LITTLEMILL DISTILLERY, MALTINGS and KILNS and EXCISEMAN'S HOUSE, Dumbarton Road, Bowling
ACCESS : Viewable from the road - both sides.
Exciseman's House - Listed B, but on Buildings at Risk Register. Delisted in 2022.
///messed.shoelaces.succeed House.
///readjust.performed.tucked Distillery
While travelling Dumbarton Road through Bowling, you will possibly have wondered about that scruffy shell of a house on the Dunglass end of the town. Would you believe it? That building is listed "B".
Now Category B buildings are those of special architectural or historic interest which are major examples of a particular period, style or building type.[HES].
So what are we missing?
This is a late 18th century building with mid 19th century additions. It was built because under the Excise Act of 1823, distillers were required to provide separate accommodation for Excise officers. These were rented by the Board of Excise for a sum not exceeding $10 per annum. [HES]. So this is its historical interest.
What is missing is the distillery itself. That stood across the road where there are now flats.
But where is the distillery?
Well that was where the block of flats is now across the road.
The exciseman's house was to the left behind that stone wall. The distillery was to the right where the flats now are. (There are now flats on both sides of the road).
Canmore tells us that the distillery was founded in 1772. Between 1817 and 1971 the distillery had changed hands about 16 times. Littlemill used triple distillation until the 1930's and had two stills and a modified Saladin malting in 1980. [Canmore]. Some folk will remember the products with some sentimentality.
BUILDINGS AT RISK REGISTER FOR SCOTLAND (BARRS) : https://buildingsatrisk.org.uk/search/keyword/dumbarton/event_id/898807/building_name/littlemill-distillery-excisemans-house-dumbarton-road-bowling
CANMORE : https://canmore.org.uk/site/81823/bowling-dumbarton-road-littlemill-distillery-maltings-and-kilns This covers the distillery and includes a photographic record.
HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND website for listed buildings : http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB19656
LITTLEMILL DISTILLERY website : https://www.littlemilldistillery.com/
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE HERITAGE TRAIL : OLD KILPATRICK, BOWLING AND MILTON : https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/media/2619074/ok_booklet.pdf
