Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB04/15/019

Address :
Balnamore Mill 8 Drumahisky Road Balnamore Ballymoney Co Antrim BT53 7QL

Townland:
Ballynacree Skein

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
27/07/2011 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Store

Former Use
Mill

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
Yes

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
Partially

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OS Map No:
26/16 SW

IG Ref:
C9193 2480

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Owner Category

Commercial

Exterior Description And Setting

A large mill building, slated and gabled, of red brick, known as the 'new mill', comprising an original 4-storey 15-bay block with a later attic storey, and a later 5-storey lift and stairwell at the north end, with a 2-storey single bay former engine house block attached at the south end, leading to a 2-storey flat roofed rubble stone mill building, known as the 'old mill'; a tall red brick chimney stands detached to the east. The main entrance to the 'new mill' originally stood at the south end of the east elevation, with a later entrance on the north side of the north stairwell, but now there are a number of entrances, none of which is designated the main entrance. THE 'NEW MILL' East elevation – pitched roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; rooflights of corrugated perspex. Walling of red brick with rusticated sandstone quoins to extremities; frieze of 3 courses of yellow brick surmounted by 3 courses of red brick, supporting a large cornice of two courses of shaped yellow brick, and moulded sandstone; smooth rendered plinth; moulded cast iron gutter with broken cast iron downpipes. Lower three storeys appear to be of older brick than fourth storey. Windows are original rectangular timber 9-pane fixed lights with 3-pane opening toplights, set in plain reveals with brick flat arched heads; projecting sandstone cills; later timber frames and chicken wire set flush with outside face. Ground floor window openings have been later boarded over. At the left-hand extremity a square brick tower rises above eaves line: contains two semi-circular arched windows, 6-pane timber with glazing broken; red brick walling with similar moulded cornice as main block; supports a metal water trough. Extreme left-hand opening on ground floor is a doorway containing a modern single metal plated door in a crude timber frame with fanlight boarded over. To right of that is a wide doorway opening with sliding timber boarded doors. Sixth ground floor opening from left is a doorway blocked with concrete blockwork. Tenth ground floor opening from left is a similar single metal-plated door as previous. South gable – plain red brickwork. West elevation – similar to east elevation, except that ground floor windows are closed up with concrete blockwork, as are windows on upper floors at extreme right-hand end bay; guttering partly missing. Near right-hand end is a later full-height red brick toilet stack containing openings in north side. Three large metal duct pipes to right-hand half of main wall. Lean-to red brick addition at ground floor; to the right-hand end is an elevated single storey brick addition, with monopitch roof, at first floor level, with r.s.j. supports; to the right of that is a single storey flat roofed addition; all additional blocks are of poor quality. Set back slightly to the left-hand end is a one-bay side of the later stairwell projecting from the north gable. North gable – 4-storey with attic storey, in brick with rusticated sandstone quoins to extremities, sandstone gable coping, and short return of moulded cornices from main east and west elevations, but much of original gable covered by a later central projecting lift shaft with a later projecting stairwell to the right of the lift shaft. One opening to each floor in exposed part of original gable to left-hand side of lift shaft: ground floor one is a later wide rectangular opening, with smooth cement rendered reveals, and modern steel roller door with projecting canopy; first floor contains a rectangular tongued and grooved sheeted double door with similar fanlight, set in similar reveals to each elevation; second and third floor windows are as previous to east elevation except they contain 40 panes instead of 12; fourth floor window is semi-circular headed with originally small panes and radiating lights to the head, but now derelict. The lift shaft rises to near the apex of the main gable: of bright toned red brick, with yellow brick and sandstone or rendered cornice with flat roof; original blind rectangular window recess to each floor, with projecting sandstone cills, and three courses of brick corbels to head, except top floor which contains a circular opening with yellow brick surround and large sandstone keystone. Left or east cheek of lift shaft has two openings to each floor, those to the left contained in a full-height semi-circular arched recess, the ground floor one bricked up, with plain reveals and flat-arch head, the upper ones containing rectangular timber 40-pane windows, and the top one semi-circular arched timber small-paned; openings to right-hand side are blind rectangular as previous to front of shaft. Set back to right of lift shaft is stairwell, three openings wide, in similar red brick, with wall head following pitch of main gable but lower; slated roof. Openings to left-hand bay are contained in a full-height semi-circular arched recess, the ground floor one blocked up, with plain reveals and flat-arch head, the upper ones rectangular timber small-paned, the top one semi-circular arched with small panes and radiating lights to head; openings to right-hand side are original blind rectangular recesses with sandstone cills and corbel-courses to head. Right or west cheek of stairwell has three windows, one to each half-landing, segmental arched, timber 12-pane to ground floor, but 40-pane above. FORMER ENGINE HOUSE Abutting the south gable of the main mill block is a 2-storey single bay block: in red brick topped by yellow brick to parapet roof; smooth cement rendered plinth. East elevation has a semi-circular arched first floor window opening, now bricked up, and similar ground floor elevated doorway partly blocked up. Left or south cheek has an elevated doorway. West elevation contains a semi-circular arched opening now closed up. Abutting its south side is the 'old mill'. THE 'OLD MILL' East elevation – 2-storey, with flat concrete roof; walls of rubble basalt with lime mortar; red brick parapet. Smooth cement rendered surrounds to some windows on ground floor (but boarded over or closed up with corrugated iron); concrete cills. Brick block surrounds to windows on first floor and windows to right-hand end of ground floor; windows mainly rectangular timber, 6-pane. Projecting section just right of centre, two openings wide and slightly higher than on either side, with one doorway at first floor level. Large later ground floor opening near right-hand end of block; single doorway to left-hand part. Doorway in first floor at right-hand end, accessible by ladder. South gable – of basalt rubble with central projecting brick stack built in old hand-made bricks with narrow slit openings to left or west cheek. West elevation – of similar general character to east; saplings growing at parapet level; broken cast iron downpipe. MILL CHIMNEY A tall tapering octagonal brick chimney with cornice of stepped and raised brickwork; metal tie rods around its upper half. SETTING The conglomerate building stands in a former mill complex in a rural area on the edge of the village of Balnamore. Standing alongside it, to the east is a block comprising three contiguous 2-storey buildings (described below, as 'Office Block'), and to the north of that is a block of two contiguous single-storey corrugated metal sheds. Elsewhere within the complex are the roofless remains of some red brick former mill structures, as well as modern shelters. To the north-west of the 'new mill' is the former extensive mill pond with earthen embankments, now mostly silted up. At south end of mill pond lie the remains of a demolished timber shed originally erected over a portion of the pond. Rough grass area to south part of complex; east part used as a vehicle scrap-yard; immediately north of 'new mill' is a large yard area of hardstanding, with a car park to the north of that, alongside the driveway from main Drumahiskey Road. Two sets of modern steel security gates along driveway, with driveway partly bordered by damaged original plain iron railings. 'Office Block' – includes a 2-storey gabled building in rubble basalt: natural slated roof; north elevation has small-paned timber windows; west gable contains a later wide rectangular ground floor opening with a smaller doorway to first floor, reached by an exterior metal staircase and balcony; above first floor doorway is a semi-circular arched small-paned timber window to attic; east gable has a small semi-circular arched window to attic. Contiguous with first block, on the south side, is a middle block: red brick west gable; two openings to each floor, with upper doorway reached from previous balcony; east gable is part brick and part smooth rendered, with partly blocked up windows. Contiguous with middle block on the south side, is a 2-storey block with modern monopitch roof, dry dashed walls, and pvc windows.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

