The small village of Upperlands has been manufacturing fine linen and other textiles for almost three centuries.

 

In 1736 the fascinating history of William Clark and Sons began and today many locals avail themselves of scenic walks around the waterways that once fed the mills of the world’s oldest family linen business.

 

Upperlands is situated within the area of Magherafelt district council and the young members of the village attend the excellent Ampertaine primary school.  The primary school has seen a couple of its past pupils go on to achieve great recognition in sports.  Wendy Houvenaghel won silver Olympic medal in the 3000 metre cycling pursuit in Beijing and a gold medal in the team pursuit at the 2008 and 2009 Track World Championships.  Dean Shiels is a professional footballer and a regular member of the Northern Irish international squad, currently playing for Doncaster Rovers. Upperlands has its own football club and recently celebrated winning the Constitution Cup for the 2009-10 season.

 

On the outskirts of the village is Ardtara Country House – an award winning restaurant and listed in Ireland’s Blue Book under most romantic hotels.  This Victorian country house is renowned not only for its great food but also for the warm welcome and friendly staff.

 

The future of Upperlands is looking bright.  The Turkington construction group has outlined plans for housing within the linen mill site.  The development could potentially double the current population of the village to 1200.  The outline proposal has been extremely well received so far.