Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/22/010 D

Address :
4 Lakeview Bessbrook Co. Armagh BT35 7AG

Townland:
Clogharevan

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
15/05/1981 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House - Terrace

Former Use
House - Terrace

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
266/1NE

IG Ref:
J0473 2854

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Two-and-a-half-storey three-bay stone-built mid-Victorian semi-detached dwelling having painted lined render walling with granite dressings, projecting porch, bay window and three half-dormers to front, built between 1861-66 to designs by an unknown architect. Rectangular plan form facing SE having a single storey back porch attached to rear. No. 4 is attached to the similar No.3 Lakeview (HB16/22/010C) to the NE and forms part of 'Lakeview' this being the collective name for two pairs of semi-detached dwellings, each pair with significant differences in detailing and all facing SE towards individual gardens and Bessbrook Lake, a former mill pond associated with Bessbrook Mill (HB16/22/039). Pitched natural slate roof with roll top black clay ridge tiles, three attic half-dormers to front and rectangular section painted smooth render chimneys to gables, both with nine buff clay pots; chimney to NE is shared with No.3. Flush eaves with dressed granite eaves course. Generally metal RWGs; ogee guttering discharging to circular section downpipes. Typically painted lined render walling with raised granite quoins and stone window cills; square-headed opes with 2/2 sliding timber sash windows with horns. Principal elevation Front elevation is near symmetrical and faces SE. It consists of a two-and-a-half-storey three-bay block with three equally spaced half-dormers to roof and a GF canted bay window to SW with continuous cill course. There is a single storey hipped roof side entry porch to centre bay; four panel painted timber door to NE wall of porch has brass furniture and opens onto a single granite step leading to paved area. 2/2 timber sash to SE wall and a 1/1 timber sash to SW wall. Similar 1/1 sash windows to each side of canted bay window. Attic level half-dormer windows are reduced height having plain painted timber bargeboards. FF windows have a continuous stone cill course. Dressed granite plinth course to elevation. Front elevation faces Bessbrook Lake and is fronted by a paved path with granite verge and a shared gravelled access road running from Prospect Place to the NE to the front elevation of No.4 at its SW end. Southwest elevation SW elevation consists of a two-and-a-half-storey block with a painted smooth render finish, quoins (some rendered), raised granite verges to gable and chimney to apex. Elevation is fronted by a patio area, raised above garden level, enclosed by red brick walling with stone-built plinth and a saw tooth corbel course. Two glazed painted timber patio doors, both with multiple glazed sections and semi-circular splayed fanlights, open onto patio. String course in painted render to FF and attic levels are in-line with cills of front elevation. High stone-built yard boundary walling extends to NW of dwelling having pitched slates to coping and a raised segmental arched door ope at SE opening onto 3 stone steps with painted sheeted timber door leading to enclosed rear yard (no access). Walling to NW has a monopitched roof outbuilding attached to its NE side (in yard) with glazed triangular arched window in boundary wall. A flight of granite steps at SE of patio area lead from front elevation to lower garden having decorative polychrome brickwork to NW side of steps with blind diamond detailing. Garden is orientated NW-SE running from SE site boundary, near Bessbrook Lake, up to a set of painted sheeted timber vehicular gates, with pedestrian door, opening onto Church Road at NW site boundary; square-section red and buff brick pillars with blind lancets and a dentilated corbel course to red brick caps. Gate posts have similar detailing to the adjacent foot gate of former Rent Office (HB16/22/005). New stone-built garage to NW of dwelling with painted sheeted timber door; garden to SE is set to lawn, with a gravel path, mature shrubs and trees and stone-built walling to SE and SW boundary. Northwest elevation Limited access to rear NW facing elevation but, where visible, consists of a symmetrical two-and-a-half-storey three-bay block with four skylights to attic level and a single storey single bay hipped roof back porch to centre projecting into enclosed rear yard. Generally random-coursed rock-faced local Newry Granodiorite stone walling with stepped red brick dressings to jambs and square-headed gauged-brick window opes. Tall semi-circular headed window ope visible to centre of FF level has y-tracery. Elevation faces into an enclosed rear yard which backs onto outbuildings belonging to the former estate Rent Office also known as The Garage (HB16/22/005). Northeast elevation Building is attached on its NE to the similar No. 3 Lakeview (HB16/22/010C). Setting No. 4 is attached to the similar No.3 Lakeview (HB16/22/010C) to the NE and forms part of 'Lakeview' this being the collective name for two pairs of separate semi-detached dwellings. The earlier No.1 (HB16/22/010A) and the later No. 2 (HB16/22/010B) are similar in style but are two-storey dwellings with some significant differences in detailing. Each house shares access from Prospect Place to the NE; a gravelled road leads SW from a set of painted metal vehicular gates composed of vertical irons with pointed ball finials, hung on slim dressed granite pillars with pyramidal caps, and flanked by similar foot gates and railings with spearhead finials. Each dwelling faces SE towards their respective gardens, which are enclosed by stone walling at their SE extent and run down towards Bessbrook Lake, a former mill pond associated with Bessbrook Mill (HB16/22/039). Materials: Roof: Natural slate RWGs: Metal and cast iron Walling: Newry Granodiorite with some painted lined cement render Windows: Timber sash

