Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB19/17/013 A

Address :
Hilden Mill Mill Street Hilden Lisburn Co Antrim BT27 4RR

Townland:
Lambeg South

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
24/01/1989 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Mill

Former Use
Mill

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
Yes

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
Yes

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OS Map No:
165/7

IG Ref:
J2809 6509

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Owner Category

Commercial

Exterior Description And Setting

For the purposes of this description, the site had been divided into discrete blocks (1, 2 etc), each of which has been sub-divided by their constituent buildings (A, B etc). Appendages to some of these buildings are also differentiated (e.g. 2D1, 2D2). The locations of these discrete units are shown on the site plans accompanying this report. Note that most of the buildings with bowstring truss roofs are recorded separately (HB19/17/013B) and were not required to be surveyed. This extensive site is situated on the left bank of the River Lagan immediately upstream from Hilden Bridge. A portion of it also in Co Down, on an island between the Lagan and Lagan Navigation. BLOCK 1 This former store and office block comprises a multi-pile masonry building at east (1A) and a more recent brick building at west (1B). The former was extant in 1901 and undoubtedly dates from the later 1800s. Mill Street, along which it is aligned, dates from 1879, and the building was probably erected in the 1880s. The addition at west (1B) dates from the mid 1900s. Building 1A A five-pile, single-storey store aligned north-south along the site’s northern boundary. Five-bay natural slate roof with fretted bargeboards and finials at their south ends. Half-round metal gutters. South elevation is of brick. All openings have semicircular heads and are trimmed with yellow brick. Each of the five gables along the south elevation has either a multi-paned window or doorway with a multi-paned overlight. The windows have sandstone cills. Some openings are now infilled and all doors are missing. The east elevation is also of brick. Originally it was a party wall with an adjoining building to east (now demolished). There is an interconnecting doorway at its south end with original metal I-beam head. The north elevation appears to have been an original rubble masonry boundary wall, the top of which has been raised in brick to form apexes to the building’s gables. Square-headed window openings have been inserted through the wall, but all are now infilled. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Cast-iron Doors: Missing Windows: Timber casement Building 1B This single-storey office has a bituminised flat concrete roof with a raised skylight. Its walls are of brick (rendered to the west elevation) and have square-headed openings with concrete heads. There is a door to the south elevation and metal-framed casement windows to the south and east sides, all with concrete cills. All the openings along the north side have been infilled. Roof: Concrete Rainwater goods: Missing Doors: Missing Windows: Metal casement BLOCK 2 (Old Mill) This block comprises an assortment of one- and two-storey offices, four- and five-storey mill buildings, a steam engine house and miscellaneous smaller buildings. They range in date from 1851 to the mid 1900s. Building 2A This two-storey building at the north-west corner of block 2 dates from 1861. It is aligned north-south with its principal façade facing west. Double-pile hipped natural slate roof, now partly stripped. The walls are of brick, rendered and painted to the west and north elevations, but only painted to the east side. The west and north elevations are also embellished with moulded stucco string courses at ground and first floor cill levels and between the floors. Both these walls also have bracketed cornices with dwarf blocking walls above. There are four tall rendered chimney stacks over the eaves on the west side (all now defunct). The openings to the ground and first floors have segmental and square heads respectively. The west elevation is five openings wide and symmetrical in arrangement. All the openings have stucco architraves and all the windows are set in slightly recessed panels. There is an entrance doorway to the middle of the ground floor, with a bearded figurehead above its segmental-headed overlight. The doorway is flanked to each side by two 1x3 top-opening windows (with bracketed moulded cills and raised stucco keystones). There are five regularly spaced 2/2 sash windows to the first floor (with bracketed squared cills). The north elevation is three openings wide. It is identical in all respects to the west elevation except for a window instead of a door to ground floor centre, embellished with a figurehead, also bearded. There are cast-iron wheel guards at each corner of this elevation. The east elevation is, by contrast to the west and north sides, extremely plain. It is partly abutted to its ground floor by building 2B. As noted above, its walls are of painted brick and have a projecting chamfered brick eaves course carrying ogee cast-iron gutters. There is a single window at right on the ground floor; the others are now infilled (but are visible internally). There are five 2/2 sash windows to the first floor; that at left has been modified to form a doorway into building 2B. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron Doors: Missing Windows: Timber sliding sash Building 2B This mid 20th century single-storey block abuts the ground floor of the main office (2A) and part of the old mill (2D). It comprises three sections – offices (2B1), toilets (2B2) and a staircase (2B3). Sections 2B1 and 2B2 have flat felted concrete roofs with raised concrete verges and skylights; the office roof is slightly higher than that to the toilets. The staircase has a monopitched natural slate roof (slates stripped). All walls are of brick with squared concrete-headed openings. All the windows have timber or metal frames and concrete cills. Roof: Concrete and slate Rainwater goods: Metal down pipes Doors: None Windows: Metal and timber casement Building 2C A three-storey over basement mill building aligned east-west, with its gabled façade facing west. A datestone attests to its erection in 1861. It is abutted at south-west by a later goods hoist (2C1). Pitched natural slate roof with ogee cast-iron gutters. The basement, ground and first floor walls are of rubble basalt with painted sandstone quoins to the west gable. The second floor is of brick, with yellow-painted red-brick quoins. All openings are also decorated with yellow-painted brickwork. The west gable is embellished with a dentillated brick string course along the tops of its second floor windows. Its apex also has a chevroned yellow-brick string course along its base and a moulded brick cornice along its verges. There is also an ashlar sandstone string course at second floor window cill level. This continues around the north and south sides of the building. On the north side, it continues onwards as the coping of the parapet on 2A. From the south side of 2C, it continues as the cill course to the third floor windows of 2D and 2F. There is a wide segmental-headed doorway to the middle of the ground floor in which is set a three-leaf timber door with elongated semicircular overlights. The apex of this opening carries a bearded head above which is the date 1861. The doorway is flanked to each side by a figure-headed window (with stone cills). There are three square-headed window openings to each of the upper floors, the middle ones of which are tripartite. The tripartite set on the first floor are margined 2/2, 4/4 and 2/2 sliding sashes, with 2/2 sashes at either end. On the second floor, the end windows of the tripartite set are margined 4/4 sashes; the central window is missing. There are margined 4/4 sashes at either end. In the apex of the gable is a spoke-margined 4/4 sash window set in a semicircular opening trimmed with dentillated yellow brick. The north elevation is partly abutted by the office block (2A). The ground and first floors of the exposed west end are painted and rendered to match the office’s façade. There is a segmental-headed and square-headed window to the ground and first floors respectively, also detailed as those to 2A; the ground floor ope has a figurehead to its apex. The top floor, which is above the roofline of 2A, has a chevroned yellow brick string course (continued from the gable) and a moulded brick eaves cornice. It is lit by five windows (four 3x4-paned sashes and an 8/8 sash). The east gable is abutted by the slightly narrower and slightly lower building 2D. The south elevation is abutted at left by a later three-storey goods hoist tower (2C1). The basement level of the south elevation is level with the ground floor of the later single-storey shed (2M) which abuts it. The unexposed section above is four openings wide (the fifth opening, at left, is hidden by the hoist tower). The ground and second floor windows are 3x4 top-openers and those to the first floor are 5x8 top-openers. The chevroned eaves string course and cornice are detailed as the north side. