1859 Map showing Letterick Mill
Letterick, is an area immediately to the north of Greenhall, but just out the Parish boundary. It is still close enough though to Blantyre to be considered part of this area and feels closer to Blantyre than East Kilbride. It is accessed from the Dalton Road, leading off from Stoneymeadow. A mill stood on the Cocks Burn (which flows into the Rotten Calder).
The earliest mention I can find of a Mill at Letterick, is in the 17th Century where it is known to have belonged to Sir John Hamilton. By early 1800’s, the property had passed to the Duke of Hamilton.
A description in 1859, describes Letterick as, “A Farm Steading having a thrashing Mill driven by water. Cocks Burn forms a Dam here. used for the Mill. It is the property of His Grace the Duke of Hamilton.This name is generally spelled with one t.”
1898 Map Mid Letterick
By 1898, the Farm owner was Peter Craig and the property renamed to Mid Letterick. Sometime between 1860 and 1898, a large farmhouse was built facing South. This was in addition to the older farm and mill buildings which by then formed a complex of buildings and outhouses.
The name “Letterick” appears to be derived from old Scots meaning “hillside” which may have been a reference to Dechmont to the West.
The Cocks Burn was dammed and with a sluice controlling water entering a stone channel, driving the mill wheel. The architecture of this whole complex of buildings, channels and dams is actually amazingly detailed and impressive. Built in stone, great effort has been expended into placing the stones and constructing the channels and buildings themselves.
During a visit in September 2014, I was particularly impressed by how much of the buildings and lined watercourses still remain. Perhaps that is no surprise as the area is a little out the way and fairly well protected. It is long since been inhabited, and falling into disrepair. The Calder itself and Mother nature driving and growing huge tree roots through walls, bursting out the sandstone and intent on sealing the destruction of Letterick.
On Social media, Jim Cochrane told me, “Peter Craig moved out in 1964_65 to Bardykes He lived in the house up until then and my Aunt Helen Cochrane’s father Whose name was Simpson worked there they lived in the old cottage at the end of the farm road which is now a ruin.He retired and they moved to cambuslang in 1965. The waterwheel and the barn where all intach up until the early 1970s.The Morris’s had a farm manager a Mr Stevenson for a while in the late1960s and the farm house was still habitable then. The waterwheel was mostly all a steel structure and would have all been stolen for scrap in the 1970 s.”
I took this series of photos below to show what remains and just what an incredibly scenic place this still is.
Update: 29th March 2016. Amanda Brekenridge told me, “I used to keep my horse up here in the 1980 the old house was beautiful the old man who lived in one of the new cottages at end of road sandy McCullough told me the house used to have a beautiful staircase and copper roof but people stole it for scrap . we used to store hay in house when you sat up top on hay you were on second floor of the house it was a truly amazing view I used to cut over Clyde at Greenhall it took miles off going by road when you climbed up the embankment you came out at the field at the back if the house it still had a beautiful facade and garden .”