Architects

Historical Information

No. 4 Lakeview, a two-and-a-half-storey three-bay mid-Victorian dwelling, was constructed between 1861 and 1866. The building was constructed at the same time as the adjoining nos 1 and 3 Lakeview (No. 2 was not added to the row until c. 1875) and formed part of the expansion and industrial development of Bessbrook, which had been undertaken by the Richardson family as early as the 1840s. The development of industry in the area dates from 1761 when the first woollen mill and bleach green were opened by a Mr. John Pollock. The site was simply known as ‘The Green’ but was renamed Bessbrook after Pollock’s wife Elizabeth (Bess) and the nearby Camlough River (Brook). The first edition Ordnance Survey map records that few buildings had been erected at Bessbrook by the 1830s. The only significant structures to be depicted upon that map were Mount Caulfield House (the residence of the Nicholson family – see HB16/22/024) and a number of thread manufactories and bleach mills. The village of Bessbrook was effectively founded in 1845 when John Grubb Richardson (1813-1891), a linen merchant from Lambeg, purchased one of the derelict mills at the site and began to build housing for his factory workers in the immediate vicinity. Richardson, in his own words, ‘had a great aversion to be responsible for a factory population in a large town, so on looking around, fixed upon a place near Newry … with water power and a thick population around, and in a country district where flax was cultivated in considerable quantities’ (Harrison, p. 50). Bessbrook was established as a ‘model village’ in a number of phases beginning with the laying out of Fountain Street in the 1840s. The architect of the majority of the housing in Bessbrook is not known, however Richardson’s layout of the village was influenced by the work of William Penn, an American Quaker who had been responsible for the planning and development of Philadelphia in the late-17th century. Richardson was also a member of the Religious Society of Friends and, according to Harrison, possessed a ‘typical Quaker mix of pragmatic and altruistic expectation to provide jobs and good working conditions for his employees.’ By providing his workers with good standards of living Richardson hoped to ensure good relationships between employers and those they employed. He therefore established the village as a social experiment where his workers could both live and work in contentment. Harrison states that Richardson’s philanthropic spirit led him to bring the poor, the unqualified and beggars from the surrounding countryside to work and live at Bessbrook, hoping that he could encourage them to improve themselves and excise old habits. Bessbrook is often referred to as a village without the ‘Three P’s’ due to Richardson’s stipulation that there would be no ‘Public House’ or ‘Pawn Shop’ in the settlement and therefore no need for ‘Police’ to be stationed there. In exchange for keeping the village free of alcohol Richardson provided recreational and educational facilities at the Institute (HB16/22/009), a number of well-stocked shops (located at nos 1-5 Charlemont Square East) and also had milk, tea and cocoa distributed to his mill workers. The strategy was effective as the majority of the population voted to preserve the ordinance in the 1870s and, to this day, there remains no public house at Bessbrook. Police were not stationed at the village until the turn of the 20th century (Harrison; Brett, p. 243). In 1863 Richardson became the sole owner of the Bessbrook Spinning Company following the purchase of his brother’s shares in the company. The local linen industry experienced a boom during the American Civil War (1861-65) as access to American cotton was cut off. Richardson took advantage of this opportunity by greatly enlarging his factory at Bessbrook whilst also increasing the size of his workforce. Lord Charlemont sold the remainder of the Camlough Estate to Richardson in 1865 and so by the mid-1860s Richardson was the main employer and the principal landowner at Bessbrook. Richardson had Charlemont Square laid out between 1862 and 1866 to accommodate the influx of new workers to the factory; between 1861 and 1871 the population of Bessbrook rose from 637 to 2,215 with the number of houses rising from 73 to 296 (Harrison, pp 100-101). Whereas the majority of housing constructed in the village during this period was built for Richardson’s factory workers, the four houses along Lakeview were occupied by members of Bessbrook’s professional classes as several of the recorded occupants were employed as linen merchants, doctors or as senior managers in Richardson’s mill. The architects of the row is not known with certainty. Brett suggests that John Hardy, a civil engineer who was appointed company architect in 1881, may have carried out some work in Bessbrook in the 1860s, although his role may have been limited to the expansion of the mill buildings (Brett, p. 243). No. 4 Lakeview was constructed between 1861 and 1866 as the building was not recorded on the second edition Ordnance Survey map (1861) or contemporary Griffith’s Valuation (1862). No. 4 Lakeview was first recorded in the Annual Revisions in 1866 (along with the adjoining No. 3). The valuer set the total rateable value of the house at £16 and noted that the site was initially leased by the Bessbrook Spinning Co. to a Mr. John Borbridge Doyle. A prominent local antiquarian and writer, Doyle was best known as the author of Lesser lights of scripture (1852) and Tours in Ulster: A handbook to the antiquities and scenery of the north of Ireland (1854). Doyle continued to reside at the house in Bessbrook until his death