Ballycopeland Windmill, Moss Road, Ballycopeland, Millisle, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT22 2D?

Ballycopeland Windmill is a four-storey windmill dating to the 1780s, situated on the north side of Moss Road, approximately one mile west of Millisle. It is a fully operational and faithfully restored example of its type, and the only windmill still working in County Down.

The windmill tower measures approximately 10.2 metres in height to the curb and 6.8 metres in diameter, with walls about 0.75 metres thick. The exterior is finished in rough cast, featuring six small windows and two ground-floor doorways. A flue is located on the south side at first-floor level, leading to a rubble-built dust house attached to the tower's ground floor, used for removing husks. The roof is lead sheeted, and equipped with sails and a fan tail.

To the south of the windmill stands a long, single-storey building. Originally the miller’s house and drying kiln, it has been restored and now serves as a visitor centre and museum. The windmill is believed to have been constructed around 1785, possibly by George Bennett. It was subsequently owned and operated by the McGilton family until its closure in 1915. The site came into the care of the Northern Ireland government in the 1950s and underwent full restoration. Comprehensive plans and details of the windmill’s internal workings are documented in E.R.R. Green’s 'The industrial archaeology of Co. Down' (HMSO 1963). Historical records, including valuation records, Ordnance Survey Maps, and memoirs, provide further details about the windmill’s history and ownership. The site holds industrial archaeological interest and is open to the public.