Abbey Mill, Melrose

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Abbey Mill

Abbey Mill in Melrose in Roxburghshire is an ancient mill, now a shop, whose original is in the ancient Melrose Abbey. It stands on the east side of the town.

The original corn mill known as Abbey Mill was built during the early Middle Ages and probably belonged to the Abbey up until the Reformation in 1560, supplying roasted barley for the Abbey's brewery.

The current building is more recent. The mill was rebuilt around 1640, and the bottom half of the building is original to that time. The first recorded owner of the present mill was James Fletcher Hoy. However the new mill was never commercially viable as the water in the mill stream is insufficient to drive more than one millstone. The mill escaped serious damage during the Civil War. In 1773 the upper floor was added

The Abbey Mill was used as a drill hall: in 1914 was drill station for "C" Squadron, Lothian & Borders Horse, and "H" Company, 4th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers. The building continued in use as a Territorial Army Centre into the Second World War. It is now a shop.

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