(56) Laxey (Creer's) Mill

 


Located at junction of Laxey River & Glen Mooar
Sc 432852

It is not clear if the leat was altered by the extensive development of the water resources to power the Great Laxey Mining Company's mines and processing plant further down the valley - the adjacent dam would appear to feed the washing floors

Laxey Mill
Laxey Mill
(detail from postcard c.1910)


unattributed photo published in 1952
(Lonan and Laxey Festival Manx Wedding 12 June 1952)

Scarffe refers to this mill as Ballacowle Corn mill on the Agneash Road, noting that by the early 50s it had been converted into a small engineering works, though the water-wheel was still functional.

Would appear to have been built c.1738 as the two deeds relating to sale of ground are:
SSS May 1738 66:

dated 11 Feb 1736;Jon Kewley(Ballacullogh, Lonan) [a Margt Kewley also marks]sells for 24s to Mr Jon Garrett junr and Mr Robt Corlet(both Lezayre) a parcel of intack known as Carnane brack from a lttle gap on top of the bank adj river on west side and so on to the thorn trees in the bank above the place called Cabby on turk to a rock in the stream eastward adj rent of Eliz Moore(widow) + John Farker(Balldrine) on south; Witt Robt Casemt x, Ewan Garret x, Gilber Coule x; Setting quest place 0.5d

and SSS May 1738 67:

dated 2 May 1738;John Fargher(Baldrine) sells for 7s to Mr Jon Garrett junr and Mr Robt Corlet(both Lezayre) a small parcel of intack of my tenement of Baldrine being that on wch a mill damn is now built on Laxey river; Pat Craine, Jon Garrett senr ; Setting quest place 0.5d
A mill rent of 12d was also payable

 

Currently converted to a tea room and restaurant trading under name of Ballacregga Tea Rooms - the wheel is in situ though the mill was gutted by the 1940s when used to house an engineering company, the water supply would also appear to have been removed..

References

George E Kermode Laxey ... as I remember it Douglas Manx Experience n.d. [1985?] (ISBN 1 873120 095)

Andrew Scarffe The Story of Laxey Flour The Manx Experience 2010 ISBN 978-0-9564553-2-1