The story of Ballycopeland Windmill
County Down was once windmill country, with well over a hundred mills catching the breeze across its open farmland. Ballycopeland, a tapering plastered tower mill of four storeys built around the turn of the nineteenth century, is the only one left standing and working. For generations it was a landmark for miles around.
The McGilton family worked the mill, grinding grain for the surrounding farms until 1915, when the First World War and changing times brought milling to a halt. The sails stopped, and the building began to decay. In 1935 it was taken into the care of the government of Northern Ireland.
A long restoration followed, carried out in stages and bringing the mill back to full working order by 1978. The roller-reefing sails, the automatic fantail that turns the cap into the wind, and the internal machinery were all repaired, along with the corn-drying kiln alongside.
Today the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities looks after the site. The miller's house was reworked into a visitor centre that reopened in May 2022, with a working model of the mill and hands-on milling for visitors, so the last windmill in East Down keeps telling its story.