The village of Sheeplands
is situated on
the County Down coast a little distance south of the entrance
to Strangford Lough, now deserted
the village consists of a group of roofless stone ruins, silent
testament to lives lived, pleasures enjoyed, tribulations endured
and loves won and lost so long ago.
In 1798 a ship of Napoleons
navy was wrecked near the village of Sheeplands it was carrying
a cargo of arms and ammunition which included cannons these
were destined for the United
Irishmen's Rebellion, the cargo was
not to reach its intended destination, the Ametie's wooden hull
was rent asunder on the jagged rocks of Sheeplands bay, all
the crew with the exception of one perished on that fateful
night.
He scrambled ashore was
taken care of and hidden from the authorities by the people
of the village, no one knows what became of him, but his memory
lingers on in the name of a coastal path 
"The Steersmans
Path" the survivor is reputed to have been at the wheel
when the ship went ashore, and each day he is said to have climbed
the path to gaze on the site where all his shipmates had perished.
A painting of the Ametie can be seen in Downpatrick
Museum and one of the salvaged canons in or was in the the
harbour yard at Ardglass
In the area of the village
is the remains of Sheeplands water mill, this corn mill was
worked by the Curren family until the latter 1930's, click for
more information and images of Sheeplands
watermill.
To the west of the corn
mill on higher ground is a derelict wind mill with the majority
of its machinery collapsed within its walls, this windmill one
of 100 which are said to have existed in County Down was built
sometime after 1810, it is known as Sheeplands Windmill, click
for more information and images.
