Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/47/004 A

Address :
Jennymount Mill Jennymount Industrial Estate North Derby Street Belfast

Townland:
None

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
04/03/1988 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:
Partially

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OS Map No:
130/9 NE

IG Ref:
J3429 7620

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Owner Category

Commercial

Exterior Description And Setting

A group of brick and stucco buildings with slated hipped roofs, consisting of a four-storey mill, forming a west range along an entry or alleyway, linked by an entrance gateway to an east range which comprises a two-storey office block which has a tall octagonal brick chimney rising from its three-storey rear return. This range also includes a three and two storey buildings. The entrance gateway to the yard and the street front facades, including the main entrance to the office block, face south. OLD MILL: The old mill consists of a long 4-storey block, built in various stages, aligned on a north-south axis, with a 5-storey stair tower projecting from the east side near the rear. South elevation of mill: four windows wide to the street front; ground floor stuccoed, with channelled rustication; upper floors are of red brick with yellow painted sandstone or rendered rusticated quoins to extremities; ornamentally treated frieze of moulded and notched yellow bricks, surmounted by a moulded sandstone cornice. Cast iron gutter but cast iron downpipe mainly replaced by PVC. Windows to upper floor are rectangular timber 4-pane fixed lights with 2-pane top lights, replacements, not to original pattern, set in plain brick reveals with flat arched heads; projecting stone cills. Windows to ground floor are later modern rectangular 6-pane fixed lights incorporating a top-hung casement, with steel security bars fitted in jambs; projecting stone cills. East elevation consists of a long 4-storey block apparently built in three stages, with a projecting 5-storey stair tower. Materials and detailing are both similar to south elevation except that ground floor rusticated stucco does not continue to the right of the stair tower. The first 14 windows from the left represent an extension of c 1864: it has a PVC downpipe and a modern circular metal flue pipe; ground floor window openings have heads at lower level than line of rustication channel above and cills are set at ground level at south end; three doorways, one at third opening from left, containing a modern rectangular timber glazed door with sidelight and fanlight, and two at the last openings to right, containing modern flush doors; first floor windows are blocked up; second and third floor windows are of similar pattern to previous, but metal framed. Rusticated stucco work to ground floor is continued flush from the 14-bay first block to the second block, without a break but the upper storeys show a junction between blocks where the rusticated quoins of the second block from left project forward slightly. Beyond the first 14 bays the second block from the left is an original block from the 1850s: windows to upper floors are similar to previous block. First opening on ground floor is a semi-circular archway leading to an entry running through to the west side of the building: chamfered reveals, with rusticated render in form of keystone and voussoirs; the small semi-circular archway contains a timber doorscreen with arched sidelights but now lacking glazing and door. Fifth opening is an enlarged rectangular doorway with steel shutter door. Cast iron downpipe, partly replaced by PVC. To the right of the twelfth window opening of the second block is a rectangular stair tower projecting forward and connecting with a two-storey wing to the east. Stair tower is of similar materials to main mill block, except it has yellow brick quoins; ornamented yellow brick frieze and moulded cornice as previous, surmounted by a balustraded parapet similar to that of the office block facing North Derby Street. A later red brick addition to house the lift machinery surmounts the north end. Stair tower windows comprise 9-pane fixed lights with 3-pane or 6-pane top lights. The south side is one window wide, while the east face is two windows wide, but equivalent to 4-windows of the mill. Between the second and third floor windows on the south side is a circular projecting panel presumably originally containing a clock face, and at the ground floor is a semi-circular archway leading into an open lobby which contains blocked up window and door openings and a hoist shaft. Ground floor and part of first floor of stair tower are smooth rendered, with channelled rustication with evidence of