Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandNorth DownWindmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower'
WINDMILL

Windmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower'

North Down, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 16469
Site type
WINDMILL
Nation
Northern Ireland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

Windmill stump is a restored stone tower standing on North Down, Northern Ireland. The structure dates from the post-medieval period when windmills of this type were built across the British Isles to harness wind power for grinding grain and other industrial purposes. The tower is constructed from local stone quarried from the bedrock geology of the Holywood Group, a Carboniferous formation comprising sandstone and conglomerate with subordinate argillaceous rocks that underlie this part of the landscape.

The windmill's circular or polygonal plan is typical of the era, designed to distribute wind pressure evenly against its walls. Only the stone stump now remains, the rotating cap and sails long since removed or lost. This remnant preserves evidence of the technological and economic life of the region during its period of operation. The site occupies a naturally elevated position characteristic of windmill placement, allowing greater exposure to prevailing winds across the surrounding terrain.

The monument is protected as a scheduled historic monument under the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland (reference 16469), recognising its significance as a tangible survival of post-medieval industrial heritage on the island. Such structures are relatively scarce in their complete form, making this stump an important record of regional agricultural and technological history.

Windmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower' is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 16469. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Windmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower'?

Windmill stump is a restored stone tower standing on North Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 16469.

Who is responsible for protecting Windmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower'?

Windmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower' is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 16469.

What other scheduled monuments are near Windmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower'?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dundonald motte. motte & possible souterrain (5.6 km), Hengiform enclosure (6 km), Ring barrow (6.2 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Windmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower'

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Windmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower''s history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman World
Ireland was never conquered by Rome, so this traces the island's Iron Age kingdoms and its contact with the Roman world.
Historic Records
The 19th-century records of this place: valuations, Ordnance Survey memoirs and topographical accounts.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Windmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower'

Windmill stump - ihr 02511 'the martello tower' stands on Holywood Group, bedrock that formed in the Osagean. The rock here is sandstone, conglomerate and [subordinate] argillaceous rocks.