in 1882 after which time the dwelling passed through a number of occupants (PRONI Wills). At the turn of the 20th century No. 4 Lakeview was occupied by W. Malcolm Pim who was one of the Managing Directors in the Bessbrook Spinning Co. and remained at Lakeview until c. 1912. The contemporary Ordnance Survey Town Plan (1906) depicted the building along its current layout, however the map shows that the building originally possessed a glass conservatory to its west gable (now demolished). The next prominent occupant of the house was Samuel James Pink who was employed at Richardson’s mill as a flax buyer. The value of No. 4 Lakeview was increased to £33 under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57). Samuel J. Pink continued to reside at the address until his death in 1943 at which time the house was occupied by a Mr. George Newell (PRONI Wills). During the 20th century the mill at Bessbrook continued to expand gaining the Bessbrook Spinning Co. international fame. During the Second World War the mill workers were tasked with supplying cloth for uniforms. The Bessbrook Spinning Co. continued to retain ownership of housing in Bessbrook until the 1960s when the majority of its holdings in the village began to be sold off to private individuals and firms. The sale of property at Bessbrook was necessitated by the post-war downturn in the local textile market which foreshadowed the closure of the mill in 1972 (the building was subsequently occupied by the British Army – see HB16/22/039). No. 4 Lakeview was purchased outright from the Bessbrook Spinning Co. in 1970 by a Mr. R. Donald Poole. By the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of the house stood at £42. No. 4 Lakeview was listed in 1981 and was included in the Bessbrook Conservation Area which was designated in 1983 in recognition of Bessbrook’s ‘historical significance as a planned mill village and its distinct form and character.’ The Conservation Area Guide notes that the carefully planned development of Bessbrook, including the uniform terraces at Charlemont Square and College Square, influenced the design of the famous English model villages at Saltaire (1852), Port Sunlight (1888) and Bourneville (developed by the Cadbury family in 1895) ‘which have directly influenced town and country planning all over the world’ (Bessbrook Conservation Area Guide). The NIEA HB Records note that No. 4 Lakeview underwent an extensive restoration in 1999 which included the reslating of its roof in natural slate, the installation of new rainwater goods throughout and the replacement of all window frames (NIEA HB Records). References Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/2/26/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1834-35) 2. PRONI OS/6/2/26/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1861) 3. PRONI OS/6/2/26/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1906) 4. PRONI OS/8/31/3 – Ordnance Survey Town Plan (1906) 5. PRONI VAL/2/B/2/37D – Griffith’s Valuation (1862) 6. PRONI VAL/12/B/15/6A-6J – Annual Revisions (1866-1929) 7. PRONI VAL/12/B/15/5A – Annual Revisions (1924-29) 8. PRONI VAL/3/C/2/12 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) 9. PRONI VAL/4/B/2/20 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72) 10. George Bassett: The Book of County Armagh (1888) 11. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1918) 12. PRONI Wills Catalogue (19 Apr 1882; 2 Jun 1943) 13. Census of Ireland (1901: 1911) 14. First Survey Record – HB16/22/010 15. NIEA HB Record – HB16/22/010D Secondary Sources 1. ‘Bessbrook: A record of industry in a Northern Ireland village community and of a social experiment, 1845-1945’ Belfast: Nicholson & Bass Ltd., 1945. 2. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of County Armagh’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1999. 3. Harrison, R., ‘The Richardson’s of Bessbrook: Ulster Quakers in the linen industry (1845-1921)’ Dublin: Original Writing Ltd., 2008. 4. ‘Bessbrook Conservation Area Guide’ Belfast: Department of the Environment (N. I.), 1983. Online Resources 1. Dictionary of Ulster Biography - http://www. ulsterbiography.co.uk/

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity U. Historic Associations T. Historic Importance X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Two-and-a-half-storey three-bay stone-built Victorian semi-detached dwelling with painted lined render walling and granite dressings, built between 1861-66 to designs by an unknown architect. Rectangular plan form facing SE towards Bessbrook Lake No. 4 has a projecting side-entry front porch, bay window and three half-dormers, as well as a single storey porch to enclosed rear yard. The building has well designed proportions and detailing and retains it's outbuildings and boundary walling which contribute to its setting. The houses are of significant historical and social interest as part of the early planned mill village of Bessbrook, begun in the 1840s by the prominent linen merchant John Grubb Richardson (1813-1891) from Lambeg and contemporary to the other English model villages of Port Sunlight (1888) and Bourneville (1895), which latterly went on to contribute to 'town and country planning all over the world'. As part of a terrace of 4 no. houses, the building forms an important group with the former shop and Quaker meeting house (HB16/22/007) and no. 8 Church Road (HB16/22/005), in the centre of the village. No. 4 is similar in style to the attached No.3 (HB16/22/010C) and is of significant interest as an example of a middling size house, typically built for Mill Managers and the professional classes in the village.

General Comments

Date of Survey

26 March 2015