2004:1681 - KILLOTERAN (9), Waterford

During testing along the route of the N25 Waterford city bypass in December 2003, a wooden base-plate and associated planks were exposed in the Dooneen marsh in the townland of Killoteran. Radiocarbon dates of cal. AD 410–650 and 340–600 were returned for two of the oak planks recovered and it was decided to carry out a full excavation in order to reveal the extent and nature of the structure. This excavation began in June 2004 and unearthed the substantial remains of a vertical watermill. The entirely wooden mill was constructed on a mill-race that had been artificially dug along the centre of the marsh and which emptied into a small stream leading to the River Suir (some 800m away), which was tidal at this point.

The mill-race measured some 3m in average width but widened into a semicircular millpond just southwest of the mill structure, where it was over 7m in diameter. The water flow to the mill wheel was controlled by two wooden dams, both of which measured 5m in length and were spaced 3.5m apart. Both of the dams were constructed of oak planks set longitudinally into a slotted oak base-plate. The baseplate was set into the clay marl on the bed of the millrace and was cut into the sides of the channel and held in place by two large wooden posts at either end. The interstices between the planks were filled with moss and marl in order to waterproof the dam. The water flow was controlled through a sluice at the centre of each dam constructed of several planks that extended through the base-plate to the bed below. These planks could be raised or lowered as required from above. A small chute was observed cut into two of the planks in the sluice of the second dam,which could have been used to direct the water onto the wheel itself.

The main workings of the mill were constructed just beyond the second dam and consisted of the wheel housing and the mill room itself. The housing for the wheel was located in the centre of the millrace and consisted of a rectangular area measuring 2m in length by 1.5m. It was lined on both sides by a series of planks lying sideways on top of each other and held in place by wooden posts at either end. These plank walls would have acted to retain the infilled channel on either side of the wheel. The floor of the wheel housing was also lined with large planks and would have been necessary to stop silting below the wheel itself.

The main mill house seems to have been located along the north-west side of the wheel, where portions of two upright plank-lined walls were exposed. The first of these walls was formed by the north-west end of the second dam and the second was formed by planks laid on edge and held by two large wooden posts at a distance of 2m from the first wall. The floor of the mill house was constructed from a mixture of imported clay and turf.

Beyond the mill-wheel and house a small tail-race was exposed, which consisted of a small channel measuring only 2m wide cut into the marl with a revetment on both sides consisting of small posts driven into the bed of the channel supporting reused timbers. The remains of a small wattle fence was exposed along the south-east side of the mill-race that may have been used to stop surface water from flowing into the tail-race and causing a backwash on the wheel. Over 600 fragments of timber were recovered, apart from the mill structure itself. For the most part these consisted of natural timbers that had either been washed along the mill-race or were used to revet the edges of the millpond. Worked fragments were also recovered and included planks, posts, a possible wheel shaft and possible paddles from the mill wheel itself. A number of upper and lower millstone fragments were also recovered from the tail-race in the vicinity of the mill house. These stones were all made from old grey sandstone that was quarried locally. They would have broken on a regular basis and would have been discarded nearby.

It is probably significant that the townland boundary juts out into the marsh here in order to incorporate the mill within Killoteran townland. It is tempting to infer that it may therefore have been associated with the early ecclesiastical establishment of St Otteran that is located less than a mile to the north-east within the same townland.

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