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement and sliding sash 2C1 The goods hoist at the south-west end of the building post-dates 1922. Its walls are of brick and have a moulded stucco eaves cornice under a dwarf blocking course around its flat concrete roof. It has segmental- and square-headed openings to the upper floors, generally with 2x3 windows (with stone cills). The hoist is accessible at external ground level and also internally from all floors. Building 2D This four-storey mill building is aligned east-west at the east end of 2C. The ground, first and second floors of this building were probably erected around 1851 but were raised to four storeys in 1861. It is abutted along its south elevation by a staircase (2D1), on its north elevation by a toilet stack (2D2) and goods hoist (2D3), and on its east gable by another toilet stack (2D4). The staircase and two toilets probably also date to 1861, but the goods hoist was not added until 1910-16. Pitched natural slate roof with half-round metal gutters. The walls of all but the top floor are of painted random rubble. The latter is of painted brick, with an ashlar sandstone cill course between it and the second floor on the exposed elevations. All openings have shallow segmental heads trimmed with brick; the windows have stone cills. The north elevation is 16 openings wide. The two left-most openings are abutted by building 2E, the third opening by a goods hoist tower (2D3), and the 11th one by a toilet stack (2D2). The windows are all 3x4 top-openers, except for the first floor (2x3 top-openers) and top floor (6x8). The east gable is three openings wide. It is abutted to the ground floor by a single-storey lean-to, above which is a toilet stack (2D4) which rises the full height of the building to its top floor. On the south elevation, the exposed section is 13 openings wide. The ground floor is abutted by 2M and the fourth opening from left by a staircase (2D1). The wall and openings are detailed as the north elevation. There are a variety of window types: first floor – 2x3 top-openers, second floor – 3x4 top-openers, and third floor – 3x4 top-openers and 6/6 sliding sashes. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Half-round metal Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement and sliding sash 2D1 This small rectangular staircase serves all floors. It has a pitched natural slate roof (gutters missing) and brick walls. At landing and half-landing levels are multi-paned window openings with segmental, semicircular and square heads. Internally, there are half landings between the floors. The stairs are of concrete and the landings are supported on metal beams. A plain timber handrail runs up the inside wall. The doors into 2D are of timber except the top one which is a metal sheeted fire door. There is a small store at the top of the stairwell. 2D2 This toilet stack comprises a small semicircular brick projection which rises to the top floor on the north elevation. It was probably built at the same time as the main section. On each floor are two small toilet cubicles, one cantilevered to each side of the brick spine (but only one at ground level). They have monopitched concrete roofs, brick walls on cantilevered metal beams, and are lit by single 2x2 windows. The cubicles’ materials indicate that they are 20th century additions to the original brick spine. Internally, each cubicle has glazed tiling and contains a bowl and overhead cistern. 2D3 This square brick goods hoist abuts the corner of 2D and 2E (both of which it serves) and is 4½ storeys high. It is embellished with a moulded yellow brick cornice under a blocking wall around a flat concrete roof. There are segmental-headed windows to all floors: all are 3x4-paned except for the top floor which is 3x3. There is external access at ground level and also internal access to all floors of 2D and 2E. The electrically powered hoist is still in situ but no longer operable. 2D4 This toilet stack abuts the upper floors in the middle of 2D’s east gable. It is detailed as 2D2 except that it has a monopitched roof and there is only one cubicle per floor (that to the first floor has been removed). A 20th century single-storey addition wraps around it at ground floor level. Building 2E This building forms part of HB19/17/013B (building 4) and is therefore not described here. Building 2F This four-storey mill is located between 2D and 2H, along the left bank of the Lagan. It was erected as a three-storey mill probably around 1851, but was raised to four floors in 1861. Although it has a bowstring roof, it is not included in HB19/17/013B and is therefore described here. This building has a shallow felted bowstring truss roof. Except for the top floor, its walls are of painted random rubble. The top floor wall is of painted brick, with a sandstone cill course on its exposed elevations. All openings have shallow segmental heads trimmed with brick; the windows have stone cills. The east and west elevations are nine openings wide. On the east side, the ground floor openings contain 6/6 sashes. The first floor has 2x3 top/bottom-openers and the remaining floors 3x4 top-openers. The south-most window on each floor has been enlarged to form a fire exit door out to an external steel staircase. On the west elevation, the window frames to the ground floor have been removed and their openings sheeted over. The first floor openings are infilled with brick. The second floor windows are 3x4 top-openers. Those to the top floor are a combination of 2x3 top/bottom-openers and 6/9 sashes. Roof: Felted Bowstring truss Rainwater goods: Missing Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement and sliding sash Building 2G A five-storey mill building aligned east-west with its principal façade facing west. It was added to the west gable of 2H in the period 1888-1901 (probably 1895, as will be noted under building 4E). The fact that it is an addition is evident in the discontinuity of the coursing of its yellow-brick quoins relative to the brickwork along the north and south elevations of 2H. In making this addition, the original gable of 2H was dismantled to allow the floors to run into one another. The building is abutted to its north side by a goods hoist (2G1) and toilet stack (2G2). Both these additions date from 1910-16. Pitched natural slate roof with continuous glazing to both pitches. Ogee cast-iron gutters to north and south elevations. The west end is slightly higher and surmounted by a large cast-iron water tank in place of the slate roof. Painted on the front of the tank is “Barbour/ Threads Limited” and the Red Hand of Ulster (the company’s trademark). At both ends is “Ahead in Thread”. The walls are of red brick with yellow brick quoins. The eaves have several courses of yellow brick under a dentillated and moulded yellow brick cornice. There is a sandstone cill course at third floor window level. The windows at this level also have stone cills, but all the others to the entire building are of cast-iron. The west gable is three openings wide. The ground floor openings have been modified with the insertion of two concrete headed doorways. The openings to the upper floors have shallow segmental heads; the top floor has 2x4 windows and the other floors have 2x3 windows, all top/bottom opening. There are three cast-iron bearing housings along the ground floor, two to the first floor and one to each floor above. These indicate that this end formerly housed rope drives which transmitted the power from the engine house up to each floor. There is a cast-iron wheel guard at the left end of the ground floor; it bears its maker’s name “Ritchie Hart/ & Co/ Belfast”. The north elevation is eight openings long. The right-hand bay is slightly advanced from the line of the building. The second opening from the right-hand end is abutted by a goods hoist (2G1) and there is a toilet stack between the fifth and sixth openings (2G2). The exposed section has 2x3 top/bottom opening windows. Those to the second opening from left have been broken out in the recent past to facilitate the removal of machinery. The east end is abutted by a slightly narrower building (2H). The exposed section of wall is slated. The south elevation, as with the north elevation, has a slightly advanced bay at its west end. Its four openings at left are abutted by a two-storey engine house (2J). A two-storey building formerly abutted the ground, first and second floors of this elevation, but has been removed. All the floors of the exposed section have 2x3 top/bottom opening windows in shallow segmental-headed openings. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement 2G1 This rectangular six-storey brick goods hoist served all floors, including the attic. Wall breaks show that it was added to the existing building. It has an ashlar sandstone cill course at third floor level and a dentillated and moulded brick eaves course around its flat roof. There is access to the hoist (now removed) at ground level (now filled by a ventilation duct). On the north elevation of each of the upper floors is a 1x3 window in a shallow segmental-headed opening. 2G2 This small square six-storey toilet stack served all the floors, including the attic. It is of red brick with a dentillated and moulded yellow-brick cornice. At the west end of each floor is an access balcony from the mill floors, all with concrete floors and timber-sheeted walls. Each cubicle is lit by a small rectangular window on its north elevation. Building 2H This five-storey + attic section is aligned east-west at the east end of 2G. A datestone on its north elevation notes that its bottom three floors were erected in 1851. By 1861, it had been raised to its present five floors. It is abutted along its north elevation by a staircase (2H1) and along its south side by three toilet stacks (2H2-4), all of which probably date from 1861 as well. The main section is described on plan of 1996 as “No.1 Polishing”. Pitched natural slate roof with continuous glazing to both pitches and ogee cast-iron gutters. The ground, first and second floors are of painted rubble basalt with brick quoins on the east gable. The top two floors are of brick, with a sandstone cill course between the second and third floors to all exposed elevations. The eaves are embellished with courses of yellow brick under a dentillated and moulded yellow brick cornice. There is a vertical break in the stonework between the two openings at the east end of the south elevation and also the remnant of a brick quoin to the left of this break. This indicates that the east-most bay was added to an existing building and that both were then topped with two floors of brick. This would have happened in the period 1851-61. The windows to the masonry section have flat heads and are trimmed with brick. The top two floors have shallow segmental heads. The north elevation is abutted towards its right-hand end by a semicircular staircase (2H1). The ground floor is abutted by building 2M. Most of the window frames to this floor have been removed or replaced with sheeting. The first floor has assorted 2/4 sash, 2x3 top-opening and 2x3 casement windows. Those to the second and fourth floors are 2x3 top/bottom openers. The third floor has 2/4 sash windows. There is an 1851 datestone between the two window openings at the right-hand end of the first floor. The east gable is five openings wide. As already noted, the bottom three floors were added to the end of the main block. The walls are detailed as the north and south elevations. The quoins to the brick section are painted yellow. All the openings have shallow segmental heads; those in the basalt section are trimmed with brick. The ground floor windows are 2/4 sashes. The first and second floors have 2x3 top/bottom-openers, with 3x3 top/bottom-openers to the floors above. The openings to the attic have semicircular heads. The middle one is a fire escape door, out to a metal staircase leading down to the one serving 2F. The south elevation is 20 openings wide. Between its eighth and ninth openings from left is a five-storey semicircular toilet stack (2H2). There is a similar stack between the 15th and 16th openings (2H4). The 11th opening is also abutted by a rectangular six storey toilet stack (2H3). Buildings 2J and 2K abut the ground floor at its east end. It was formerly also abutted by two-storey building, now removed. Most of the windows to this elevation are 2x3 top/bottom openers; the remainder are later replacements. