Ballymena Borough Council have erected to date 45 plaques to promote recognition of people. notable buildings and events that have proved of lasting significance within the Borough. The key objective is to build greater public awareness of local heritage from all historical periods and to provide somewhere to hide a cache:)

Ballymena Workhouse & Burial Ground

Ballymena Poor Law Union was formed 13th May 1840, and covered an area of 252 square miles. Its operation was overseen by an elected Board of Guardians, 28 in number, representing its 23 electoral divisions as listed below (figures in brackets indicate numbers of Guardians if more than one):

Co. Antrim: Ahoghill, Ballyclug, Ballyconnelly, Ballymena (3), Ballyscullion, Broughshane, Clogh, Cloghogue, Dundermot, Dunmanaway, Dunminning, Galgorm (2), Glenbuck, Glenravill, Glenwhirry, Kells (2), Kirkinriola, Lisnagarran, Longmore, Newtown Cromellin, Portglenone (2), Slemish, Toome.

The Board also included 6 ex-officio Guardians, making a total of 34. The Guardians met each week at 1pm on Saturday.

The population falling within the Union at the 1831 census had been 66,964 with divisions ranging in size from Dundermote (population 1,069) to Kells (5,708) and Ballymena itself (5,644).

The new workhouse, built in 1842-3, was designed by George Wilkinson and occupied a six-acre site at the west side of Cushendall Road to the north of Ballymena. It could accommodate 900 inmates. The cost of the building was £6,600 plus £1,800 for fixtures and fittings etc. It was declared fit for the admission of paupers on 3rd November 1843, and admitted its first inmates two weeks later on the 17th November.

During the famine in the mid-1840s, sleeping galleries and additional accommodation were erected. A temporary fever hospital was set up in a house belonging to Sir Shafto Adair until a 40-bed permanent building was erected at the south-west of the workhouse. At the 1901 census, the population of the Union was 53,082 with 19 officials and 355 inmates in the workhouse.

The workhouse later became Braid Valley Hospital. The entrance block has been demolished but the main building and fever hospital survive.

The posted coordinates take you to the plaque for the workhouse, it's always worth visiting the site of the Burial Ground around the back of the hospital, access either side by car.

To find the cache you will have to acquire some information and utiilise the following formula.

North

S F + ME McB ### F T + A A . L McR x  (H McC - L McM)

West

ME McB - L McM ### T McB + C McK . (W C x E M) + L McR + P Q

The cache is not reachable from the Hospital Grounds, and is a 35mm film container. Please try to maintain the cover over the cache.

Caches in this series :-