Wellbrook Beetling Mill

Wellbrook Beetling Mill, in a wooded glen beside the Ballinderry River near Cookstown in County Tyrone, is the last working water-powered linen beetling mill. Beetling is the final stage of linen making, in which wooden hammers called beetles beat the cloth to tighten the weave and give it a sheen. Hugh Faulkner established a bleaching works here in 1764, James Irwin built the present mill in the 1830s, and the Leeper family finished linen here before production ended in 1961. The National Trust took the mill on in 1967 and restored it with help from the Landmark Trust. Guided tours end with the 16 foot wheel turning and the beech wood cogs sending the hammers crashing down. Reviewers praise the enthusiastic guides. Dogs are welcome on a short lead in the grounds and woodland walks, though only assistance dogs may enter the mill. One tip from regular visitors: the mill opens for tours on a limited number of days, but the riverside glen and its picnic tables are worth a stop even when the building is shut.