Living in harmony..

This grand manor house was constructed in the mid 1800's and was once part of an extensive mill complex. Although this isn't the first house that stood here.

The owner of the mill John SNR was a very successful linen merchant, he bought this house when he moved to the area and used this as his family home. The spinning mill was the largest mill outside of Belfast. At its height it employed over 400 people and the community built their life surrounding the mill.

The owner of the mill 'John' had two sons, Richard and John JNR. They had both enrolled in the United Irishmen and were fighting for this cause. John SNR had no knowledge of this until one June morning a local Lord and Major came to the house with the mission to burn the house and the mill to the ground for their active service.

The family were allowed five minutes to gather around whilst they had to stand and watch while the house was set on fire and destroyed before their eyes.

In shock the family took refuge in a nearby hedgerow under a carpet for shelter. After some time some neighbours came to their aid and helped them move into one of the mills bleaching houses.

Richard was summoned to court were he was given the sentence of death by execution. Because of his fathers connections he was able to overturn the sentence and he was ordered to be deported instead. However, this leniency didn't sit well and it was ordered to be reviewed by the courts.

Eventually this forced the entire family into voluntary exile. Richard was the first one to make the journey and he set sail to America and eventually the rest of the family followed and they were all reunited.

The house then took on a new owner who took about rebuilding the mansion into what we have today. The mill then finally closed in the 1960s and the house has been abandoned for the last 20 years approx.

It has since changed hands and I hear it's to be fully renovated, I can't wait to see what becomes of it.