History
William George Patterson opened the Spade Mill in 1919 on a site
previously occupied by a number of different industries, including
a corn mill, a paper mill and a linen beetling mill. The Spade Mill
reached its peak of production in the 1930s and 1940s, when it
employed over a dozen men, delivering spades and shovels across
Ireland and beyond.
Crafting a spade at Patterson’s was, and still is, a skilled
business, and not just in terms of manufacturing techniques.
Workers at the mill needed to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of a
huge variety of spades (there were 171 recognized designs in
Ireland alone), as neither instructions nor guidelines were ever
written down.
The fact that the mill remained in commercial production right
up to 1990, when every other mill of its type had long since
closed, stands testimony to the quality of the spades produced at
Patterson’s.
The Spade Mill Today
Representing an important part of Northern Ireland’s industrial
heritage, Patterson’s was acquired by the National Trust in 1992.
Following restoration, it was opened to visitors in 1994, with all
its equipment in full working order. Visitors can now watch each
stage in the process as spades are made by skilled craftsmen.
Spades can be ordered or purchased in the mill at a price well
below cost.
There is no charge for visiting the small museum area. However,
the 50 minute guided tour, for which there is a small charge, is a
very worthwhile and interesting experience. There are picnic tables
in the car park area. Toilets and a coffee machine are available in
the museum area.
Opening Times
Daily at Easter
Weekends and Bank Holidays during April, May and
September
Daily (except Tuesday) during June, July and
August
Open 2-6pm all open days
Parking
During opening hours the Spade Mill car park can be used. After
hours it is possible to drive into the lane, but it is difficult to
turn on the lane and reversing out onto the main road is not to be
recommended. There is a hard shoulder across the road beside the
church, but again beware of the busy, fast road.
The Cache
The cache is located on the land owned by the National Trust,
but outside the gates. This means the cache can be found at any
time. The cache itself is a tab-locked box wrapped in a black sack
containing log, pencil, sharpener and the usual swaps. The cache
has been placed with the knowledge and approval of the National
Trust.