Time stood still at Mid Lettrick House. Its crumbling stone walls whispered tales of a bygone era. This isn’t just any old building. Mid Lettrick House stands as a testament to Glasgow’s rich agricultural past. Originally part of a larger farm complex it boasted a water-powered mill. Imagine the rhythmic churning of the mill wheel powering the machinery. This scene played out for centuries near the Cocks Burn.
Sir John Hamilton owned Mid Lettrick’s mill in the 17th century. By the early 1800s the Duke of Hamilton held the property. A description from 1859 paints a vivid picture a farm steading with a water-driven thrashing mill. The Cocks Burn formed a dam providing the mill’s power. The name was often spelled with one ‘t’ not two.
Peter Craig purchased the farm in 1898 renaming it Mid Lettrick. He oversaw the construction of a large south-facing farmhouse. This added to the existing mill buildings and outhouses forming a complex. The name Letterick itself may derive from the old Scots word for hillside perhaps referencing nearby Dechmont.
The mill’s ingenious water system remains impressive. A dam and sluice controlled the water’s flow into a stone channel driving the mill wheel. The stonework of the complex is remarkably detailed. Sadly Mid Lettrick fell into disrepair. Nature reclaimed it. Trees grew through walls. The Calder River eroded foundations.
Jim Cochrane shared stories of his aunt Helen. Her father a Mr Simpson worked at Mid Lettrick. They lived in a cottage now a ruin. The water wheel and barn remained intact until the early 1970s. Scrap metal thieves took much of the mill’s steel structure. Amanda Brekenridge recalled her childhood memories. She kept horses nearby. She described the beautiful staircase and copper roof. Sadly both were stolen. The house still retained a lovely facade and garden.
Today Mid Lettrick House is more than just ruins. It’s a poignant reminder of a vibrant agricultural past. It shows the ingenuity of water-powered technology. It speaks of the lives lived and labor performed at this once-thriving site. Mid Lettrick House. A story etched in stone and water. A Glasgow legacy.