To the east of Ballymena, the village of Broughshane serves the lovely Braid Valley with its quiet pastoral scenery. The immediate area includes Rathkeel and Buckna hamlets and the Oaklands and Tullymore Lodge estates. In the Braid Valley, too, is the estate of Cleggan Lodge, a rambling and many gables house of great charm.

Broughshane has over 2,000 inhabitants and the Braid Valley 2,500. Broughshane’s modern amenities include playing fields, a much used Community Centre and a Community Business Resource Centre. The village is very pleasant in aspect and has much of interest. It was the ancestral home of Sir George White V.C. the hero of Ladysmith and to whom there is a memorial in the village churchyard. Sir George was actually born at Portstewart but the White family lived in Broughshane for centuries.

On either side of Broughshane and the Braid Valley rise the smoothly contoured hills that reach to 1,437 feet at Slemish Mountain. The village is indeed the point from which to visit this famous peak, the view from whose summit is superb. Slemish however, is noted for more than its view for it was on its slopes that St. Patrick, when a youth, tended sheep and pigs. It was in the early years of the 5th century that a chief who had been raiding overseas brought back a Christian boy named Patrick – most probably from the Clyde Valley in Scotland. After tending pigs on the lopes of Slemish, Patrick escaped but with a desire to convert his heathen captors to Christianity. He returned of his own accord and, through his proceeding, rose to become the Apostle of Ireland. During his life he studied in France under Martin of Tours and Germanus of Auxerre. There are now few reminders of St. Patrick but Slemish, the roof-shaped mountain, is one of them, its southern gable end rises high above the surrounding country and can be seen from the hills around Belfast.

A warm welcome to the village

At Broughshane village the River Braid is joined by the Quolie Water, a small and delightful tributary that has its source near the Quolie reservoir which supplies Ballymena with water. The Braid itself is an ideal angling river and is well stocked with native brown trout, pike and salmon.

For over 30 years, hundreds of community volunteers have worked over one million hours in a voluntary capacity for Broughshane and District Community Association Limited. They have improved the social, economic and environmental aspects of their community and above all their quality of life. Today the community has 26 affiliated groups and a membership of 1800 plus. First formed in 1969, it was conceived as an umbrella organisation whose role was to secure collective benefits, not just for a particular group but for the whole community. The community organisation promoted community relations and communication between the various groups within society where it really counts, that is within the home, all the age groups, the employed, the unemployed, the villager, the farmer and the newcomer.

The recently renovated Old Mill

By acknowledgement that everyone has something to contribute people began to feel valued and that they had a stake in their community, a sense of belonging and pride. This new confidence was not to be seen as elitism, patronising less fortunate communities but as an inspiration to them that if an ordinary place like Broughshane could do it so could they!

Thousands of people have benefited from the work of Broughshane and District Community Association in various ways. Many of the community projects supported within Broughshane have addressed the needs of the most vulnerable in society, older people, children, young parents, the unemployed and farmers. A variety of groups and organisations have helped here, the Credit Union enables access to loans at low interest rates. The Senior Citizens Club reduces the isolation of older people by organising events and activities, the Community Playgroup and Mother and Toddlers Group provide essential caring breaks (be it only for a few hours) as well as opportunities for contact and general support. The Young Farmers Club and Women’s Institute support strong rural community networks, reducing isolation and dispersing knowledge.

Local Villagers

In the early years the main focus for Broughshane and District Community Association was on recreational facilities for all ages in the form of a hall, soccer pitch and playground.
Environmental concerns have always been at the heart of the work carried out here and some of them are referred to below.

• A Feature Garden in the Centre of the Village situated at the Broughshane Library.
• New Community Offices with training/support facility to incorporate an Information Centre.
• Wildflower/Community Woodland to compliment each other sited along the Buttermilk Bridge Riverside Walk known as Little Acorn Wood.
• Cycle Network in conjunction with Sustrans – the National Cycle Network, which is linked from Broughshane to the New Eco’s Park (Environment Centre) in Ballymena.
• New Community playgrounds for local children to play in safety.
The newest and biggest challenge this vibrant community enterprise has recently taken on is the creation of a Community Economic Resource Centre at Houston’s Mill. This has regenerated that area of the village and the accompanying Mill wheel and Hydro Electric Scheme will be a constant reminder of the power of the people of the Braid Valley to regenerate their communities. In the redevelopment of Houston’s Mill the community will retain the heritage of the past and provide additional facilities for the present, which will sustain their community development into the future.