Built as part of a mill complex which was originally established in the 18th century, the 'new mill' and its adjacent tall chimney were erected in 1866 as a steam-powered linen mill for James Thompson Bryan; exact phases of work are uncertain but it appears that it may have been of three storeys originally and then raised to four, with flat roof, apparently in 1887, and then later still, given its top floor or attic floor. The architect employed by the owner of the mill for his residence in Balnamore in 1863 was Fitzgibbon Louch CE, of Londonderry, but there is at present no known record of him having been employed for the mill. The precise date of the 'old mill' which adjoins the 'new mill' at its south end is uncertain: a building is shown on its site on the OS map of 1832, and there is a record of a beetling mill having been originally erected here in the 18th century, later converted to dry spinning in 1809, but to what extent the present building represents the 18th century mill is unclear; a depiction of it published in 1888 shows it to have comprised three storeys at that time; when it was altered to two storeys is not known. The use of jack-arch vaulting suggests a 19th century date for the building as it stands now. A bleach works had been established on the mill site by a Mr Caldwell in 1764. Some time afterwards it became the property of Josiah Bryan, until 1818 when it was bought by his brother-in-law Samuel Smith. It was then apparently sold to James Thompson in 1842, described at the time as a "flax and tow spinner, and flour miller", but by the 1860s the owner was referred to as J. Thompson Bryan, who built not only the 'new mill' but also a number of mill houses. By the early 1870s the complex was owned by William James Bryan. In 1886 it was taken over by the Braid Water Spinning Company who apparently added the fourth storey to the 'new mill'. Later, in the early 20th century it was owned by Hale and Martin, linen manufacturers from Dungannon. It closed as a mill in 1959. Date when machinery removed from mill not recorded. The northern part of the present offices block appeared on the OS map of 1855. References – Primary Sources 1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 16. 2. OS Map 1855, Co Antrim 16. 3. G.H. Bassett, Co Antrim Guide and Directory (Dublin, 1888), pp 284 and 285 (reprinted Belfast, 1989). Secondary Sources 1. W.A. McCutcheon, The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland (HMSO, Belfast, 1980), pp 293 and 298.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form J. Setting

Historic Interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a mid-to-late Victorian linen mill, originally built in 1866 and then extended in 1887 and apparently further altered subsequent to that. It retains much of its original character and most of its original features and, together with the adjacent contemporary mill chimney forms a distinctive local landmark. Its setting has been affected by the loss of a number of associated buildings, including the adjacent workers' houses. However, it is a good example of the type in fairly original condition and of note.

General Comments

Date of Survey

21 February 2004