Danny McGill:-
On 27th July 1988, I made an interesting discovery at the north eastern corner of the garden of the Coal Yard cottage (commonly known as Marconi’s). Here, there is a piece of buttress walling built upon the living rock which has been cut to form a tank and a channel identical to what I believe to be a salt pan at the boundary of Ballyvoy and Tomaroan further along the shore.
This tank at the cottage is unfortunately filled with boulders and rubbish, but on close inspection it’s outline can be clearly seen. This, I believe finally locates the second of two salt pans marked on the Down Survey maps of Cary Barony (1657) by Dr. William Petty, one at the boundary of Ballyreagh and Ballyvoy and the other at the boundary of Ballyvoy and Tornaroan.
The discovery of this second pan confirms to me that there was no salt making undertaken at the ‘Salt Pans’ at Broughanlea of the old-fashioned evaporation method, that in fact salt-making here was begun using hearths as described in my first article (Glynns 16).
The chamber at the Salt Pans rock has since been completely cleared of sand and rubbish (by the Ballycastle Ace Scheme) and initial reports show that the chamber is in fact longer than originally thought being some 39 feet in length, having taken a turn to the right (NE) some 14 feet from the end.
The whole is well cut from the living rock being 5 feet 6 inches in height throughout its length. At present there is no apparent access to the adjacent churn, though there is a suggestion that part of the floor has been paved. (I have not yet been able to visit the site since the excavation but will investigate further as soon as possible.)