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Summary

Description

Earlier-mid 19th century regular 5-storey, 6-bay rectangular-plan former hand-loom mill (now in office use). Squared whin with droved sandstone dressings to SE, rendered and painted to NW elevation. Located on the edge of Galashiels overlooking Gala Water, oriented NE-SW. 2 entrances to NE elevation and one to SW.

Top-hung timber plate-glass windows, plate-glass rooflights. Slate roof.

INTERIOR: the interior has been modernised to form office space, but the structure, floors and timber stair remain.

Statement of Special Interest

This hand-loom mill is one of only a small number remaining in Galashiels. It represents an important phase in the development of the woollen industry in Galashiels, when hand-loom weaving co-existed with mechanised weaving.

The mill first appears on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition of circa 1856. The access to the building appears to have been from two houses on Ladhope Vale. Later the Free Church Hall (separately listed) was built on to the SE wall of the mill. The area between the house and the mill was later filled in with a single-storey block.

The mill was the first building occupied by Ballantynes, one of the principal wool manufacturing firms in the Borders. In c1829 Ballantynes began to manufacture in Galashiels and in 1854 they left the town for Walkerburn.

The building was used from the 1880s as a store by James McCaig and sons, wool merchants. The 1990s conversion to office use involved the replacement of windows and internal subdivision, although the structure, including the floors, remains. There was formerly a hoist in the N corner, beside the timber stair which is still in use. The entrance on the SW elevation replaces another on the same elevation (now blocked, 2005).

References

Bibliography

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