Farm buildings (former flax spinning factory), 44 Ballyknockan Road, Tullygarvan, Ballygowan, Co. Down, BT23 6NR

Large collection of one and two storey farm buildings, originally built as a ‘flax spinning factory’, set (on a bend) on the N side of the Ballyknockan Road, c.1.5 miles W of Ballygowan. The complex consists of two main original looking sections which appear once to have been part of the flax spinning factory and various other later buildings, built for farm use. The ‘original’ sections consist of a large two storey L shaped portion to the N and a single storey section to the S. The large L shaped section is set into the slope of the hill and is single storey to the N, whilst that to the S is set right on the roadside. Between both portions to the S there is the gate screen with simple wrought iron gates and curving rubble walls. The gates open directly onto the road. Both ‘original’ sections are rubble-built with a mixture of hipped and gabled roofs all Bangor blue slated and now sporting many small metal ventilators . Each section has various window and door openings. Some of the openings have large areas of painted cement render around them, as if they had been either enlarged, reduced, or were later inserts, with the render covering any untidy disruption to the rubble façade. Some other openings have painted on ‘dressings’, to give all openings a uniform feel, disguising the brick used during alterations to some. The windows have modern frames. There are some large elliptical arch-headed doorways in evidence (now with modern sliding doors), but others appear to have been filled in. Part of the single storey section appears to be used as a dwelling. The whole complex is interspersed (mainly to the W side) with more recent structures built specifically for farm use. To the E (to the rear of the L shaped section) is a small cattle yard.