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Summary

Description

Description

A 4-storey, circular plan tower windmill of rubble masonry on reefing stage (platform) built around 1761. It is located in farmland overlooking Sandend Bay and the Moray Firth beyond.

The windmill tower is tapered and stands 7.6m high. It measures 9.7m in diameter at its base and is constructed of roughly squared and coursed masonry. The reefing stage (a platform to allow the sails to be reefed or gathered), is around 2.8m high and 15.7m in diameter. This has four pended openings at 90 degrees to each other, all about 1.8m wide, and appears to be constructed of a more irregular rubble masonry. In addition to the reefing stage, the tower has three further stages. The top course of the windmill tower is approximately 40cm deep, of dressed masonry. Each of the levels above the reefing stage has three equally spaced window openings and at the top of the base there are three equally spaced doors to access the platform.

The openings have dressed quoins, lintels and sills, while inside the openings have red brick sides and arched heads. There are no surviving historic interior features apart from various socket holes for flooring and machinery. Recent works have introduced new interiors (timber floors, stairs, doors, window etc) and a flat roof but these are proposed to be excluded from the listing.

Historical development

The structure dates to around 1761, when it was constructed as one of the early improving developments of the Glassaugh Estate by General James Abercrombie who returned to the estate in 1759 after military service. The windmill's early operation is mentioned in a letter from Abercrombie to his daughter dated 23 August 1761 when he noted that winds had "almost blown the pompon off the windmill which was only set up yesterday”. Further details of the site on which the windmill was constructed comes from the Old Statistical Account. The Account notes that the windmill was constructed on the site of a large cairn which was broken open revealing a cist burial (OSA1791, p 56-57). No trace of the cairn survives but it has been suggested that some of the stones from the cairn may have been used in the construction of the windmill.

It is unclear how long the windmill was in operation. It may have been relatively short lived as it was likely superseded by the construction of the Craig Mills, a nearby watermill development, in the 1770s. The windmill is depicted on a number of maps, the earliest being Taylor and Skinner's 'Survey of roads - Banff to Inverness' which shows the mill as a four sailed structure. John Thomson's map of 'Northern Part of Aberdeen & Banff Shires' from 1826 depicts the cornmill at Craig Mills but not the windmill, suggesting that the windmill was no longer in operation at this time. The Ordnance Survey 1st edition map from 1866 describes the site as 'Old windmill (in ruins)' confirming that the windmill was no longer in use at this time. In 1875 Glenglassaugh Distillery was opened, occupying the Craig Mills site.

Statement of Special Interest

Glassaugh Windmill meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

• The design of the windmill is unique in Scotland having a broad stone base projecting beyond the tower. Although it survives without its machinery, it remains intact to the wallhead.
• The windmill is a notable landmark feature in the agricultural landscape of the Banff coastline. Its unusual form gave it its local name as the 'cup and saucer.'
• The Glassaugh windmill is one of a number built in Scotland during the second half of the 18th century and early 19th century, concentrated in the east of the country where arable production predominated. It is an early and now rare example of a tower windmill. Windmills were always uncommon structures with waterpower more commonly used for milling. The stone base (reefing platform) is an extremely rare feature for a Scottish tower windmill.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing:

Interiors and flat roof to the tower.

Architectural interest:

Design

The design of this building, a tall tapering tower, is typical for this building type, a tower windmill. Tower windmills were the most common type of windmill to be built in Scotland. They were developed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and they were large, millwright-built structures with three or four floors, a timber cap, four sails and cast-iron machinery. The tapered shape seen at Glassaugh gave structural stability. The windcap (the pompon mentioned by Abercrombie in 1761) acted as the roof and ensured the mill was weathertight.

This example is unusual amongst Scottish tower windmills because of its broad circular platform base, which no other Scottish example has. This base is believed to have functioned as a reefing stage or platform, from where the sails could be reached to reduce or increase their surface area depending on the strength of the wind. It has been suggested that this feature maybe a slightly later addition because of differences in the masonry between the base and the tower (Davidson 2020, 13). However, three equidistant doorways provide access the top of the platform, suggesting that the reefing stage was integral to the design. The doors may have been needed to set the sails when they were in different positions depending on the wind. This stone built reefing platform sets Glassaugh apart from other tower windmills in Scotland. The closest similar example is Fulwell, Sunderland (Historic England List Entry Number: 1207109), which dates to 1821 but is on the site of an earlier mill. It has a similar broad stone platform with four pended entrances.

The structure is built of local materials. There is interest in the use of brick for the interior window and door surrounds as well as the suggestion that the prehistoric cairn on the site may have been quarried for some of the building material.