recent alterations and patching up, with a similarly rendered one and two-storey wing extending to the east (to be described elsewhere). North side of stair tower contains a blocked up opening plus narrow ventilation slits. To the right (north) of the stair tower the east elevation of the mill continues for 12 windows, the first 6 to the right comprising the northern extent of the original building, with the remainder belonging to an extension of 1904. The junction in blocks is marked by a slight change in tone of brick walling, a dark coloured portion of the brick frieze, and a rectangular opening to a ground floor passageway running through the building with iron plated jambs and iron girderwork surmounted by an elliptical relieving arch; jambs bear oval cast iron plaques inscribed 'Combe. Belfast. 1904'. Some ground floor windows of original block are closed with concrete blockwork. The 1904 extension has rusticated sandstone quoins to right-hand extremity. Ground floor contains a rectangular doorway, later widened from an original doorway. Projecting forward from the right-hand extremity is a two-storey wing which is arranged to enclose a small cobbled courtyard to the east (to be described elsewhere). North elevation of mill consists of the end wall of the 1904 extension, three windows wide to the second and third floors, with a later lower two-storey building projecting from it. End wall of mill is of red brick with rusticated sandstone quoins to extremities, and frieze and moulded cornice as previous; windows similar to east elevation. The lower two-storey projection has a slated hipped roof; its west elevation has red brick walls to first floor, with plain red brick projecting eaves courses; smooth rendered ground floor with channelled rustication; PVC gutter and downpipes; modern rectangular windows of 6 panes, set in widened openings in first floor; segmental arched entrance containing modern glazed timber doorscreen. Its north elevation has a red brick first floor with a lower single storey block projecting from the ground floor: single storey block is flat-roofed, with partly rendered red brick walls containing large rectangular metal framed windows. West elevation of mill is 4 storeys high with hipped slated roof of similar materials and detailing to previous elevations of the main mill and built in identifiable phases. From right to left as follows: firstly at the right, or south end, the southern extension of c 1864, 7 windows wide to the left of the 1891 tower block, and ending at the left-hand extremity in a projecting 5-storey red brick toilet stack; secondly, the original block of the 1850s in a central position, 15 windows wide, marked by a greyer tone of yellow brick frieze, with a rectangular ground floor passageway at the right-hand extremity and a second later projecting 5-storey toilet stack at the left-hand extremity; thirdly, a northern extension of c 1864, 7 windows wide, marked by a break in the cornice where a later doorway at attic level gives access to a steel fire escape stairway; and fourthly, to the left, or north end, the end extension of 1904, 6 windows wide, with a rectangular ground floor passageway at the right-hand extremity and a third 5-storey toilet stack terminating the mill at the left-hand extremity. Detailing is similar on all portions except that ground floor windows to the 1904 extension have coved top corners to the openings. Some window openings on the upper floors of the other blocks have been enlarged to form doorways or have been broken open to floor level and left thus. The southern extension of c 1864 has two later projecting single-storey bays on the ground floor: to the left, a rectangular block with an angled corner, with slated hipped roof, smooth rendered walls, painted, containing rectangular timber windows, modern fixed lights and top-hung vents, and PVC gutter and downpipes; to the right is a poor quality block in the corner with a modern rectangular flush timber door, broken PVC guttering and loose corrugated perspex roof covering, which contains meter boxes. Between the two bays is an external steel open staircase leading to the first floor of the mill. At first floor level are large cast iron ties between windows. To the left of the canted bay the red brick toilet stack is smooth rendered at ground floor level, and has broad red brick cornicing at the top. Projecting from the south side at each floor is a corrugated iron clad lobby to the toilet, with a concrete slab floor and a glazed lean-to roof. The other toilet stacks are similar. EAST WING OF OLD MILL: A U-shaped arrangement of two-storey blocks connected at two points to the main mill block and enclosing a small cobbled courtyard near the north end of the site; fronted