Scores of windmills once dotted the rolling landscape of County Down in Northern Ireland – now the last one standing has opened to the public as part of a new visitor attraction.
Ballycopeland Windmill stopped working over 100 years ago, but now, after a major refurbishment, it’s restored to its former glory and sits proudly alongside a renovated miller’s cottage, kilnman’s house and a newly built heritage centre and café.
Located just outside the quiet County Down seaside village of Millisle, the windmill is unique in being the last in the world with the patented Hooper roller reefing gear still intact. This is the system for operating the blinds on the sails on calmer days.
It is also the last windmill left in Northern Ireland and one of only a small number of working windmills on the island of Ireland.
The plastered and white-washed tower mill was built around the late eighteenth century, producing corn and animal feed up until 1915. It ceased operations at the onset of World War I.
The windmill is a landmark on the scenic Ards Peninsula in County Down, an area in which a large number of mills were once situated. Conditions in the area were ideal for windmills, as it enjoyed an excellent grain-growing landscape, good winds and close proximity to ports from which grain could be transported.
The mill has a ‘drive’ floor and ‘stone’ floor and has been restored to look as it would have been in its heyday. The interpretative exhibitions on-site take in the windmill, miller’s cottage and kilnman’s house, and an activity barn.
Various audio visuals and interactive games for families and visitors are available, including a play area, an electrically operated model of the mill and a hands-on experience of milling your own meal.
A morning or afternoon at Ballycopeland would make an excellent stop on a tour of the Ards Peninsula – unspoiled, uncrowded and the perfect setting for a relaxing coastal drive.
Stretching from the market town of Newtownards and running between the shores of Strangford Lough and the Irish Sea, the peninsula is a scenic mix of pretty villages, stunning seascapes, history and tranquillity.
A lap of the peninsula by car can take a couple of hours but take a day or two and you will have plenty of time to enjoy what this area of outstanding beauty has to offer.
Discover traditional seaside stops like Donaghadee and Millisle, or head to historic Greyabbey for some antique shopping or maybe to the fishing village of Portavogie for some seafood.
Make a stop at Echlinville Distillery for an Irish whiskey and gin tour and tasting, or take in the magnificent Mount Stewart House and Gardens where there are more than five and a half miles of beautiful walking trails, inspiring gardens and a wonderful National Trust property to explore.