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement and sliding sash 2H1 This semicircular staircase abuts the third opening from the right-hand of this elevation and rises to the attic floor. It has a flat concrete roof and brick walls to all floors. Its eaves are detailed as the rest of this elevation. It has spoke-headed 1x3 windows to both sides at each floor level, augmented by smaller round-headed windows between the landings. Internally, the staircase winds continuously up between each landing, without half-landings. The stairs are of concrete and are supported on metal beams. A tubular steel handrail runs up the outer wall. The inner column to the stairwell is hollow and carries assorted pipes and cables. 2H2 This semicircular brick toilet stack rises to the eaves of the main block and its eaves are similarly decorated with yellow brick. There are small vertical ventilation slits up the wall. It now stands as an empty ‘spine’ without projecting toilet cubicles (unlike 2H4). 2H3 This rectangular brick toilet stack rises to six floors and has a dentillated yellow brick eaves course around its flat roof. It has square-headed 2x3 top/bottom-opening windows with flat concrete heads to each floor. 2H4 This toilet stack is identical to 2H2 except that a cubicle projects left from the spine on each floor. Each toilet is supported on a cantilevered metal beam and has concrete walls. Building 2J This two-storey over basement engine house is aligned east-west at the left end of the south side of 2G. The absence of any wall break with 2G on their west gables indicates that they were built at the same time, i.e. in the period 1888-1901 (probably 1895). Hipped natural slate roof. Cast-iron down pipes. The walls of this building are detailed exactly as 2G. The eaves cornices run under a yellow brick blocking course around its hipped natural slate roof. This blocking course is coped with moulded ashlar sandstone which continues as a cill course around the west gable of 2G and south elevation of 2H. As with 2G, all the windows to this building have cast-iron cills. The west gable has two doorways to the ground floor, both with flat concrete heads and undoubtedly later inserts. Above them are two spoke-headed timber windows, originally 3x3, but now infilled with brick to their bottom sections. The south elevation has two large spoke-headed and margined 3x4 timber windows. There is a wheel guard at the left end of the ground floor, inscribed “D & W Grant/ York St/ Belfast”. On the east gable, stone steps lead up to a semi-glazed three-leaf timber door with raised and fielded panels (now missing). Directly above it is a large spoke-headed 4x2 window, now obscured by a later slatted ventilation panel. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Cast-iron down pipes Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement Building 2K This single-storey building abuts the south-east end of 2G and is of mid 20th century date. It has a pitched profiled asbestos roof, with glazing and plain timber bargeboards and ogee cast-iron gutters. Brick walls with advanced brick eaves. All openings have squared concrete heads. There is a door on the west gable and five 4x4 steel-framed windows along the south side (concrete cills), with shallow pilasters between. Roof: Asbestos fibre cement Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Metal casement Building 2L This building abuts the corner of 2G and 2K. Although it has a bowstring truss roof, it was not surveyed with HB19/17/013B, so has been included here. It was erected in the period 1910-16. Felted bowstring truss roof (now partly collapsed) with boxed eaves and raised skylight. Rainwater goods missing. Its walls are of brick. The east gable appears to have been erected over an existing basalt rubble wall. Although there is no wall break with 2K, its south elevation runs at a slight angle to the latter. There is a sliding timber door to the middle of the south elevation, flanked to either side by a segmental-headed 8/8 sash window (stone cills). There is a 2x2 window to the east gable. Roof: Felted bowstring truss Rainwater goods: Missing Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement and sliding sash Building 2M This is a single-storey infill building between 2D, 2F and 2H. It was erected in the period 1861-88 and replaced several existing ones cited in the 1861 valuation. It is described in a 1996 plan as “No.1 Making Up”. Its roof comprises 6 bays of sawtooth profile with glazing to their north pitch and slates (now stripped) to their shallower south slope; there are concrete verges at their west end. Rainwater goods missing. The west wall is of roughly-faced and coursed basalt blocks, with cement-rendered brick gable apexes. This wall has segmental-headed brick-trimmed door (at right) and window openings. There are two now-infilled window openings per roof bay, all with stone cills. All the other elevations to this unit make use of existing walls. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Missing Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Missing BLOCK 3 (Boiler house) This block comprises a double-pile, two-storey boiler room (3A), a small two-storey building to its north-east (3B) and a single-storey section along its east side (3C). These buildings date from the period 1888-1901 (probably 1895, as will be discussed under building 4E). They were undoubtedly built at the same time as building 2G and 2J (engine house). They were also associated with a now-demolished 160ft high octagonal brick chimney which stood just south of 3C. To the south of 3A are modern oil tanks (3D). Between this block and the river is a later 19th century dye house, only a gable of which now remains (3E). Building 3A The ground floor of this building contained boilers which generated steam for the steam engines in building 2J. The first floor was used as a drying room for hanks of yarn. This double-pile building has hipped natural slate roofs with raised ridge ventilators. Pipes project through the north end of the roof, into the first floor of the engine house (2J) and top floor of 2G. A tall circular metal chimney also rises from the south end of the west pile. Ogee cast-iron gutters. The walls are of brick, embellished with yellow-brick quoins and dentillated yellow/red brick eaves. The west elevation is seven openings wide. The ground floor has six large semicircular window openings, three of which retain their 4x3 timber frames; all have round-edged cast-iron cills. The semicircular headed doorway at the right-hand end has been enlarged and a flat concrete head and slatted doors inserted (to access modern natural gas control equipment). There are seven segmental headed window openings to the first floor, all with 6x4 cast-iron frames and squared cast-iron cills. The north elevation forms a continuous facade with section 3B at its east end and is five openings wide. There is a semicircular headed doorway at ground floor right, with slatted timber doors (later inserts). At left is a narrower segmental-headed doorway (with overlight) into 3B. Between the two doorways are three segmental-headed windows, all modified to varying degrees. There is a diagonally-sheeted loading door to the middle of the first floor, flanked to both sides by two window openings detailed as the west elevation’s first floor. This door formerly led on to balcony, accessed from the old dye house (3E). At ground level at the left hand end of this elevation is a cast-iron wheel guard reading “D & W Grant/ York St/ Belfast”. The east elevation is abutted to both storeys at right by building 3B and to the remainder of its ground floor by 3C. The exposed first floor section has five windows openings, all detailed as the west elevation. The south elevation is four openings wide. There is a large semicircular-headed window at ground floor left and also three smaller segmental-headed 6x4 windows (as the west elevation). There are two windows and two loading doors to the first floor (one door and window per gable). Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron gutters. Doors: Slatted timber Windows: Timber and metal casement Building 3B This small building is at the north end of 3A’s east elevation and is contemporary with it (no wall breaks). It has a hipped natural slate roof and its walls are detailed as 3A. Ogee cast-iron gutters. Its north elevation is continuous with that of 3A and has already been described (ground floor door and first floor window). The east elevation has two cast-iron windows to the ground floor (6x4 and 6x3) and one to the first floor (6x4). The right half of the ground floor was formerly abutted by the old dye house, of which only a fragment of walling survives. The south gable is abutted to its ground floor by 3C. There is a segmental-headed 6x4 cast-iron window to the first floor of this gable. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron gutters Doors: Missing Windows: Metal casement Building 3C This single-storey building abuts the corner of 3A and 3B and is contemporary with both (no wall breaks). It has a sarked monopitched natural slate roof behind a low brick blocking wall. The walls are of brick and have plain quoins and eaves. Its east elevation is five openings wide - a door at each end, with three 6x4–paned cast-iron windows between. There is also a 6x6 window to its south gable. