Forth Mill

According to the archive of Historic Environment Scotland Forth Mill, also known as Bridge Mill, was built c 1840. “A 3-storey and 2 attic, 4-by-7-bay rubble building.” This information in turn is credited to John R. Hume’s “The Industrial Archaeology of Scotland 1. The Lowlands and Borders”

1861 Ordnance Survey Map

Forth Mill was built as a Woollen Mill. In a report of a fire which destroyed the Confectionery business immediately to the South in 1911 the owner of the Mill building is recorded as Mr J. F. Thurman, Flock Manufacturer. The 1911 Census has him as “Flock Manufacturer – Rag Merchant”

Although there is no mention of its use as such in the 1951 valuation Roll there was a motor Engineer operating out of one part of the premises towards the end of the Building’s life. The “Castrol” sign and the advertisement for “C & H Motors” in the photograph bear witness to this. The fact that all or most of the windows are broken on the main part of the building suggests that at the time this photograph was taken there was no one else in the building.

In the 1951 Valuation Roll the tenants and occupiers of the Mill Building are recorded as “Scottish Central Poultry Products” along with “Glasgow and West Scotland Aerated Water manufacturers” and the “Beer Bottlers’ Defence Association”!

Anecdotal evidence has it that the manager of the egg packing plant was a Mr Peter Douglas and the business was closed in the late 1960s. The building was then taken over by Mr Les Buck and Brian Dormer who traded as motor engineers. In the late 1970s that function was in turn taken over by Charlie Hunter.

There is another photograph taken from another angle about the same time which confirms the notion that two separate Motor Engineering Firms occupied the building. LNB Motors. Could it be that LNB is Les ‘n Brian and the C&H Motors is Charlie Hunter? it’s a wee bit of a coincidence if it’s not!

This time most of the windows are sound so it’s likely that this is the earlier of the two uses and fits with the notion that the names reflect the operators.: –

The car in this picture would date it around the mid to late fifties. The Ford Zephyr was first manufactured in early fifties. The advertising shows “LNB Motors” had a fairly large presence within the building if not a full occupancy.

There is anecdotal evidence to the effect that this building had a major infestation of woodworm and that it too suffered a damaging fire in the 1970s which led to its demolition.