Houston’s Mill was an old Flax/Corn Mill with a history dating back to the early days of the Irish linen industry, Houston’s Mill is located in peaceful rural surroundings in the beautiful award winning village of Broughshane, known by communities all over the world for its success in the competitive floral arena having won Ulster in Bloom, Britain in Bloom, the European Entente Florale and Nations in Bloom, some events several times.

Members of the local community who generously give their time to keep the village in first class shape.

In the millennium year of 2000 the mill was fully restored to it original state to provide a facility for the local community, which, in addition to the cottage accommodation has a community office with fax, photocopying and e-mail facilities.

The Business Centre comprises of two large meeting rooms and office accommodation. The facilities are suitable for conferences, seminars, trade exhibitions, meetings, weddings, anniversary celebrations, specialist courses and any other social event.

Resources available include a PA system, fax and photocopying facilities, overhead projectors, TV and video, flipcharts, lectern, laptop and data projector.

Mill Cottage is located at Houston’s Mill, recently restored in its original and matching stonework. The accommodation is registered as 3*** Self Catering and sleeps up to five people.

Awards

1987 N.I. Amenity Council (Best Kept Small Town) Winner
1988 Ulster in Bloom Winner
1989 Colonel Sanders (UK) Environmental Award Winner
1990 Ulster in Bloom (Small Town Category) Runner up
1991 Ulster in Bloom (Small Town Category) Winner
1991 NI Amenity Council (Best Kept Small Town) Winner
1992 NI Amenity Council (Best Kept Small Town) Winner
1992 Ulster in Bloom Runner Up
1993 Ulster in Bloom Winner
1993 Britain in Bloom Winner
1994 Ulster in Bloom Joint Winner
1994 NI Amenity Council (Best Kept Small Town)
1994 European Entente Florale Winner
1994 Britain in Bloom Winner
1995 NI Amenity Council (Best Kept Large Village) Winner
1996 Ulster in Bloom Winner
1996 Nations in Bloom Winner
1997 Ulster in Bloom Winner
1997 Britain in Bloom Winner
1997 Nations in Bloom Winner
1997 Queen Mother's Birthday Awards (National Commendation for Environmental Improvements)
1997 NI Amenity Council Winner (Best Kept Large Village)
1998 Ulster in Bloom Winner
1998 NI Amenity Council Winner (Best Kept Large Village)
1998 Queen Mother's Birthday Awards (Premier Award for Environmental
Improvements)
1998 British Airways Tourism Awards (Best Event or Promotion) Highly Commended
1998 Nations in Bloom Winner
1999 Ulster in Bloom Winner
1999 2nd Place All Ireland Tidy Towns Competition
1999 Britain in Bloom Winner
2000 Nations in Bloom Winner of Community Involvement
2000 British Airways Tourism Award Winner (for Entente Florale Event 2000)
2000 Ulster in Bloom Winner
2000 NI Amenity Council Winner (Best Kept Large Village)
2001 Ulster in Bloom Winner
2001 3rd Place in Britain in Bloom
2001 NI Amenity Council Winner (Best Kept Large Village)
2002 Ulster in Bloom Winner
2002 Britain in Bloom Gold Medal Winner
2002 Amenity Council Winner (Best Kept Large Village)
2003 Ulster in Bloom Winner

2004 Ulster in Bloom Winner

2004 N.I. Amenity Council Runner Up (Best Kept Large Village)

2004 Britain in Bloom Gold Award Winner

2004 Britain in Bloom Overall Category Winner

2004 Pride of Place Winner (Population 2001-10,000)

2005 Ulster in Bloom Winner

2005 Pride of Place Runner up (Population 2001-10,000)