Coldstream Mill

===The mill===

===The mill===

[[File:Coldstream Mill, Beith, North Ayrshire. The water source and marker.jpg|thumb|The marker stones on the millpond lade.]]

[[File:Coldstream Mill, Beith, North Ayrshire. The water source and marker.jpg|thumb|The marker stones on the millpond lade.]]

Coldstream was not mentioned in legal papers until 1728, but it may have been enlarged and improved circa 1673, as part of the general improvements in the barony carried out by [[Barony and Castle of Giffen|Francis Montgomerie of Giffin]] for his son John's marriage, extending nearby [[Hessilhead|Hessilhead Castle]] to become what was for a long time reckoned to be the best house in the district.Wood, J. Scott (2002), ''An Architectural Survey of a Meal Mill at Coldstream, by Beith, North Ayrshire.'' Pub. Assoc. Cert. Field Arch., Glasgow. John Montgomerie married Lady Margaret Carmichael, daughter of the Earl of Hyndford. John became Governor of New York. However, he accumulated a number of debts and he was forced to sell the barony in 1722.

Coldstream was not mentioned in legal papers until 1728, but it may have been enlarged and improved circa 1673, as part of the general improvements in the barony carried out by [[Barony and Castle of Giffen|Francis Montgomerie of Giffin]] for his son John's marriage, extending nearby [[Hessilhead|Hessilhead Castle]] to become what was for a long time reckoned to be the best house in the district.Wood, J. Scott (2002), ''An Architectural Survey of a Meal Mill at Coldstream, by Beith, North Ayrshire.'' Pub. Assoc. Cert. Field Arch., Glasgow. John Montgomerie married Lady Margaret Carmichael, daughter of the Earl of Hyndford. John became [[Governor of New York]]. However, he accumulated a number of debts and he was forced to sell the barony in 1722.

In 1820, George Robertson comments on the excellent lands of Cauldstream (sic), which lay in the Barony of Hessilhead.{{Cite book |last=Robertson |first=George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4KUHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA286 |title=A genealogical account of the principal families in Ayrshire, more {{as written|parti|culary [sic]}} in Cunninghame |date=1823 |publisher=Cunninghame P. |isbn=978-5-87776-866-6 |language=en}} Most rural mills at the time only had a single set of millstones. However, the space between the stones in these mills was adjustable to cater for shelling or mealing.

In 1820, George Robertson comments on the excellent lands of Cauldstream (sic), which lay in the Barony of Hessilhead.{{Cite book |last=Robertson |first=George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4KUHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA286 |title=A genealogical account of the principal families in Ayrshire, more {{as written|parti|culary [sic]}} in Cunninghame |date=1823 |publisher=Cunninghame P. |isbn=978-5-87776-866-6 |language=en}} Most rural mills at the time only had a single set of millstones. However, the space between the stones in these mills was adjustable to cater for shelling or mealing.

== Infrastructure ==

== Infrastructure ==

[[File:Coldstream Mill, Beith, North Ayrshire. The old mill buildings & waterwheel.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The mill and waterwheel in 1998]]

[[File:Coldstream Mill, Beith, North Ayrshire. The old mill buildings & waterwheel.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The mill and waterwheel in 1998]]

Originally, only two separate rubble-built buildings were present on this sloping site, later joined together by rubble-built walls.[https://canmore.org.uk/site/81402/coldstream-mill Canmore - Coldstream Mill] The 2-storey mill of the early 19th century was built on a 'L' plan and had three millstones. A single-storey rubble-built building extended off the millstone floor to the south-east and a larger wooden storeshed once stood alongside the upper kiln building with the lade running through a culvert beneath it. The provision of a kiln was an early development; it had an air vent running along the roof apex to allow heat and gases to escape.

Originally, only two separate rubble-built buildings were present on this sloping site, later joined together by rubble-built walls.[https://canmore.org.uk/site/81402/coldstream-mill Canmore - Coldstream Mill] The 2-storey mill of the early 19th century was built on a 'L' plan and had three millstones. A single-storey rubble-built building extended off the millstone floor to the south-east and a larger wooden storeshed once stood alongside the upper kiln building with the lade running through a [[culvert]] beneath it. The provision of a kiln was an early development; it had an air vent running along the roof apex to allow heat and gases to escape.

