Ballycopeland Windmill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ballycopeland Windmill |
|
|---|---|
Ballycopeland Windmill
|
|
| Origin | |
| Mill location | Millisle, County Down |
| Coordinates | 54°36′29″N 5°33′24″W / 54.60806°N 5.55667°W |
| Operator(s) | Department for Communities |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Corn mill |
| Type | Tower mill |
| Storeys | Four storeys |
| No. of sails | Four |
| Type of sails | Roller reefing sails |
| Winding | Fantail |
| Fantail blades | Eight |
Ballycopeland Windmill is a working windmill found near Millisle, in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a special type of windmill called a tower mill. This amazing old building is managed by the Historic Environment Division. This division is part of the Department for Communities.
The windmill is open for everyone to visit and learn about. It has different names depending on the language. In Irish, it's called Muileann gaoithe Bhaile Chóplainn. In Ulster-Scots, people know it as Ballycopelann Wun-mäll. The windmill is part of a bigger heritage site that was fully restored and opened in May 2022.
Contents
What You Can See at the Windmill
When you visit Ballycopeland Windmill, there's more to see than just the mill itself.
The Visitor Centre
- The visitor centre is located in the miller's old house.
- Inside, you can see a cool electric model of the windmill.
- This model helps you understand how the real mill works.
- You can also try out some hands-on activities related to milling grain.
The Corn-Drying Kiln
- There's also a restored corn-drying kiln nearby.
- A kiln is like a special oven used to dry corn or grain.
- Drying the grain was an important step before it could be ground into flour.
A Look Back: The Windmill's Story
Ballycopeland Windmill has a long and interesting history. It stands out as a unique landmark.
The Last Windmill Standing
- The windmill's tower is covered in plaster and painted white.
- It's easy to spot in the area because it's so tall.
- This windmill is very special because it's the last one left in County Down.
- Long ago, there were more than a hundred windmills in this county!
From Grinding Grain to Heritage Site
- The McGilton family used to own Ballycopeland Windmill.
- They used the mill to grind grain for many years.
- The mill stopped grinding grain in 1915.
- In 1935, the government of Northern Ireland took ownership of the windmill.
- It wasn't used for many decades after that.
- However, in 1978, the old windmill was fixed up.
- It was restored to working order again, so people could see how it used to operate.
