Gilford Mill is situated in Gilford, County Down, and in part of an area known as The Linen Homelands. The Linen industry had an enormous influence on the way of life and culture and provided the major source of employment for many years. Villages like Gilford evolved around the mills and Gilford still has many original houses and features of a traditional mill town. The mill which was surrounded by 180 acres contributed greatly to the development providing 138 houses, as well as schools and churches for the benefit of the local community.
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| Gilford Mill circa 1950 |
The original Gilford Mill buildings were constructed in the early 19th century with a number of extensions added in the late 1900s and again in the late 1950’s. Occupied by Dunbar McMaster & Co. the mill at its height employed over 1,500 people, mostly from the local area. Power for the mill complex was originally derived from the mill pond fed via the mill race from the River Bann. A water wheel, 24 feet in diameter was originally installed, which went on to generate steam power, this was supplemented by a water turbine which was introduced in the early 20th century.
Over the course of the 19th century the mill increasingly specialised in the manufacture of thread and yarn and was the largest industrial undertaking on the Upper Bann. As early as 1849 the mill was described as “the largest, or certainly one of the largest flax-spinning factories in Ireland”. By 1891 it had established itself as one of the largest thread manufacturers in the UK, producing 75,000 miles of yarn and thread per week from the operation of around 16,000 spinning and 4,000 twisting spindles. Towards the end of the century the Gilford Mill complex was unsurpassed in the whole of the British Isles, in the completeness of its resources for all the processes of the industry. Dunbar McMaster & Co. had become world famous for the quality of its thread, winning many eminent awards.
The firm of Dunbar McMaster & Co. was so successful that in 1880 a mill named ‘Dunbarton Mill’ was built in Greenwich, New York State, USA. Approximately half of the workforce from Gilford journeyed to work in the new mill and many Gilford people still have family connections in the States due to this migration.
From the middle of the 20th century production at both mills declined as more modern fabrics and technologies began to take over from traditional weaving. Dunbarton Mill, Greenwich, ceased production in 1952 and was converted for paper production. It was eventually destroyed by fire and no longer exists. Gilford Mill eventually ceased final production in 1987, although parts of it had already been unoccupied for a number of years. The final workforce was just 190 persons. Gilford Mill is one of the last remaining spinning mills on the River Bann and is of great importance to the heritage of the area.