Modern millpond.


The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1869 shows a building together with the annotation 'T Mill', denoting a threshing mill. The mill is associated with the small farmstead of Ballacain.


Water for the threshing mill was primarily drawn off the Ballaugh stream along a short 20m leat. This water supply was presumably inadequate in the summer or during times of heavy use, and was augmented by extensive arrangements to provide additional power which are also depicted on the OS mapping.


A 0.2 acre millpond (the grid reference marks the centre for indicative purposes) is shown excavated on the other side of the Ballaugh stream opposite the farmstead. The pond was supplied via a 70m leat, led off from the stream by means of a weir. Water from the pond must have been fed into the primary leat when required, perhaps by a temporary wooden trough.


The site of the mill is now occupied by a range of more recent agricultural buildings, and the millpond, together with the leats, has been infilled.