Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB12/19/025 F

Address :
Former Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society factory ('The Scotch Stores') SOUTH END 'FACTORY EXTENSIONS' Sligo Road Enniskillen Co Fermanagh BT74 7JY

Townland:
Enniskillen

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
20/03/2003 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Shop

Former Use
Factory

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
Yes

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
211/11

IG Ref:
H2286 4413

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Long, mainly two storey, well mannered late Victorian rubble-built former factory and integral manager’s house, with large Jacobean gables and overall ‘Highland lodge’ feel. The complex, which originally belonged to the Scottish Wholesale Cooperative Society and used for processing livestock, is believed to have been built in 1893 to designs by Thomas Elliot, but it shear length, differing roof heights and levels of detailing suggests that some portions may have been added a few years afterwards. Since the later 1970s it has been occupied with mainly shop / workshop units of various size and some new large window openings have been installed in the process. To the south end there are some large modern extensions, possibly dating from the 1960s or early 1970s. The property is located to the W side of Sligo Road and the E of Old Henry Street, on the SW edge of Enniskillen. [For the purposes of this description, only the four main compass points will be used.] The building runs roughly N to S, curving in line with the above mentioned roads. In plan form it is irregular. To the N end is the house (‘Thistle Bank House’). To its S the house merges with a much larger block, which must have once contained offices, but is now filled with shops with a large portion to the E used as the meeting place for a local church. This in turn merges with a large, plainer, lower proportioned block which probably housed most of the factory proper as it were, but is now occupied by more shops, a snooker hall etc. To S of this is a long narrow block, (possibly originally warehouses), slightly taller and slightly more ornate than that to the immediate N. This section also contains shops along with a bingo hall and restaurant. To the very S end the complex appears to have been somewhat extended in more recent years [?c.1970s], with the addition of plain flat roofed sections (also filled with shops). To the W of the building the ground level rises so that the much of the block is single storey to this side. To this side also there is a long narrow enclosed yard with a long gabled outbuilding, which, like its larger neighbour is two storey to the E but single storey to the W. To the S gable of there is a tall square, battered brick chimney (the outbuilding obviously once contained a boiler or a boiling house). Much of the complex is in squared rock-faced [?lime]stone with smooth dressings and quoins. Throughout much of the building there has been considerable alteration in recent years in terms of window and door openings and the application of modern signage, especially to the E façade where it fronts on to the busy Sligo Road. THE OUTBUILDING (HB12/19/025f) Sandwiched between Old Henry Street and the rear of the long south section of the building is a long narrow yard. Set within the yard, and running along much of its length is a long outbuilding, single to two storey from the yard (E) side and single storey on to Old Henry Street. This outbuilding is also in squared rubble with a slated gabled roof and cream-ish brown brick dressings to many of the openings. To the N and S gables are further gabled projections, a small single storey projection to S and a much larger two storey one to N. Also next to the S gable is a tall square battered chimney stack is dark brown brick. The E elevation of the outbuilding has four doorways, all timber sheeted but of varying size. That to far left is largest with the rest of pedestrian scale. The two central doorways are similar with all window / fanlights above. To far left are two high level windows, with a former window, to immediate right of first doorway, now blocked. To far right is a further window with modern frame. To the right hand end (were the façade is set back and fully two storey), there is a broad timber sheeted opening to the ground floor and to left of this there is a small single storey lean-to with four pane window to its N face and timber sheeted door to E. To the first floor of the ‘set back’ portion of the façade are three relatively large segmental headed windows (all with modern frames). To the (mainly single storey) W façade there is a relatively uniform series of brick dressed window openings with mainly modern frames. There are also two timber sheeted pedestrian doors. A small part of the façade (roughly to the centre), is rendered. The N gable of the outbuilding is blank. The slated gabled roof is in three sections, the section to the centre having a slightly steeper pitch (and a ventilator to the ridge). Stretching from the SW corner of the outbuilding are relatively plain wrought iron railings set into a low bevelled base. These culminate to S is a pointed stone gate pillar with slight make shift looking gates made from corrugated iron. There is a gateway to the immediate N of the outbuilding also, with similar, but much taller, gates. THE CHIMNEY The chimney is a tall rectangular tapering construction in brick attached to the southern gable of the outbuilding.

Architects

Elliot, Thomas

Historical Information

This complex is believed to have been built in 1893 by the Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society as a creamery and livestock processing facility, with associated offices and a manager’s house. It was designed by Thomas Elliot, but one suspects that it may not all have been built at the same time, for the lower proportions and plainer façade of the ‘middle’ / ‘factory’ section suggests it may have been added at a later date; however, this is not certain. The complex survived as an animal processing facility until the mid to later 1970s, after which much of it was converted to shop units. The extensions may have been added to the south end at this point or perhaps in the 1960s. The former manager’s dwelling, (‘Thistle Bank House’), now serves as a private residence. References- Secondary sources 1 Hugh Dixon, ‘Historic buildings…Enniskillen’ (Belfast 1973), pp.38, 47 2 Jeremy Williams, ‘A companion guide to Architecture in Ireland 1837-1921 (Blackrock, Irish Academic Press, 1994), p.198

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest Z. Rarity

Evaluation

An important part of the complex of buildings comprising the former Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society's premises in Enniskillen. The buildings, which originally belonged to the Scottish Wholesale Cooperative Society and used for processing livestock, are believed to have been built in 1893 to designs by Thomas Elliot, but it shear length, differing roof heights and levels of detailing suggests that some portions may have been added a few years later. Since the later 1970s it has been occupied with mainly shop / workshop units of various sizes and many window openings enlarged throughout. To the south end there are some large modern extensions, possibly dating from the 1960s or early 1970s.The whole complex is a long, mainly two storey, well mannered late Victorian rubble-built former factory and integral manager’s house, with large Jacobean gables and overall ‘Highland lodge’ feel.

General Comments

Date of Survey

26 January 2001