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Missing Doors: Missing Windows: Metal casement Section 3D Immediately south of 3A were three horizontally-mounted cylindrical oil tanks enclosed by a concrete block bund, the outside face of which has been coloured and textured to resemble sandstone. These tanks became defunct when the boilers switched to natural gas in 1999 and have since been removed. Building 3E This was the site of the old dye house, erected in the late 1800s and extended in the early 1900s. According to the valuation books, it was one storey high and had a felted roof. It abutted the boiler house block and the lower floors of mill 2H. It was demolished sometime after 1988, save for a vestige of brick walling at its east end, overlooking the river. This section has a segmental-headed 3x4 top-opening window at its south end. BLOCK 4 (New mill) Building 4A A small single-storey over basement building dates from the period 1888 to 1901. It is aligned east-west at the north-west end of the block. It was latterly part of the thread polishing department. Pitched natural slate roof (now gone). Ogee cast-iron gutters. Red brick walls with yellow/red brick quoins at north-west and advanced yellow-brick eaves. All the openings are also trimmed with yellow brick. There are five square-headed window openings to the north elevation, all with timber frames. The middle one contains a 5x4 window with concrete cill. The others are 8/8 sashes with painted timber cills. The west gable has a 2x3 window set into a round-headed opening (concrete cill). Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron gutters. Doors: N/A Windows: Timber casement Building 4B A single-storey building over a basement, aligned north-south between buildings 4A and 4H. It was erected sometime between 1861 and 1888 (possibly the 1870s). Like 4A, it was latterly part of the polishing department. This section has a flat leaded timber roof around a large hipped skylight. The basement walls are of ‘pocked’ cement render, with a moulded base course running underneath; the render has been coloured to mimic sandstone. A moulded sandstone string course runs over the basement. Above it, the walls are of ashlar sandstone, embellished with a rope-moulded string course and moulded stone cornice under a roof blocking course. There is access to the roof from the first floor landing of the adjoining staircase (4H2). The west elevation has three segmental-headed openings to the basement, with dressed stone voussoirs and projecting keystones. Two of the openings have slatted vents; the third contains a casement window and small fire escape door. The upper half of the wall has a semicircular-headed doorway to centre with a moulded stone architrave; it is offset from the corresponding basement opening. The door is missing but the spoke-headed overlight survives. The doorway is flanked to each side by a blind segmental-headed panel, also with a moulded architrave. The doorway and recesses each have a projecting figurehead to their keystones. Originally, the middle opening was probably a blind recess as well, the door having been inserted in later years as a fire escape (with external metal staircase, now gone). The left end of this elevation is slightly advanced and has a blind rectangular panel. The north elevation is abutted to its basement by building 4A. The exposed section has three segmental-headed window openings, with moulded architraves and 3/1 top-opening timber windows. All have animal heads to their keystones (from left to right - a boar, lion and elephant). The left and right ends of this elevation are also slightly advanced, with blind rectangular recesses. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Metal down pipes Doors: Missing Windows: Timber casement Building 4C A five-pile, three-storey building aligned east-west along the north side of 4H. It is connected to the main mill, 4H, by an overhead corridor, 4C1. Both these components date from the period 1888-1901. It was last used as part of the polishing department. Each pile has a pitched natural slate roof. Ogee plastic gutters. Walls are of lined and cement-rendered brick. The east gable is five openings across (one per pile). It is abutted at ground floor at left by 4D. The remaining openings are large semicircular recesses; two have smaller 3x3 windows (no cills), and the third is a sheeted timber door. There are five smaller semicircular-headed openings to the first floor, each with 5x3 windows (with timber cills). There are 3x2 segmental-headed windows to the second floor (also timber cills). A small toilet is cantilevered out from the second opening at left on this floor. The north elevation is seven openings wide. There are square-headed openings to the ground and first floors, and shallow segmental openings to the top floor. All contain 2/4 timber sash windows, all with stone cills (but no cills to the ground floor). There are fire escape doors to the upper two floors, with an external staircase up from the right-hand end; the doorways served by this staircase are original openings. The west gable is partly abutted by 4A and 4B. The exposed sections of the ground and first floors are blank. The second floor has 2/6 top-openers (timber cills). The south elevation has three square-headed openings to the ground floor, all now infilled. There are three 2/4 sash windows to the first and second floors (all with stone cills). Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Ogee plastic gutters. Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement 4C1 This linking passage from the first floor of 4H has a pitched natural slate roof, partly glazed timber walls and a timber floor supported on metal beams. Building 4D A single-storey building aligned east-west at the north-east corner of the block. It was built sometime between 1931 and 1938. The roof is of sawtooth profile, with three bays, all glazed to their north sides and clad with profiled asbestos sheeting to their south pitches. The apexes of the roofs are braced to each other with exposed steel beams. Ogee cast-iron gutters. The east elevation is raised in brick over an existing rubble basalt wall. There is a narrow round-headed brick-trimmed opening in the middle of this wall. The north elevation is of brick throughout and is five openings wide. There is a sheeted timber door at each end, between which are three 4x4 metal-framed windows. All these openings have concrete heads and the windows have concrete cills. The remaining elevations make use of the existing buildings, 4C and 4H. Roof: Asbestos-fibre cement Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron gutters. Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Metal casement Building 4E This building is two storeys high and is aligned east-west. It was added to the west side of the stairwell (4H2) at the north-west corner of the block. A datestone of the apex of its west gable shows this to have taken place in 1895. Architecturally, it has the appearance of an engine house, but there is no surviving evidence of a boiler room elsewhere in this block Given that motive power would have been necessary for the machinery in 4H, it may well have been supplied with steam from the nearby block 3. This raises the possibility that block 3, and by implication buildings 2G and 2J as well, were also erected in 1895. This contention is also supported by the yellow brick detailing which is common to all these buildings. This building has a hipped natural slate roof (now partly stripped), with artificial slate repairs. It is accessed from a small door at second floor landing level in the adjoining staircase (4H2). The walls of red brick over an advanced basal course coped with black brick. They are embellished with yellow-brick quoins and a string course, dentillated frieze and moulded cornice, all in yellow and red brick. All the openings have semicircular heads. The north elevation has three tall window openings with cast-iron cills. Each was originally a single opening, but when the interior was divided into a ground and first floor, a concrete cill was inserted at the new first floor level. The upper window is spoke-headed 1x4 and the lower one is a square-headed 4x3 top-opener, all in timber. The west gable has a tall opening at the bottom of which is a sheeted timber entrance door (with sidelights). This is slightly higher than outside ground level and was originally accessed by an external staircase. Above this doorway is a spoke-headed 6x3 window which is shared by both floors. Above the window is a datestone “1895” in bass relief. The south elevation is obscured to the ground floor by 4F and to its right side by 4G. The exposed upper section has two spoke-headed 1x4 windows, again shared between the two floors. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Metal down pipes Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement Building 4F This single-storey office was built sometime between 1920 and 1962. It is aligned east-west in the corner formed by 4E and 4G. Wall breaks confirm it to be later than both of these buildings. The sky-lit roof, which is hipped at its east end, is clad with natural slate; it also has plain boxed eaves and bargeboards. Half-round plastic gutters. The walls are of red brick, without any yellow-brick embellishment. All openings have square concrete heads. The west gable is three openings wide. There is a sheeted timber doorway to the middle and a timber casement window to each side (with concrete cills). There are no openings to the south elevation. