High Mill, Camperdown Works, Methven Street, Dundee, Lochee, Dundee

Description

G A Cox, apparently assisted by Peter Carmichael and with

some millwright work by J and C Carmichael, built in 3

stages begun in 1857, completed in 1868.

3-storey, basement and attic with 2-storey rear, 40-bay

fireproof jute mill 500' long with 100' high clock and

bell-tower at NE end and 2 N-facing pediments. Coursed

rubble with ashlar dressings.

N elevation 3-storey attic and sunken basement behind

cast-iron railings. 2 5-bay advanced pedimented sections

occupy the 9th to the 13th bays from each end. These contain

ground floor doors and one keystoned round-headed window

given an oriel.

in the tympanum of each pediment. Ball finials. W elevation:

9-bay, comprising 4-storey and attic 4-bay gable, 2 windows

in mansard attic with flat-topped finial and skewputts,

small corniced ashlar block at base, and 5-bay 2-storey

section to S with main cornice.

S elevation: 2-storey 40-bay with occasional ground floor

doors, main cornice and parapet. Similar S elevation to

multi-storey section at N with 2 upper floors, 40-bay with

main cornice. 3 larger windows to engine houses.

E elevation 2-storey, 5-bay section with cornice and 3-storey

and attic 4-bay section with 5-round-headed windows at

ground floor. Elaborately scrolled gable with ball finial. Square-section clock-tower rises from advanced rectangular

NE stair tower, channelled ashlar at ground floor, channelled

quoins at 1st and 2nd floors with windows in architraves.

3rd floor round-headed windows between pilasters. Dentil

cornice with pediments to N and S and balustrades to E

and W elevations.

Tall square-section clock stage, ashlar with large clock

faces to each elevation over bipartites. Consoled cornice.

Very large octagonal cast-iron bellcote with ogee roof and

ball finial.

Windows are original 6-pane top hoppers except ground floor

of S elevation. 4 pane sash and case. Mansard slate roof with full-length skylights.

Some ornate wought-iron street lamps.

Interior fireproof. Very long rows of cast-iron columns

carry cast-iron beams, brick arches and wrought-iron ties.

S wall of multi-storey mill is carried at ground floor on

a stone wall with openings in W, 1857, section. Central

and E sections carried on a colonnade of Tuscan columns.

Stone dividing wall separates early 1860s mill from 1867-8

E section. Ground floor to S, or 1st floor of 2-storey

section, has 4 long aisles of superb gothic cast-iron

roofs carried on 3 rows of cast-iron columns. Attic of

multi-storey block has fine gothic cast-iron roof carried

on 2 rows of clustered columns. W pediment has wooden roof.

E pediment is cast-iron. Main stairs in W pediment have

an unusual open cast-iron construction on cast-iron columns.

Stone spiral stairs in NE tower.

4 engine houses at ground floor, 3 grouped behind W pediment

with large windows to S at 1st floor. From W to E: (a)

small engine house with cast-iron or steel fixtures in

ceiling (b) very large engine house rising from basement

to 1st floor, projecting to S with large wooden mullioned

windows, later a generator house. (c) Medium-sized engine house

with 2 fluted cast-iron columns carrying arched support

for beam of 100hp beam engine by J and C Carmichael. Other

cast-iron fittings in ceiling with hole for beam floored

over. Masonry base. (d) horizontal engine house at E end

of mill, single-storey with 2 large battered and coved

masonry blocks. Wooden king post roof on carved gothic

brackets with louvred ridge skylight.

Statement of Interest

In terms of spindles, the world's biggest jute spinning mill.

Built for Cox Brothers, from 1920 the showpiece of Jute

Industries, having at one time over 5,000 employees. Of

particular interest is the ironwork in the roofs and the

engine houses. The columns in engine house (c) are the

most significant survival of a steam engine in Dundee and

which belonged to an engine which worked with a "smoothness,

steadiness and regularity truly astonishing" (Warden, 1864).

Substantial evidence remains for the position of gearing

carried from wall boxes and brackets attached to columns.

In circa 1890 engine houses (b) and (d) acquired rope alleys.

The clock mechanism and the bell are now missing.

External Links

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