Everyone knows by now that one of my favourite things to do when I have time off is head off on a long drive and explore the belly of an abandoned building.
This particular day brought me to Navan, a very quiet, grey town in Ireland. It was established when the Anglo‐Normans (Brits) invaded Ireland in the 12th century. It was created during a time when Irish people were being forced off their own land and when Gaelic was made illegal. English rule, culture and language quickly took over, as well as industrial interests.
The rivers of Navan made it a prime spot for the creation of a series of mills that would fuel the whiskey, flax, corn and flour industries. By the early 1800s, the River Blackwater was dotted with over 10 mills powered by water, steam and massive amounts of horsepower.
I managed to gain access to two of the main mills, William Morgan’s Mill and Blackwater Mill, plus Blackwater House. All are in serious disrepair so if you manage to find them, tread carefully.
William Morgan’s Mill
William Morgan’s Mill later Mortimer’s Mill and finally Elliott’s Sawmills was built on the banks of the river Blackwater. It was originally built in 1851 by William Morgan and was used to produce flour for his Navan bakery. Its purpose changed to a sawmill in the early 1900s when it was taken over by Thomas Mortimer and then Joshua Elliot. It remained in operation until 1999 when it closed down. Since then, the property has stood empty and untouched, other than being seriously damaged by arsonists in July 2007.
Blackwater Mill
Blackwater Mill is a 6.5-acre six-story ex-water mill situated a bit further up the banks of the River Blackwater from William Morgan’s Mill. Built in 1783, this mammoth of a building was once the largest corn mill in Ireland. Powered by a large undershot water wheel, it was used to not only produce corn, but whiskey and flour. One of its owners was John Fay, a prominent Catholic businessman, who was once famously framed for murder. Similar to William Morgan’s Mill, the Blackwater Mill was also subject to arson by locals in 2010.
Blackwater House
Once inhabited by the Spicer family who ran the Blackwater mill, the detached two-storey Blackwater house was built in 1785.