Setting

The windmill is prominently located on the Banff coast overlooking Sandend Bay and is a local landmark. The landscape remains predominately rural although the nearby buildings of Glenglassaugh distillery to the south and southeast form a small grouping of industrial buildings within the wider setting.

It is unclear if there was a functional relationship between the windmill and Craig Mills or with the later distillery. The northeast pend of the windmill extends beyond the platform base and may relate to an association with the later Craig Mills, to which it orientates. An account of the nearby Glenglassaugh distillery from 1887 describes the approach to the distillery as 'a pleasant walk of ten minutes from the station through the Glenglassaugh property brought us to the ruins of an ancient mill, built over a lofty brick archway, through which we passed for the Distillery, close by' (Barnard 1887, 238).

The survival of the windmill stands as a built reminder to the local agricultural economy of this area and the wider history of 18th century agricultural improvements.

Historic interest:

Age and rarity

Windmills are not a common building type in the Scotland, where water powered corn mills predominated. Although threshing machines were also occasionally powered by windmills, they were more commonly driven by water or horse power.

There are 41 windmills and the remains of windmill designated as listed buildings or scheduled monuments in Scotland. Windmills were more common in areas of extensive arable cultivation such as Aberdeenshire and East Lothian. In Banffshire there are two other surviving windmills at Montbletton (Listed Building LB10581) and Northfield (Listed Building LB10582) both dating to the early 19th century. Further along the coast in Moray there is one windmill (later converted to a doocot) at Gordonstoun which is mentioned in a lawsuit in 1751 (Listed Building LB2246). Beyond Banffshire, but remaining in northern Aberdeenshire, other windmills survive at Hilton, Ellon (Listed Building LB9109), Fraserburgh (Listed Building LB16363), Loch of Strathbeg, Lonmay (Scheduled Monument SM4331), and Glenugie Distillery, Peterhead (Listed Building LB16363). These examples date to the late 18th or early 19th centuries and are therefore later than the windmill at Glassaugh. Glassaugh therefore has significance as one of the earliest examples of a windmill in northeast Scotland, and this adds to its special interest.

Tower windmills were the most common type of windmills found in Scotland. However, the plan of the example at Glassaugh differs from other Scottish examples because of its broad stone-built reefing platform. Other examples of this design can be found in England such as Fulwell, Sunderland (Historic England List Entry Number: 1207109) and Stembridge Mill, Somerset (Historic England List Entry Number: 1235260). However, these are later in date, so it is unclear if millwrights from northern England were involved in the construction of the mill. This notable design feature makes this a rare and unusual example of a windmill in Scotland and adds to its special interest.

Social historical interest

Social historical interest is the way a building contributes to our understanding of how people lived in the past, and how our social and economic history is shown in a building and/or in its setting. These considerations add to the special social historical interest in listing terms.

Glassaugh Windmill has significant social historical interest as a late 18th century windmill. The development of the mill is associated with improvements in agricultural practices in the northeast, and Scotland more generally, during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The 'General View of the agriculture of the County of Banff' states that there was not any improvement to agriculture in the district before 1748. It attributes the improvements in the second half of the century to Lord Deskford, later the 6th Earl of Findlater, a neighbouring proprietor to Glassaugh. He promoted agricultural improvement on his estates at around the same time that the windmill was being developed at Glassaugh (Davidson 2020, 11). The windmill was part of the process of agricultural improvements in that area. In turn, these improvements led to the closure of the mill, possibly as early as fifteen years after its development when water mills were introduced at nearby Craig Mills.

The windmill, a notable feature along the coastline of Banff, is known locally as the 'cup and saucer' because of its unusual shape.

Association with people or events of national importance

Glenglassaugh windmill has a close association with General James Abercrombie (1706–1781). James was born at Glassaugh, the son of Col. Alexander Abercrombie MP. He became a career soldier as well as being the MP for Banff for a time. During his military service he served in the British Government forces during the Jacobite Rising of 1745 and then in the War of Austrian Succession (1746-47). He was Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in North America during the Seven Years' War with France (1754–1763). He was recalled in 1758 after he directed a disastrous assault of Fort Carillon, in what is now Canada, losing around 2000 of his men.

James succeeded to the Glassaugh estate on the death of his father in 1754. On his return from serving in the military he appears to have focused on improving his estate, including rebuilding Glassaugh House (LB10694) and building the windmill at Glassaugh. He may also have been responsible for Craig Mills which superseded the windmill.

Their association with James Abercrombie is not considered of national importance.

References

Bibliography

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