on the south side by a projecting flat-roofed single storey which forms a roof terrace for the storey above. South elevation is smooth cement rendered, with channelled rustication. Two-storey portion has slated hipped roofs; large rectangular later openings in rusticated surrounds, containing modern windows and doorway. Single storey portion has a flat roof with parapet; contains modern rectangular windows and doorway, and a semi-circular arched doorway leading to a stairway to the first floor terrace; original stone steps; PVC hoppers and downpipes. East elevation is smooth cement rendered, containing modern rectangular timber windows to two floors; some ground floor window openings now blocked up. PVC gutters and downpipes. North elevation of north portion has hipped slated roof; red brick walls with plain red brick projecting eaves courses; yellow brick quoins to left-hand extremity. West elevation of south portion, facing into an alley between it and the mill block: two-storey of plain red brick, with projecting brick eaves course; rectangular timber fixed light windows in flat arched openings. Within the cobbled courtyard, elevations are of plain character, of red brickwork with some later smooth cement render lined to give channelled rustications. Rectangular windows of similar character to previous; rectangular and elliptically arched doorways, containing modern glazed timber doorscreens. Metal rainwater goods. Cobbled central area to courtyard bordered by raised pavements with concrete kerbstones. Hipped slated roofs. OFFICE BLOCK: The office block, in the east range, consists of an ornamentally treated two-storey entrance block with a three-storey return of plainer character, linked by a long two-storey rear block to a large-windowed tower-like end block. South elevation of entrance block is two-storey, comprising a hipped block 5 windows wide to each floor, to the right of a taller end bay 2 windows wide to the first floor: stringcourses and cills are at a lower level in the end bay. The hipped portion has a roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses with dark toned ridge tiles. Behind the ridge, to the right, is a small chimney of red brick with stuccoed finish and moulded stucco cornice and cap, and beyond that, to the left, rises a very tall octagonal chimney of tapering form which flares out at the top above a projecting stringcourse: built of red brick with blue brick dressings to the angles. First floor has walls of red brick with painted panelled sandstone quoining to the right-hand extremity, painted moulded sandstone stringcourses and plain eaves course, and painted moulded brick cornice; ground floor is finished with painted stucco, smooth rendered, lined and blocked originally but mostly covered over by successive layers of paintwork, now peeling; with painted moulded sandstone stringcourse and cill. PVC guttering. Windows to first floor are modern rectangular timber fixed lights with small rectangular vents above to fill the arched openings, set in moulded segmental painted sandstone arches with sculpted sandstone keystones; segmental brick relieving arches; chamfered brick jambs painted to resemble stone dressings. Windows to ground floor are set in semi-circular arched openings, the second from the right-hand end being narrower and of stilted type. All ground floor windows have been altered, to varying degrees: originally each comprised a two-light arrangement in timber with semi-circular arched heads springing from circular wooden colonnettes with floriated capitals, surmounted by a plain semi-circular arched spandrel light, and presumably incorporating some opening lights originally, but now all later altered to fixed lights. The two openings at the right-hand end retain the inset coupled arches, but the rest have had this feature replaced by later timber transoms. The narrow window, second from the end, incorporates a continuation of the stringcourse running across it separating it into lower and upper lights, the stringcourse being of moulded timber replicating the form of the main sandstone stringcourse. Each ground floor window has a spiked iron bar incorporated in the cill. Ground floor keystones linked by a barley twist stringcourse; keystones carved with human heads and depict various historic personages some of whom are named: those readily identifiable or legible on this 5-window wide main block are, from left to right, on first floor – Milton, Scott, Shakespeare, Burns, and Byron; and on the ground floor, from left to right, Wordsworth(?), Burke(?), Peel(?), Galileo and Columbus. The taller end bay to the left is of similar materials except there is no quoining apart from paintwork at the left-hand extremity to resemble quoins; also ground