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Plastic gutters Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement Building 4G This three-storey building is situated on the west gable of the mill (4H), in the corner formed by it and the goods hoist, 4H1. It was probably built to house the rope drives from the engine room (4E) to the mill (4H), in this respect being functionally identical to the west end of building 2G. This would date it to 1895. This building has a flat concrete roof; this is accessible from the top floor of the mill. The walls are of red brick and are embellished with yellow-brick quoins and a yellow/red-brick string course, dentillated frieze and moulded cornice to the blocking wall around the roof. On its west elevation, there are two 3x3 windows to the first floor and second floors. On the north elevation, there is one 3x3 window at second floor level. All the windows have timber frames, shallow segmental heads and cast-iron cills. Roof: Concrete Rainwater goods: Metal down pipes Doors: N/A Windows: Timber casement Building 4H This four-storey over semi-basement mill is aligned east-west and is 18 openings long by four wide. It was built in the period 1861-88 (probably the 1870s). It is abutted at west by a goods hoist (4H1), along its north side by a staircase (4H2), goods hoist (4H3) and toilet stack (4H4). The staircase and toilet stack are undoubtedly contemporary with the mill, but the goods hoists date from the 1910s (4H1) and later (4H3). Thread twisting latterly took place in it. This building has a pitched corrugated asbestos roof with continuous glazing along both pitches; this is a replacement of the original felt roof cited in the valuation book. Ogee cast-iron gutters. The walls are of rubble basalt throughout, embellished with brick quoins. All the openings have shallow segmental heads and are trimmed with brick. All the windows have stone cills. The north elevation is abutted by a staircase (4H2), goods hoist (4H3), toilet stack (4H4) and 4D. Most of the openings to the ground floor contain 2x8 top/bottom opening windows. There are also several 6x7-paned windows which may be earlier. There are 2x4 top/bottom opening windows to the first and second floor, and 2x3 bottom opening windows to the third floor. The west gable is abutted by the goods hoist (4H1) and offices (4G). The exposed section has a brick apex to its gable, with a moulded stone string course separating it from the rubble masonry walling below. This string course is a continuation of the moulding along the wall heads on the north and south elevations. The verges of the apex have been painted yellow. There is a 3x3 circular window to the apex, with dragon-teeth yellow-brick and yellow-painted red brick trim. There are 2x3 and 3x4 windows to the top floor (with stone and concrete cills). The south elevation is partly abutted by later buildings, notably 4J, 4K and 4L. The windows on the exposed exhibit a variety of styles - 2x8 top/bottom openers to the ground floor, 3x5 top openers to the first floor, 2x4 top-openers to the second floor, and 2x3 bottom-openers to the third floor. Wall breaks show the original mill building to have been extended lengthways by one bay at its east end. This addition is the same height as the main block and five openings wide across its east elevation. Because this added bay has a flat roof, the apex of the existing block is exposed to show three semicircular-headed windows (3x3 and 3x4-paned). The added section has a flat felted timber roof (but is not included with HB19/17/013B). The walls of the basement (which is level with outside ground level and accessible from 4D), ground and first floors are of basalt rubble whereas the top two floors are of red brick. The footprint of the rubble section is shown on the 1901 OS map, but whether the brick top floors also existed at this time is uncertain. The valuation books indicate that it had been raised to its present height by 1922 (if not before). This entire addition has yellow-painted quoins; there is a continuous masonry cill course at second floor level on all three elevations. The openings have shallow segmental heads; those to the windows have stone cills. There are two 4x3 windows and a sheeted timber doorway to the basement, 2x4 top/bottom openers to the ground floor and 2x3 top/bottom openers to the floors above; most have stone cills. The left-hand end of the basement is abutted by a small monopitched corrugated-asbestos shed (empty). Roof: Asbestos-fibre cement Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron gutters Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement 4H1 This goods hoist runs up the third opening from the left on the mill’s west gable. It was added in the period 1910-16 and wall breaks confirm that it is later. However, as the openings in the mill’s gable appear to be original, there may have been an earlier, but unenclosed, hoist. This structure has a flat felted timber roof. It is of red brick, with a yellow/red brick platband and dentilled cornice around a stone-coped blocking wall around the roof. All openings have shallow segmental heads. Most of the window openings have been sheeted over, but 1x3 windows survive on the south and west elevations. 4H2 This four-storey rectangular staircase abuts the two right-hand openings on the mill’s north elevation. It was undoubtedly erected along with the mill and probably also at the same time as building 4B. The staircase has a hipped natural slate roof with skylight. Ogee cast-iron gutters. The walls are of red brick, with a continuous cill course to each of the upper floors. The quoins, moulded brick eaves and opening surrounds are painted yellow. The north elevation of the ground floor is detailed as the west elevation of section 4B, i.e. with ashlar sandstone over a stucco basal course, moulded string courses and moulded eaves. Above the square-headed entrance door is a segmental-headed recess containing a smaller 4x1 overlight; this recess also has a moulded cill and architrave, and a projecting figurehead to its keystone. The other window openings to the staircase generally have segmental heads, but some have round or square heads. Some have been wholly or partly infilled; the surviving windows have various fenestration patterns – 2x2, 3x2, 6x6 and 6x8. 4H3 This goods hoist extends from the mill’s ground floor to above its eaves line on the tenth opening from the right on the mill’s north elevation. It is probably of mid 20th century date and is a steel-framed structure, clad in corrugated metal. The windows of the mill have been enlarged to facilitate access to it. It is also shared with 4C. The electrically-powered hoist mechanism is accessed by a metal ladder on the mill’s top floor. 4H4 This narrow semicircular toilet stack rises the full height of the building between the 14th and 15th openings from the right-hand end of the north elevation. Cantilevered reinforced-concrete platforms on the west side of the stack provide access from each floor of the mill into the toilet cubicles within the stack. Building 4J A 10-pile, single-storey over semi-basement building dates from the period 1936-1962 (probably 1950s). It is aligned east-west at the south-west corner of block 4. The north-most four piles are longer, projecting eastward beyond the general line of this elevation. A contemporary single-storey building, 4J1, abuts the east end of these longer piles. This building was latterly used for synthetic thread twisting. The roof of this building has a sawtooth profile, with glazing to its north pitch and profiled asbestos sheeting to its south pitch. Their apexes are braced to one another with exposed metal beams. The verges are slightly raised at the east end of each pile and there is a blocking course along their west ends (all coped with concrete). Ogee cast-iron gutters. The walls are of red brick, embellished with yellow-brick quoins. All openings have square concrete heads; the windows have concrete cills. The west elevation has 14 blind recesses at the tops of which are louvred vents or small windows; their heads are of concrete and the cills are of chamfered brick. There is also a doorway at the right-hand end. Above these recesses is a patterned yellow/red brick platband and moulded yellow-brick eaves course. The north elevation is devoid of openings save for a 1x2-paned window at the west end. A triple-pile sawtooth roof canopy extends across the west side of 4G and 4H1. In the middle of this elevation is a small monopitched infill bay between it and the mill. The exposed east end has a chamfered brick course between the basement and slightly inset ground floor. The basement is exposed on the east elevation. There is a sheeted timber doorway towards the left-hand end of the basement, over which is a felted bowstring truss canopy supported on a steel frame (included in HB19/17/013B as building 6). There are 4x3 metal-framed windows to both floors. The right-hand half of the basement section is abutted by a single-storey flat-roof building (4J1) which extends across to 4K. There are window openings to both floors on the south elevation, all 4x2 metal-framed but now sheeted over. Those to the upper floor are later inserts. Roof: Natural slate Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron gutters Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Metal casement 4J1 This single-storey building is on the same level as the basement to 4J and is contemporary with it. It has a flat bituminised concrete roof with a hipped skylight. The walls are of brick. There is a small first-floor toilet at its south-west corner, accessible from 4J’s upper floor. On top of the roof is a linking corridor between that floor and the first floor of 4K. The interior is accessible from a doorway on its south gable (with 1x3 overlight) and also from the ground floor of 4K. It has a concrete floor and painted walls. It was last used as a mechanics’ workshop. Building 4K This three-storey building was built in the period 1910-16 and is aligned north-south in the corner between 4H and 4L. It is 11 openings long by three wide. This building has a flat bituminised concrete roof. Towards its north end is a water tank enclosed by a felted timber lean-to. Ogee cast-iron gutters. The walls are of reinforced concrete with red brick facings. All openings have square concrete heads. All the windows are 3x4 timber-framed and have concrete cills. The west elevation is abutted to its ground floor by 4J1. There is a fire escape door at the right-hand end of the second floor. On the south elevation, the ground floor is abutted by 4M1. Roof: Concrete Rainwater goods: Ogee cast-iron gutters Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement Building 4L A five-storey building aligned north-south at the south-east corner of 4H. Although it has a bowstring truss roof, it is not included in HB19/17/013B and is therefore described here. It is an infill between 4H and 4M. It therefore post-dates 4H and was extant by 1888 (see Bassett’s