THE official opening of Windmill Park last week marked a major milestone for Saintfield.
The new community heritage space has been developed to preserve and celebrate one of the town’s most important historic sites.
Located on the site of Saintfield’s historic Glasdrumman windmill, which was destroyed on the ‘Night of the Big Wind’ on 6 January 1839, Windmill Park has been thoughtfully developed as both a heritage and community space.
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.
Designed to be both reflective and welcoming, the space provides an opportunity for residents and visitors to relax, learn and connect with the history of the area.
The project has been led from initial concept through to completion by Saintfield Community Association, whose coordination has brought this initiative to life for the benefit of the local community and future generations.
“The creation of Windmill Park has only been possible thanks to the generosity of David Moffett, a US-based businessman whose ancestors emigrated from Saintfield over 200 years ago,” a spokesperson for Saintfield Community Association said.
“In a powerful reconnection with his family roots, Mr Moffett provided the funding to purchase the site and support the early stages of its development.”
Mr Moffett was in 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, which helped to transform the site into an accessible, welcoming and high-quality public space.
“Windmill Park is a hugely significant project for Saintfield.
“From the very beginning, our aim was to protect this important site and create a space that the whole community could enjoy,” Martyn Todd, Saintfield Community Association trustee, said at the official opening.
Read the full story in the current issue of the Down Recorder edition of the Mourne Observer.
