Tormiston Mill
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2019) |
Tormiston Mill | |
---|---|
Type | Watermill (1882–1962) Visitor Centre (1989–2016) |
Location | Stenness |
Area | Mainland, Orkney |
Built | 1882 |
Owner | Historic Environment Scotland |
Tormiston Mill is a Category B listed watermill located on the Mainland of Orkney, in Scotland, owned by Historic Scotland since 1989. The mill sits adjacent to Maeshowe Chambered Cairn.
History
Watermill (1882–1962)
Tormiston Mill was built in 1882 by Colonel Balfour of Shapinsay, and became operational shortly after. Many of the original mill mechanisms have been preserved inside. The mill is a large, rectangular building with three floors and originally a small attic until it was stripped out during asbestos removal in the 2010s. It was powered by three pairs of grinding stones driven by a cast iron water wheel.[1] Tormiston was not a flour mill, but instead processed grain, peas and beans for animal feed, as well as coarse bere and oatmeal for bread or porridge. Tormiston Mill served the parish of Stenness until 1962 when it finally ceased production. After the mill closed, it became a restaurant and shop, winning a European Architectural Heritage Award in 1975.[2]
Maeshowe Visitor Centre (1989–2016)
Tormiston Mill was purchased by Historic Scotland in 1989, and because of the building's close proximity to Maeshowe Chambered Cairn, it became the ticket office and gift shop of Maeshowe. A cafe was located on the second floor until around 2005. Tormiston Mill had no wheelchair access to the gift shop on the first floor, and there were concerns about the asbestos located within the roof of the building. As safety concerns grew revolving around the carpark's close proximity with the A965 road, a crash outside the mill finally led to the close of the mill as a visitor centre in September 2016. Tours from Maeshowe operated via shuttle bus from the Skara Brae visitor centre in Sandwick until a new Maeshowe visitor centre opened in Stenness Village in April 2017. Tormiston Mill was officially condemned for Historic Scotland staff use in 2020.
References
58°59′41″N 3°11′11″W / 58.9946°N 3.1864°W
- All articles with bare URLs for citations
- Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022
- Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations
- Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
- Use dmy dates from April 2022
- Articles needing additional references from October 2019
- All articles needing additional references
- Articles with short description
- Short description is different from Wikidata
- Coordinates on Wikidata
- Historic Scotland properties in Orkney
- 1884 establishments in Scotland
- Industrial buildings completed in 1885
- Watermills in Scotland
- Category B listed buildings in Orkney
- Listed industrial buildings in Scotland
- Mainland, Orkney
- All stub articles
- Scottish history stubs
- Scottish building and structure stubs
- Orkney stubs