Description

4 fireproof flax mills grouped around a yard comprising,
clockwise, Bell Mill, St Roques Lane (1866), North Mill,
Princes Street (1935), Dens Street Mill, Dens Street (1865)
and St Roques Mill (1830s, rebuilt internally 1889).
a. Bell Mill, Peter Carmichael 1866, 5-storey and attic
12-by 3-bay ironframed rubble-built flax mill. Imposing
4-bay S elevation with projecting Italian Renaissance stair
and lift towers having roundheaded windows blind to S,
paired at 6th floor. W stair tower has superb square
cupola with 2 arched opening to each face, segmental
pediments, drum, domed roof and cross finial. E tower
(housing hoist) balustraded with flag pole. Gable oculus.
E and W elevations 12-bay including towers channelled
ashlar triple-arched passageway traverses mill at ground
floor. Later concrete and corrugated-iron lift blocks
and brick single-storey remnant. N elevation 3-bay mansard
gable with urn finials.
b. Dens Street Mill, Peter Carmichael 1865. 5-storey and
attic 3 by 12-bay rubble-built flax mill. Elevation to Dens
Street 4-storey and attic, 12-bay coursed rubble; with top
band course elevation to yard 5-storey and attic with
ground floor doors. N elevation 3-storey, basement and attic,
3-bay with mansard gable, oculus and urn finials.
S elevation blank mansard gable. Slate roof with original
ornate ventilators.
c. North Mill, George Pyott 1935, links Bell and Dens
Street Mills. 2-storey and attic. 3-by 10-bay coursed
rubble elevation to Princes Street and St Roques Lane.
Central roundel inscribed "Baxter Brothers 1935 Lower Dens
Works". 4-storey reinforced concrete framed elevation
to yard almost completely glazed except brick top floor.
Piended slate roof. Tunnel to Upper Dens Works blocked.
d. St Roques Mill or Wallace Mill, circa 1830-1840, given
iron frame and taller mansard roof by Baxter Brothers 1889.
3-storey basement and attic 7-by 3-bay L-plan rubble-built
flax mill. Elevations to Dens Street 4-bay gable of mill
and 1-bay wing. Attic-level band course 2 windows and
oculus. Mansard gable with urn finials. 7-bay S elevation
with small blocked basement windows. W elevation 2 basement
doors, 1 with cornice to stairs and 1 to engine house,
single windows at ground and 1st floors, 3 windows at 2nd
floor and attic. Mansard gable with oculus and urn finial.
N elevation 4-bay to yard, (a further 2 bays are blocked
at upper floors by steel-framed passages linking St Roques
and Dens Street Mills) with 2 large engine house windows
at W and projecting soil chute. Mansard slate roof with
original ornate ventilators.
Small lodge, with later 1st floor, and retaining boundary
wall along Constable Street and St Roques Lane, 1889.
Interiors of Dens Street, Bell and St Roques Mills
fireproof with 2 rows of cast-iron columns carrying
cast-iron beams, wrought-iron ties and brick arches. Fine
cast-iron gothic roofs on clustered columns. Original
stairs, cast-iron doors etc. North Mill concrete floors on
tubular steel columns, but with similar spans to
iron-framed mills.

Statement of Interest

The earliest Baxter mills were built here in 1822 and 1826,

replaced in 1865-6. St Roques Mill was acquired in 1888

from W R Morison, also of Wallace Works, rebuilt internally

and given a mansard cast-iron roof by Baxters.

The single storey canteen, now sports club, with asbestos

tile roof, and the remaining brick structures in the

courtyard are excluded from the list.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17575452

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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