view). It probably dates from the 1870s or early ‘80s. It is 13 openings long by three wide and is abutted at its south-east and south-west corners by toilet stacks 4L1 and 4L2 respectively. The latter stack is contemporary with it, but 4L1 is a 20th century replacement of an earlier one. This building has a shallow felted bowstring truss roof (16 trusses). The walls are of brick throughout. The apex to the south gable appears to have been rebuilt with newer brick. All the openings have shallow segmental heads and the windows have stone cills. The east elevation has a variety of window styles: 8/8 sashes to the ground floor, 6/12/6 sashes to the first and second floors, 3x4 top-openers to the third floor and 4x2 top-openers to the fourth floor. A toilet stack 4L1 runs up the left-hand end. The south gable is abutted to its bottom three floors by 4M. On the exposed section, the third floor has 2/2 and 3/3 sash windows. There are three infilled openings to the top floor. The west elevation is abutted to its ground, first and second floors by 4K on all but the two right-hand openings. At the right-hand end is a shallow toilet stack, 4L2. There are fire escape doors on the top two floors, served by an external metal staircase. There are a variety of windows – 2x2, 3x3 and 3x5-paned, and 8/12/8 sliding sashes, all with timber frames. Roof: Felted bowstring truss Rainwater goods: Metal Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement 4L1 This five-storey toilet stack serves all floors at the south end of the east elevation. It is of concrete construction throughout. 4L2 A five-storey toilet stack rises up the south-west quoin of the building. It has a flat concrete roof and brick walls. There is a ventilation slit to each floor. Building 4M This three-storey building at the south end of 4L is included in HB19/17/013B (building 8) and is therefore not described here. Building 4N This two-storey on the south gable of 4M is included in HB19/17/013B (building 5) and is therefore not described here. BLOCK 5 (Water treatment works) This later 20th century block comprises miscellaneous single-storey buildings all aligned north-south at the south end of the site. Most of them are probably associated with the 1990s dye works in building 8B. Water was conveyed along what had been the original mill race from the Lagan to the mid 19th century factory, abstracted and then chemically treated prior to being used as process water in the dye house. Building 5A and 5B cover a water reservoir at the head of the race from the river. Building 5A, at the north end, is of mid 20th century date. It has a felted bowstring truss roof and is described under HB19/17/013B (building 7). Building 5B is a later addition to the south gable of 5A. It has a pitched corrugated asbestos roof and concrete block walls. There are no openings except at the south end where the water channel enters. The latter is spanned by two galvanised metal footbridges just south of 5B, HB19/09/019. Building 5C is has a flat concrete roof and brick and concrete block walls. A small concrete block pump house has been erected just beyond its south-west corner. There was no internal access. Building 5D abuts the east face of 5C and covers a second water reservoir. It has a monopitched corrugated asbestos roof, concrete block walls, but no openings. Structure 5E, at the south end of 5D, is an open filter bed. It comprises a deep layer of fine sand enclosed by low brick walls. Building 5F lies south of the filter bed. It has a pitched corrugated asbestos roof and rendered walls. Its only opening is a door on its north gable. There was no internal access, but it probably houses water pumps. Building 5G, at the south-west corner of the block, is a chemical store. It has a shallow pitched roof and is entirely clad in corrugated asbestos. To its immediate north are three small concrete open water cisterns. There were also chemical tanks to its north-west, now removed. BLOCK 6 (Gatehouse) This late 19th century building is included in HB19/17/013B (building 1). This former two-storey administration block is set close to the main vehicular access at the northern side of the site. It is shown on the OS map of 1903. A bay to the eastern side along with an addition to the south side have both been removed resulting in an almost rectangular footprint. A canopy runs the full length of the north elevation. It rests on a timber beam supported on cast-iron columns betweeen which are carved timber quarter-arches with drop finials at their meeting points; there are 12 such arches in all. The bottoms of the columns are affixed to squared sandstone coping blocks on a dwarf brick wall. BLOCK 7 (Offices and laboratory) This two-storey later 19th century block is included in HB19/17/013B (building 2). BLOCK 8 (New factory) The block originally comprised three long single-storey buildings erected in the late 1900s as part of a modernisation programme. All are aligned north-south along the west side of the premises: a finishing department at the north end (8A), dye house in the middle These buildings were largely dismantled 2010 and relocated eslewhere. BLOCK 9 (New making-up department) This block comprises a single-story rubble stone building erected in 1887 (9A). There is a modern loading bay at north (9A1) and a mid 20th century single-storey sawtooth roofed shed at south (9B). Building 9A This building is aligned east-west at the north end of the block. It was originally a four storey high flax store, with a semicircular staircase at its east end and a brick goods hoist shaft on the north elevation. Corbett noted an 1887 datestone on the ground floor (since removed or obscured). Since his 1988 report, this building has been reduced to a single storey and the staircase and hoist shaft removed. Latterly it has been used for the temporary storage of goods awaiting dispatch. This building has a flat bituminised concrete roof and roughly-dressed random basalt walls. The east end is clad with profiled metal sheeting. Stepped brick quoins survive on the west gable which stands two storeys high. The openings are of segmental profile and trimmed with brick. Most of them have been infilled or modified to take flat concrete heads. Some window openings contain replacement 3x4 top-opening windows (with flush concrete cills). The north elevation is abutted by a modern loading bay, the north side of which is supported on concrete piers. It is of steel-frame construction, clad in profiled metal sheeting and with a shallow monopitched roof. There are roller shutter doors to its north and west elevations. Roof: Concrete Rainwater goods: Metal Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement Building 9B This building abuts the south and west sides of 9A and is a mid 1900s addition, latterly used for the making up, labelling and packing of goods. The roof, which is aligned east-west, is of sawtooth profile. Their apexes are linked to one another by exposed steel girders. Overall, the building is eight roof bays long – two on the west gable and six on the south side of 9A. The north pitches are glazed and the south ones are clad with profiled metal sheeting. There is a semi-basement along the east side, the wall of which is mass concrete. The wall above is of brick, with yellow brick quoins at both ends. The south and west elevations are of profiled fibre cement sheeting over a metal framework resting on a dwarf concrete wall. There are window and door openings along the east side, all with concrete heads. A metal staircase at the south-east end of the building enables access to the building from outside. Roof: Metal Rainwater goods: Metal down pipes Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber casement BLOCK 10 (Waxing department) This block is located at the north end of the Island and comprises two contiguous mid 20th century single-storey buildings aligned east-west (10A and 10B). The north side of 10B is abutted by a later toilet block (10B1). Building 10A Section 10A runs along the south end of the block and is 11 openings long. It has a pitched corrugated asbestos roof, brick walls and square-headed openings with concrete heads. There are sliding timber doors to the east and south elevations and windows to the south and west elevations; the latter are metal-framed casement windows (with concrete cills). There are also three circular vents along the eaves. Roof: Asbestos-fibre cement Rainwater goods: Metal down pipes Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Metal casement Section 10B This section runs along the north side of 10A, and is canted at its north-west end. It has a felted bowstring truss roof (11 trusses) with boxed eaves. As it is not included in HB19/17/013B, it has been described here. Its east gable is of brick. There is no wall break with 10A, indicating that they are contemporary despite their different roofs. The remaining walls have steel frames with felt shingles on vertical timber sheeting over wooden frames. There is a door in the east gable and assorted timber- and steel-framed windows to the external walls. The west end of the north elevation of 10B is abutted by a small toilet 10B1. Roof: Felted bowstring truss Rainwater goods: Metal down pipes Doors: Sheeted timber Windows: Timber and metal casement 10B1 A single-storey toilet block with a felted monopitched roof, pebble dashed walls and square-headed timber casement windows (concrete cills). BLOCK 11 This block consists of a long single-storey building aligned north-south (11A) and a smaller single-storey building running at right angles to it across the river (11B). A building is shown here on the 1902 OS map but the materials of the surviving remains appear to be of later date. A netting store is marked at the south end of the existing building on a 1954 plan. It may therefore be the netting factory which is cited in the valuations as having been built between 1929 and 1934 (although it could equally have been in building 12A). The building spanning the river is a mid 1900s infill between buildings 3E and 11A. Building 11A Little now remains of this building except vestiges of brick walling at its north and south ends. A line of steel I-beams and remnants of concrete flooring suggests that was a double-pile building. The surviving walls have assorted square- and segmental-headed openings. At the south end of the west elevation is a 2x3 top-opening window (concrete cill). Open-sided cooling sheds, now demolished, ran along the east side of this building. Roof: Missing Rainwater goods: Missing Doors: Missing Windows: Timber casement Building 11B This double-pile, single-storey building abuts the north-west end of 11A and spans the river on reinforced-concrete beams. It is essentially an infill building between 3E and 11A. It was gutted by fire in 2006 and is now in poor condition. The roof is of felted sheet metal over angle-iron trusses. Its valley is carried on two steel I-beams supported at intervals with diagonally-braced composite steel uprights. The north and south walls are of corrugated asbestos over steel frames. The interior, which could be accessed from both ends, was lit by 2x3 metal-framed windows along the side walls. Roof: Metal Rainwater goods: Missing Doors: Missing Windows: Metal casement BLOCK 12 This block is included in HB19/17/013B (building 3) and is therefore not surveyed here.