page_title: Meikle Millbank Mill
section_title: Thirlage
hierarchical_section_title: Meikle Millbank Mill / History / Thirlage
caption_attribution_description: English: The anatomy of a Millstone Русский: Схема бороздок и зон на мельничном жёрнове. 1 – Гармошка; 2 – обод; 3 – основные бороздки; 4 – дополнительные бороздки; 5 – мелющие поверхности; 6 – насечка на мелющей поверхности; 7 – крестообразное углубление под параплицу; 8 – мелющие кромки; 9 – направление вращения; 10 – глаз.
context_page_description: Millbank Mill or Meikle Millbank Mill was an old corn mill in Burnbank Glen overlooking the Barr Loch near Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, south-west Scotland. The present ruins date from at least the end of the 18th century with structural evidence for six phases of development that finally ceased when the mill closed circa 1950. The mill was a two storey building, developed to become 'T' shaped complex when at a later stage a grain kiln was added.
context_section_description: Thirlage was the feudal law by which the laird (lord) could require all those farmers living on his lands to bring their grain to his mill to be ground. Additionally, they had to carry out repairs on the mill, maintain the lade and weir as well as conveying new millstones to the site. The width of some of the first roads was determined by the requirements of at least two people on either side of a grindstone with a wooden axle called a 'mill-wand'.
  The Thirlage Law was repealed in 1779 and after this many mills fell out of use as competition and unsubsidised running costs took their toll. This may explain why so many mills went out of use whilst mills such as Millbank thrived due to their location and natural resources.
caption: The basic anatomy of a millstone. This is a runner stone and it is not of a composite construction. The bedstone would not have the "Spanish Cross" into which the supporting mill rind would fit and deliver the turning power from the waterwheel gearing.
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