floor stringcourse is a plain torus moulding, not barley-twist. There is a projecting platband to the first floor comprised of yellow and red brick diapering, but later painted uniformly overall to resemble a painted rendered platband. Moulded brick frieze as previous to hipped portion, with moulded sandstone cornice surmounted by painted sandstone parapet with turned balusters to the balustrading; pitched slated roof behind the parapets. Windows to first floor are segmental arched timber sliding sash, vertically hung, two over two with horns, set in segmental arched moulded sandstone surrounds with sculpted keystones, all painted. Keystones to first floor are carved with human heads, which may represent, from left to right, Johnson and Goldsmith. Keystones to ground floor windows are carved with foliated details, and are embellished as follows, from right to left with: the date 1864; a monogram of entwined letters which appear to be P, J & S, representing Philip Johnston & Son, the mill-owners following on from the first two owners; a third keystone over the doorway to the left of the ground floor windows appears to depict a sprig of shamrock. Entrance doorway to left of ground floor windows comprises a modern rectangular flush timber door recessed between panelled sandstone pilasters with floriated capitals, surmounted by a segmental arched fanlight within a moulded segmental sandstone arch. West elevation: the west elevation of entrance block is the side of the balustraded end bay, two windows wide to the first floor with a wide segmental arched entrance below; materials and detailing as previous to front except for detailing around doorway which has a continuous rounded reveal, but incorporating a sculpted keystone, and a circular cast iron wall tie above the keystone. Doorway contains a pair of later rectangular timber glazed doors with rectangular sidelights and a plain arched fanlight; modern tiled step. Keystone to ground floor entrance represents Cobden; and the one to the first floor window to the left represents Arkwright(?). Set back slightly to the left is the first block of return, 3-storey, of red brick with yellow brick eaves courses. Roof is double pile, running north-south (ie at right angles to the entrance block), hipped, with Bangor blue slates in regular courses, in poor condition; original flush rooflights in pitch to west, two to each side of the later hoist tower. The octagonal factory chimney is located on the hip on the east side. Central projecting modern plain red brick hoist shaft on the west wall with two windows to the first floor and second floor to the right of it, and two openings to the left of it to the same floors. Windows are rectangular timber 4-pane fixed lights with 2-pane vents above, set in plain brick reveals with flat arches; projecting stone cills, painted. Ground floor of wall to right of shaft contains a later rectangular door, a modern up and over garage door, and a 2-light window. The garage door has a cast iron protective plate to the base of the left-hand jamb, inscribed on both faces 'J & J McKeown. Belfast'. Ground floor to left of hoist shaft is occupied by a red brick lean-to with a 2-light window in a timber surround; narrow window to left, 2-pane fixed light with a top vent, set in a moulded timber surround with wooden cill; to left of that is a circular cast iron spiral staircase, complete except for one baluster at bottom. Spiral stairway is tied back to the main wall with an angle iron at the seventh step, and also by a short iron connector at the eleventh step to a partly derelict brick nib wall on the left. Spiral stairway gives access to a rectangular doorway on each floor above; glazed and ledged doors with wavy head to glazing, of Edwardian appearance. Windows on each floor to right of doors are similar to those on other side of shaft. Cast iron gutters and downpipes, but in poor condition. The second block of the rear return is 2-storey, of red brick with yellow brick quoins to the right-hand extremity: six windows wide to the first floor, windows of similar character to previous except four later altered to incorporate rectangular fanlights. Ground floor contains a wide set of double doors, sheeted, and a smaller glazed and sheeted door to the right of that; wall mostly smooth cement rendered with evidence of a lean-to roof having been removed; four large rectangular cast iron ties at floor level above. Three roofs running transversely from east to west: of hipped form, with slated roofs and with conical metal ventilators on the ridges, but many slates missing and part of roof collapsed. Projecting forward slightly to the left is the taller end block: 2 storeys with a pair of very large and tall arched windows to the first