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The Hilden Mill complex originated in 1823 when William Barbour set up a thread factory on the site of an 18th century bleachworks operated by Samuel Delacherois. He was the son of a John Barbour, a Scottish immigrant who had established a small thread manufactory at the Plantation, Lisburn in 1784. Although only three buildings are shown at the Hilden site on the 1832-33 Ordnance Survey map, Barbour’s enterprise was, by 1837, “the most extensive thread factory in Ireland” according to Thomas Fagan, compiler of the Ordnance Survey memoir for Lambeg Parish. He goes on to note: “The stove house and water mill stand three storeys high, the boiling house, office and yarn stores two storeys high. All other houses occupied in the business are one storey high and the entire building slated. In the water mill there are 20 thread mills and on each mill 48 spindles for twisting thread. In this house is also a double beetling engine having 12 beetles of 74lbs each; also two sets of rollers on each of which are four boles for rolling yarn. The entirety of this machinery is wrought by one waterwheel, which is made chiefly of metal. It is a breast wheel, diameter 15ft 6in. breadth 6ft, fall of water 7ft. The Lagan being the source, the supply of water here is always sufficient. The buildings and bleach grounds occupy 10 English acres and are eligibly situated for the purpose. This establishment is for the sole purpose of preparing, bleaching, colouring and dyeing yarn for the various classes of thread. There is now from 200,000 to 300,000 hanks of native yarn annually spun into threads of every description and upwards of 200 persons of both sexes and of various ages constantly employed, weekly wages varying from 3 shillings to £1 according to the age and experience of those employed.” The 1835 Valuation book notes the three principal buildings as being the water-powered thread mill, measuring 71ft x 25ft and standing 22ft high, a drying house measuring 43ft x 21ft x 26ft, and a boiling house at 34ft x 23ft x 12ft 6in. In the thread mill, the raw flax fibre would have been spun into yarn and then twisted into thread. The boiling house was presumably where the yarn and thread were bleached and dyed. The fact that the beetling engines, which finished off bleached linen, are in the same building as the thread machinery suggests that Barbour simply adapted the existing watermill rather than erect a purpose-built one. All this was to change in 1851 when Barbour erected a substantial three-storey spinning mill comprising three contiguous buildings. This was powered not only by water but also by two 45hp steam engines manufactured by Coates & Young of Belfast. Here the raw flax fibre would have been hackled and spun into yarn. Thread was produced by twisting two or more plies of yarn together. It was then finished by dyeing and waxing, and finally wound on to spools, labelled and dispatched. Around 1861, these new buildings were heightened by one and two storeys and a four-storey extension added along with a new administrative office. These buildings are today collectively known as the ‘Old Mill’. The entire complex had a rateable valuation of £900, an extremely high figure relative to most other industrial enterprises at that time. Comparison of the buildings’ dimensions in the 1861 valuation which those for the 1835 valuation suggests that the buildings associated with the old bleachworks had been demolished. The site’s rateable value, as given in the valuation revision books from 1867 onwards, reflect the site’s virtually continuous expansion for the remainder of the century, rising from £900 in 1861 to £1650 by 1890. There were two main developments during this period. Firstly, the construction of what is now known as the ‘New Mill’ and ancillary buildings along the river, probably in the 1870s. Secondly, upgrading of the power supply in 1895. This entailed the construction of a new steam engine house, boiler house and chimney. The engines’ power totalled 2050hp and was supplied by seven boilers (with two economisers). Coal was imported from Belfast on the Lagan Navigation which ran alongside the premises on the Co Down side. It is likely that water power had long ceased to be used by now. William Barbour died in 1875 and was succeeded by his sons John, Robert, Samuel, Thomas and Francis. In the early 1880s, William Barbour & Sons became a limited liability company. George Bassett, writing in 1888, noted that Messrs Barbours were now the world’s leading manufacturers of tailors’ and shoe makers’ sewing thread. The site now covered 45 acres and 300 people were employed. They also owned spinning mills in nearby Dunmurry and Sprucefield and had agencies and offices in Europe and America. Since 1864, they had also been operating a spinning mill in Paterson, New Jersey. The Pictorial World of 1888-89 was equally effusive: “One of the great firms, not alone of Ireland, or even of the United Kingdom, but of the world, is that of Messrs William Barbour Limited, flax spinners, linen thread and shoe thread manufacturers, yarn dyers and bleachers.” At that time, 30,000 spindles were at work on yarn spinning and a further 8000 in twisting the yarn into thread. Several minor additions were made in the first two decades of the 1900s, notably a large Belfast truss shed on the Island (so-called because it lies between the river and navigation), and a three-storey brick and concrete building on the main site. It was not until the period 1930-1960 that the next major phase of expansion took place, notably the finishing works on the Island and the erection of two large single-storey sawtooth-roofed spinning sheds on the main site. The second world war and the post-war development of synthetic fibres doubtless were major factors in these developments. In the late 1970s, Messrs Barbour was acquired by the Hanson Trust and merged with Henry Campbell & Co to form Barbour Campbell Ltd. Spinning was transferred to Campbell’s Mossley Mill, whilst Hilden focused on thread production. In the 1990s, the middle of the main site was cleared to make way for the erection of three large single-storey sheds into which the twisting, finishing and making-up processes were transferred from the 19th century buildings. In 1999, Barbour Campbell was taken over by Coats Viyella. As part of a rationalisation programme, thread manufacturing ceased in 2006 and the site was sold for redevelopment. References - Primary sources: 1. PRONI OS/6/1/64/1. First edition OS six-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 64 (1832-33). 2. PRONI OS/6/3/8/1. First edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 8 (1834). 3. Ordnance Survey Memoir for Lambeg Parish, 1837 (reprinted 1991 by the Institute of Irish Studies, Queen’s University, Belfast). 4. PRONI OS/6/1/64/2. Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 64 (1858). 5. PRONI OS/6/3/8/1. Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 8 (1858). 6. PRONI VAL/12B/20/10A-F. Valuation revision books, 1862-1923. 7. PRONI VAL/12B/8/7A-B. Valuation revision books, 1867-89. 8. PRONI VAL/12B/8/9L. Valuation revision books, 1890-1901. 9. PRONI OS/10/1/64/14/1. First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 61.14 (1901). 10. PRONI OS/10/1/64/15/1. First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 61.15 (1901). 11. PRONI VAL/12A/3/45-51. Valuation revision books, 1901-34. 12. PRONI OS/10/3/8/16/1. First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Down sheet 8.16 (1902). 13. PRONI VAL/12A/1/104. Valuation revision books, 1916-22. 14. PRONI OS/10/3/8/16/2. Second edition OS 25-inch map, Co Down sheet 8.16 (1919). 15. PRONI OS/10/1/64/14/2. Second edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 61.14 (1920). 16. PRONI OS/10/1/64/15/2. Second edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 61.15 (1920). 17. PRONI VAL/12B/14/11A. Valuation revision books, 1923-29. 18. PRONI VAL/12B/20/4A. Valuation revision books, 1923-29. 19. PRONI VAL/12A/1/105. Valuation revision books, 1924-34. 20. PRONI OS/10/1/64/15/3. Third edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 61.15 (1931). 21. PRONI VAL/3D/4/9D/3-5. Valuation revision books, 1933-57. 22. PRONI VAL/3D/14J/1-5. Valuation revision books, 1933-57. 23. PRONI OS/10/1/64/15/3. Fourth edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 61.15 (1938). 24. PRONI OS/11/165/7/1. First edition OS 25-inch Irish Grid, sheet 165-07 (1962). References – Secondary sources: 1. George Henry Bassett (1888), The Book of Antrim (reprinted 1989 by Friar’s Bush Press, Belfast, as County Antrim One Hundred Years Ago). 2. The Pictorial World, Dec 1888 – Feb 1889 (reprinted 1986 by Friar’s Bush Press, Belfast, as Industries of the North, One Hundred Years Ago). 3. Barbour Campbell Threads Ltd: 200 Years in Thread. Supplement to Export & Freight, 1984. 4. Architectural report on Hilden Mill by Garry Corbett, 1988 (Environment & Heritage Service file HB19/17/013). 5. Kathleen Rankin (2002), The Linen Houses of the Lagan Valley (Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form F. Structural System H+. Alterations enhancing the building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Z. Rarity V. Authorship R. Age S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance U. Historic Associations

