39 Ballywoolen Road, Castlerock, Coleraine, Co Londonderry, BT51 4XF

For descriptive purposes, the building has been sub-divided into four sections, 1-4 (anticlockwise from NW to SE). Section 1 A single-storey, single-bay building at the N end of the block; originally the flax intake room. The topography is such that it is at the mill’s FF level. Its original pitched cement-fibre roof (on steel trusses) has been replaced with natural slates which continue over section 2. Plastic ogee gutters. The rubble masonry walls are now rendered with cement and there is a ‘1943’ date on its N gable. W elevation has a flat-headed roller-shutter garage door. Section 2 This was originally the flax store and was two storeys high, but a single open space internally. A first floor was inserted when converted to a house. It originally had a cement-fibre roof, but this has been replaced with natural slate (continuing across from section 1). Ogee plastic gutters. The rubble stone walls were originally unrendered, but their upper part has since been rendered with cement. There were few openings originally (and none on the upper part), but double-glazed timber-framed windows and new doorways have since been inserted at both levels, all with new red-brick trim to their flat heads and jambs; the window cills are of concrete. The engine room addition at W and open store at E have both been removed. Section 3 This was originally a double-pile single-storey building over a basement cut into the slope at the S end of the block. During conversion to a house, its walls were raised by c.4ft to bring their eaves level with section 2 to create a first floor. Its two original roofs were also combined into a single pitch, the ridge line of which is now significantly higher than before. The original rubble stonework has been retained to the basement, but the upper part is now cement-rendered and new doors and windows have been inserted, again with new brick trim. At the SW corner of this section is an external high-breastshot waterwheel (16ft dia x 5ft wide), the metal axle, hubs and rims of which survive along with the timber arms (two sets of eight); the angled wooden buckets (40 in all) and soleplate have rotted away. A cast-iron segment spur wheel with in-facing teeth is affixed to the inner rim and drives a bull nut mounted on the end of a shaft into the basement. Section 4 The original concrete-block lean-to abutting the E elevation of section 3 has been replaced with an open-sided lean-to. Setting The building lies on the left bank of the Articlave River, from which it was fed by a long mill race (still extant). The ground between the headrace and river has been landscaped as a garden, and the land beyond the headrace is used for grazing. The lands SE and E of the premises are fields, and a minor public road runs along their N side. Roof: Pitched natural slate Rainwater goods: Ogee plastic Walls: Rubble stone and rendered concrete block Windows: Double-glazed timber.