Areas of rubble-built walls topped by brickwork show that some of the buildings were heightened and various changes were made in floor levels. The south-east annex extension blocked a large well built arch that had originally been a point of access for carts taking away processed meal from the machinery floor or bringing in sacks to be milled via an access track.

Areas of rubble-built walls topped by brickwork show that some of the buildings were heightened and various changes were made in floor levels. The south-east annex extension blocked a large well built arch that had originally been a point of access for carts taking away processed meal from the machinery floor or bringing in sacks to be milled via an access track.

Coldstream was powered by water from a large mill pond fed from the minor Whitestone Burn and the more substantial Glazert Water, which, together provided a reliable source of water year round. The waterwheel, 3 ft 6in wide by 20 ft in diameter, was an overshot design with eight spokes of cast iron and had a wood lining, with wood awes or buckets. A well constructed dressed ashlar 'splash wall' lay behind the waterwheel with sufficient strength, etc. to withstand the water movements and the turning motion of the wheel that was usually six revolutions per minute. The wheel carried no maker's plate, but an item of interest is the repair of a fracture using four bolts and a square plate.Griffith, Roger & Inness, Douglas (1998). ''Coldstream Mill Near Neith, Ayrshire. Descriptive & Historical notes based on 71 Photographs''. Ayrshire Archives. p. B. 14.

Coldstream was powered by water from a large mill pond fed from the minor Whitestone Burn and the more substantial Glazert Water, which, together provided a reliable source of water year round. The waterwheel, 3 ft 6in wide by 20 ft in diameter, was an overshot design with eight spokes of cast iron and had a wood lining, with wood awes or buckets. A well constructed dressed [[ashlar]] 'splash wall' lay behind the waterwheel with sufficient strength, etc. to withstand the water movements and the turning motion of the wheel that was usually six revolutions per minute. The wheel carried no maker's plate, but an item of interest is the repair of a fracture using four bolts and a square plate.Griffith, Roger & Inness, Douglas (1998). ''Coldstream Mill Near Neith, Ayrshire. Descriptive & Historical notes based on 71 Photographs''. Ayrshire Archives. p. B. 14.

The common axle, the main drive for the millstones, had 136 'sacrificial' teeth that were traditionally made from [[lignum vitae]]. However, due to increasing costs, they were progressively replaced, as required, by exceptionally hard wood alternatives such as [[Fagus sylvatica|beech]] or [[Carpinus betulus|hornbeam]] that were grown in the local hedgerows for this purpose. The non-native hornbeam is usually rare in rural districts, but several still grow near Coldstream. The purpose of these wooden teeth was to replace integral cast iron teeth that would be much harder and more expensive to replace if the water wheel suddenly seized due to an obstruction or if any other sudden excessive force was exerted.Griffith, Roger & Inness, Douglas (1998). ''Coldstream Mill Near Neith, Ayrshire. Descriptive & Historical notes based on 71 Photographs''. Ayrshire Archives. p. G. 70. The company Howie of Dunlop produced the teeth specially for the mill.

The common axle, the main drive for the millstones, had 136 'sacrificial' teeth that were traditionally made from [[lignum vitae]]. However, due to increasing costs, they were progressively replaced, as required, by exceptionally hard wood alternatives such as [[Fagus sylvatica|beech]] or [[Carpinus betulus|hornbeam]] that were grown in the local hedgerows for this purpose. The non-native hornbeam is usually rare in rural districts, but several still grow near Coldstream. The purpose of these wooden teeth was to replace integral cast iron teeth that would be much harder and more expensive to replace if the water wheel suddenly seized due to an obstruction or if any other sudden excessive force was exerted.Griffith, Roger & Inness, Douglas (1998). ''Coldstream Mill Near Neith, Ayrshire. Descriptive & Historical notes based on 71 Photographs''. Ayrshire Archives. p. G. 70. The company Howie of Dunlop produced the teeth specially for the mill.