Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Here we are on a sunny afternoon at Saintfield Co Down having a wee dander round the newly opened Saintfield Glasdrumman Windmill Park on the edge of the town. We were pleased to see that the park is filled witTHE official opening of Windmill Park last week marked a major milestone for Saintfield.
The park is located opposite Saintfiled High School on the site of Saintfield’s historic Glasdrumman windmill built by John McBurney 1805. The windmill was destroyed on the ‘Night of the Big Wind’ on 6 January 1839. A wind like this had never been experienced in ireland before. It brought down all the windmills on the island and thousands of houses. There are hundreds of windmill stumpsto be seen right across the island. Along the coast 42 sailing ships sank others were badly damaged.
Glasdrumman Windmill Park has been landscaped with local trees and bushes added as well as wild flowers. It has been carefully developed as both a heritage and community space. There are numerous educational noticeboards dotted around too.
The park is bounded by the Carson’s Dam River and is comprised of green areas, pathways, a pond, a section of historic railway track, seating for visitors and interpretive elements that tell the story of the windmill and the town’s wider heritage.
The project has been led from beginning to completion by Saintfield Community Association. Also........
“The creation of Windmill Park has only been possible thanks to the generosity of David Moffett, a US, Florida -based businessman whose ancestors emigrated from Saintfield over 200 years ago,”
“Reconnecting with his family roots, Mr Moffett provided the funding to purchase the site and support the early stages of its development.”
Mr Moffett and family visited Saintfield for the official opening of the park last Thursday.
“Although my family left Saintfield many generations ago, the connection has always remained important. Supporting this project has been a meaningful way to honour that history and give something back to the place where our story began,” he said.
The project was also supported by £1 million of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Here we are on a sunny afternoon at Saintfield Co Down having a wee dander round the newly opened Saintfield Glasdrumman Windmill Park on the edge of the town. We were pleased to see that the park is filled witTHE official opening of Windmill Park last week marked a major milestone for Saintfield.
The park is located opposite Saintfiled High School on the site of Saintfield’s historic Glasdrumman windmill built by John McBurney 1805. The windmill was destroyed on the ‘Night of the Big Wind’ on 6 January 1839. A wind like this had never been experienced in ireland before. It brought down all the windmills on the island and thousands of houses. There are hundreds of windmill stumpsto be seen right across the island. Along the coast 42 sailing ships sank others were badly damaged.
Glasdrumman Windmill Park has been landscaped with local trees and bushes added as well as wild flowers. It has been carefully developed as both a heritage and community space. There are numerous educational noticeboards dotted around too.
The park is bounded by the Carson’s Dam River and is comprised of green areas, pathways, a pond, a section of historic railway track, seating for visitors and interpretive elements that tell the story of the windmill and the town’s wider heritage.
The project has been led from beginning to completion by Saintfield Community Association. Also........
“The creation of Windmill Park has only been possible thanks to the generosity of David Moffett, a US, Florida -based businessman whose ancestors emigrated from Saintfield over 200 years ago,”
“Reconnecting with his family roots, Mr Moffett provided the funding to purchase the site and support the early stages of its development.”
Mr Moffett and family visited Saintfield for the official opening of the park last Thursday.
“Although my family left Saintfield many generations ago, the connection has always remained important. Supporting this project has been a meaningful way to honour that history and give something back to the place where our story began,” he said.
The project was also supported by £1 million of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
