Remains of former Burren Mill, at 23 Market Road, Burrenreagh, Castlewellan, BT31 9HL

Much altered remains of a pre 1834 corn and flax mill, now used as farm outbuildings. The complex is set to the NW of Market Road, 1 mile SW of Castlewellan. The remains of the mill consist of an L shaped, mainly two storey group, containing two separate gabled buildings with a large iron waterwheel (with timber spokes), set in the narrow gap between them. Both buildings are one room deep with recent looking rough cast render to much of their facades, corrugated iron roofs and PVC rw goods. The building to the SW is L shaped, having a set back portion to the SW. Part of this portion is single storey and has natural slate to its roof. To the NW/NE facades of the whole grouping are several doorway openings with a mixture of timber sheeted and corrugated iron doors. Some if not all of these openings appear to be recent insertions, but, as the buildings are now rendered, it is difficult to confirm this. To the SE of the buildings the ground level is higher, so that the grouping appears entirely single storey when viewed from this direction. The ‘inner’ gables of the two storey buildings are unrendered, revealing a rubble construction. In between these gables sits the large (c.4.3m diameter) iron water wheel which undoubtedly drove engines in both buildings. The wheel was a breast shot and as such the (presumably culverted) mill race must have ran across the higher ground (now the farm yard) from the mill dam on the SW side of Market Road. Just to the E of the former mill grouping is a modern house, which appears to have replaced the earlier miller’s dwelling. To the immediate S of there used to be a brick chimney stack, built when steam power was installed, but this has been totally demolished. To the S of this there is evidence of other buildings having been demolished also.