane. By 1909 the Kilbirnie Branch of the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway with its embankment had been built and lay immediately to the east of the mill. The 1938 OS map shows the mill pond drained and the mill disused. After closure the remaining walls of the mill next to the lane were capped with stone flags.

Mill remnants
In 2022 the inner ring of the cast iron waterwheel was intact and still linked with the drive wheel that ran into the mill interior. The outer ring of the waterwheel was broken into several pieces and the supporting metal rods were buckled. After heavy rain water still ran through the course of the old lade and the tail race. The mill wall facing the lane was largely intact and indications of an entrance door jamb survived on the north facing wall remnant. Signs of the old buildings east wing were discerable at ground level. The axle of the waterwheel within its cast iron box in the splash wall was in good condition. No millstones were visible on site.

Unthank
A small cottage known as Unthank, with a garden & Stable was once situated nearby, also the property of the Earl of Glasgow. The name 'Unthank', a common farm name, may mean 'barren soil' as in the Old English 'un-panc'. or land used without consent, a 'Squatters Farm'. An 'Onthank' is recorded on the 1750s William Roy military map. A lime kiln was located near to the lane leading down to Unthank Farm.

Transport
The tenant, George Dickie is recorded as having improved access. Knoxville Road runs down from Paddockholm Road which had a ford linking it to Holmhead Road.