Evaluation

The site is of considerable architectural and historic interest. Architecturally, the scale, massing, and floor configurations of its constituent buildings, particularly those in blocks 2, 3 and 4, reflects the various stages of thread production – hackling of the raw flax, its spinning into yarn, twisting the yarn into thread, finishing the thread (dyeing and waxing) and making-up (labelling and packing). The method of power generation is also evident in the boiler room, two engine houses and rope drives, and also by the positions of these buildings relative to one another. The buildings’ materials reflect their periods of construction – basalt in the mid 1800s, then brick during the later 1800s, and finally concrete in the 1900s. Many are also highly embellished with decorative yellow brickwork on their quoins and eaves, and some also have carved heads. Internally, the extensive use of brick jack arches reflects the structural imperative for the floors to be both fireproof and have a high load bearing capacity. The site with its close proximity to the Lagan Navigation reflects the historical necessity of transporting coal and raw materials to site. Historically, the various horizontal and vertical extensions within each block reflect its development during the later 19th and 20th centuries; indeed, major phases are also commemorated in date stones (1851, 1861 and 1895). The Barbour Family are of national interest as the former leading manufacturers of tailors’ and shoe makers’ sewing threadas in the world and and the mill buildings represent one of the few flax spinning/ thread manufactories to survive in a largely intact state anywhere in the Province. The buildings also have group value with Hilden Mill Primary School(HB19/17/030) and The Iron Lattice Bridge(HB19/09/019) built for the mill workers nearby.

General Comments

Date of Survey

18 August 2010