floor. Red brick with moulded and notched yellow brick frieze and deep moulded sandstone cornice, surmounted by a panelled iron water trough with iron railings. Windows are semi-circular arched multi-paned timber fixed lights incorporating some pivoting opening lights, the one to the left traceried with coupled semi-circular arches containing paired Gothic lancets and surmounted by a circular tracery light, the one to the right composed entirely of transoms and mullions. Ground floor wall painted and rendered with evidence of a lean-to roof removed, with partly derelict nib walls remaining at each extremity; two rectangular doorways containing sheeted timber doors. The end block has a flat roof with what appears to be an open iron water trough on top, surrounded by iron rails. South side of end block above rear block roof is smooth cement rendered. North elevation of rear block is of red brick with ornamental yellow brick frieze and sandstone cornice as previous; contains a large semi-circular arched window to the first floor at the right-hand side, traceried as previous, surmounting a rectangular 6-pane fixed light and glazed and panelled door, which are reached by a flight of lateral projecting concrete steps on red brick base walling, partly smooth rendered. The base of the exterior steps is open on the east side; the chamber is barrel vaulted and contains a semi-circular arched recess in the south side, function unknown. The left-hand portion of the main north elevation is partly painted and partly rendered showing evidence of the removal of a gabled 2-storey building abutting it. East elevation: smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with some cast iron ties; yellow brick eaves courses and frieze as previous. Rectangular windows of similar character and pattern to west elevation but some openings blocked with render. Cast iron rainwater goods in poor condition. At left-hand extremity is a canted bay to the ground floor: smooth rendered finish with windows now blocked and rendered over; PVC gutter and downpipe; in first floor above bay is a segmental arched window containing a pair of coupled arched lights surmounted by a spandrel light, of timber, with a central circular colonnette and floriated capital. THE GATEWAY: The gateway comprises a pair of bulky square piers mounted with a pair of later 20th century iron gates. Piers are stuccoed, with appearance of rusticated blocks, but some damage to corners which reveals red brick core; moulded sandstone frieze and cornice with curved brackets; flat sandstone capstones now displaced, presumably hit by lorries; corners of cornice broken off. SETTING: The buildings stand in an urban area, in a cul de sac, facing directly onto the street. The mill is abutted on the west side by a tall seven-storey block (HB26/47/004B), while the boundary to the office wing to the east is formed by wire mesh fencing with a railway shunting yard beyond. On the street the buildings overlook an industrial works opposite. The main detached buildings within the site are as follows – RESTAURANT BLOCK: facing the modern front entrance gateway: a long 2-storey red brick building which now functions as a restaurant and offices, converted from what were probably mill stores, but now much remodelled and modernised. Windows to first floor at the front, and to both storeys at the rear, are semi-circular arched; modern mono-pitch roof; PVC downpipes. Main entrance has protective cast iron plates to the jambs, inscribed 'The Millfield Foundry Belfast 1907'; curved cast iron brackets to glazed canopy. At rear corner, protective cast iron plate is inscribed 'J & J McKeown, Belfast', and at a now bricked up rear doorway, the plates are inscribed 'James Moore, Millfield Foundry, Belfast'. FORMER STORES BLOCK: to the north of the long restaurant and office block is a four-gabled single storey building in red brick, formerly mill stores, now converted to modern warehouse accommodation: slated pitched roofs, large original elliptically arched openings to east side, containing modern glazed timber doorscreens; PVC downpipes; rectangular doorways to west elevation containing flush timber doors and steel shutter doors; modern rectangular timber windows to north elevation. FORMER WORKSHOP BLOCK: to the east of the stores: a twin-gabled two-storey red brick building, originally built as a Mechanics and Carpenters Shop, now converted to office or industrial use. Slated pitched roofs; segmental arched openings with circular attic windows in apex of each gable; ground floor windows on east side later bricked up. PVC rainwater goods; entrance to right-hand side of south elevation has a modern projecting gabled porch, timber panelled and sheeted, on rolled steel corner joists.

