Near 3 Ballooleymore Rd, Katesbridge, Banbridge, Co Down, BT32 5QB

Near 3 Ballooleymore Road, Katesbridge, Banbridge, County Down

This water-powered corn mill complex comprises a mill building, a kiln, and associated structures, situated at the bottom of a steep south-facing slope with fields surrounding on all sides. A public road runs across the south side of the mill, with the kiln positioned higher up the bank behind it.

The mill is a two-storey, two-bay building aligned east-west along the north side of the public road. Its roof, formerly pitched and slated, is now missing. The walls are constructed of random rubble blackstone with a high admixture of rounded fieldstones relative to quarried stone, with roughly-dressed quoins (mostly granite, but some blackstone) and a brick eaves course. There are no rainwater goods.

The principal elevation faces south directly onto the road. Its left half is abutted by a two-storey annex. To the right of the annex is a doorway with a three-centred brick arch head into the west bay. Beyond this is a small square-headed window lighting the east bay; the cement-rich mortar surrounding it suggests a later insertion. Further right is a brick-trimmed segmental-headed doorway, also into the east bay. At the right-hand end of this elevation is a stone-infilled doorway with a three-centred brick head. At first floor level, the east bay has two windows with segmental brick heads, both infilled with rubble masonry.

The west gable features an external overshot waterwheel measuring 14 feet in diameter by 4 feet wide. The wheel is cast iron except for its 36 timber buckets and soleplate, both now long decayed. No traces of the headrace survive. The tailrace is partly infilled and culverted under the road back to the stream which supplied the headrace. Above the wheel is a segmental brick-headed window opening to the first floor, a later addition probably inserted during mid-19th century upgrades, as comparison with the wheel's dimensions in the 1835 Valuation suggests.

The north elevation is partly cut into the slope, such that the first floor of the west bay is accessible through a doorway from outside ground level with brick jambs and missing head. There is also a ground-level doorway to the east bay with a flat timber head and brick jambs. Directly above it is a first floor window with brick jambs and missing head. The east gable has a small window towards the right-hand end of the ground floor with a flat stone head. Just left of centre, three very large granite blocks are set flush into the wall, one above the other; their purpose is uncertain—whether they were simply wall fill or served another function. At first floor level are two segmental brick-arched windows, both infilled with rubble. A small window sits in the apex of the gable with a flat stone head.

The mill annex is a small two-storey, single-bay building at the left end of the mill's south elevation. Wall breaks indicate it is a later addition. Its roof, formerly slated with monopitch profile, is now missing, and there are no rainwater goods. Walls are random rubble with granite and brick quoins. All openings have flat granite heads and brick jambs. A stone-infilled window is on the south elevation and a window at first floor level on the west gable. The east gable has a doorway at each floor level.

The kiln is a three-stage, single-bay structure aligned north-south just north of the mill. Its roof, formerly pitched, is now missing, and there are no rainwater goods. Walls are random rubble with roughly-dressed quoins and, in contrast to the mill, contain a high admixture of tabular Silurian stone. All openings have flat granite lintels and windows have brick jambs with thin stone cills. The apex of the south elevation has collapsed and no openings survive in what remains. On the west elevation is a ground-level doorway and a window to the top stage. The north elevation has a doorway through to a small single-storey, single-bay abutting room, of which only vestiges survive. On the east elevation is a ground-level doorway and two windows to the top stage.