Architects

Roome, WJW S Stevenson & Sons Sparrow, JK Hanley, H

Historical Information

Established c 1852 as a flax spinning mill by James A McKee, with what appears by the late 1850s to have been one and two-storey buildings erected around a yard, in a central position along the eastern boundary of the present site, with a free-standing chimney immediately to the west. By 1863 the mill was taken over by Hugh M. Beck & Co. In 1864 the office block was added in the south-east corner facing onto North Derby Street. By 1870, but possibly earlier as their monogram appears on the office block of 1864, the property was take over by Philip Johnston & Son in whose ownership it continued into the 20th century. By the early 1870s other extensions had been added to the original mill buildings, to both the north end and the south end of both east and west ranges; in the east range this included the present large-windowed block of uncertain function, which has a water trough on its roof and contains pairs of Doric columns inside, which may be contemporary with the 1864 office block, and also included the blocks to the south of that which link with the 1864 office block; in the west range it included the extension of the main mill out to the North Derby Street boundary. In 1887 the original mill, in the west range, appears to have been raised two storeys to its present height; earth closets added along its west side in 1890; and a 4-storey extension added to its north end in 1904 to the designs of W.J.W. Roome, architect. In 1891 a 6-storey tower block (HB26/47/004B) was added to the complex, abutting the west side of the old mill facing onto North Derby Street, to the designs of John Lanyon, architect, with a seventh floor added in the same style in 1909 by J.K. Sparrow, engineer. Various other extensions and independent blocks added to the complex from time to time, some now demolished, the most notable remaining being the present restaurant block to the west, of uncertain date but shown on the OS map of 1872; the four-gabled single storey stores to the north of the restaurant, built in 1900, and the two-storey former Mechanics and Carpenters Shop to the west of the stores, built in 1905, both to the designs of Hugh Hanley, engineer. The name of the mill came from a large house in the vicinity: on the OS map of 1832 the mill site appeared as undeveloped land jutting out unto the Lough; facing the site on the other side of the present Shore Road was a large house called 'Jennymount', which had been renamed 'Castleton' by the OS map of 1858. References – Primary Sources 1. OS Map 1832-3, Co Antrim 61 (nothing shown on site). 2. OS Map, 1858, Co Antrim 61 (shows a 'Flax Spinning Mill'). 3. OS Map 1938, Co Antrim 61. 4. OS Map 1858, Belfast 9 (large scale map). 5. OS Map 1872, Belfast 9 (large scale map). 6. OS Plan 130-9 (1960). 7. OS Plan 130-09NE (1999). 8. The Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory, Belfast, 1852. 9. The Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory for 1863-4, Belfast, 1863. 10. The Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory, Belfast, 1870. 11. J.H. Connop, Bird's Eye View of Belfast from Ballymacarett (lithograph), 1863, Linenhall Library. 12. Datestone of 1864 on offices on North Derby Street. 13. Cast iron tie rod plaques dated 1891 on 6-storey block. 14. Hogg Collection, Ulster Museum, photograph of Jennymount Mill, c 1905. 15. Original drawings in Building Control Office, Belfast City Hall: 1887, unsigned, for raising of mill 2 storeys. 1890, unsigned, for earth closets on 5 storeys of long mill block. 1891, by John Lanyon, for 6-storey additional block. 1900, by Hugh Hanley, for 4-gabled detached stores. 1904, by W.J.W. Roome, for 4-storey extension to north end of long mill block. 1905, by Hugh Hanley, for 6-bay 2-storey Mechanics and Carpenters Shop. 1906, by Hugh Hanley, for new engine house (now demolished) north of 1891 block. 1909, by J.K, Sparrow, for additional floor to 1891 block. 1933, by S. Stevenson & Sons, for single storey store adjoining no 1 Tow Room, west side of long mill block. 1937, by S. Stevenson & Sons, for single storey combing room to extreme north of long mill block. 1945, by S. Stevenson & Sons, for hoist inserted in 1891 block. 1965, by S. Stevenson & Sons, for steel fire escape to 1891 block. Secondary Sources 1. P. Larmour, Belfast: An Illustrated Architectural Guide (Belfast, 1987), pp 29 and 55. 2. IHR 10014. 3. P. Collins, The Making of Irish Linen (Belfast, 1994), p 76 (illustrates the photograph from the Hogg Collection, Ulster Museum).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form F. Structural System H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior K. Group value

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

This is a group of mid-19th century mill buildings, comprising separate blocks in both a plain utilitarian style and a more elaborate Italianate idiom. The former flax spinning mill block displays the open plan form and repetitive storeys associated with its building type, as well as a structural system which is characteristic of its era, while the former office block is ornamented with an interesting and unusual series of sculptured keystone heads of historical and literary figures. The tall mill chimney is a very noticeable landmark in the locality, and together with the adjoining later 7-storey tower block (HB26/47/004B), these buildings stand as now uncommon relics of the great age of local industry associated with textiles.

General Comments

Date of Survey

12 April 2000