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Heritage at Risk(v1.0)
Brookfield Flax Spinning Mill, Crumlin Road, Belfast
C Maguire 30/03/2018 00:00:00

HB Ref No:

Address
Brookfield Flax Spinning Mill, Crumlin Road, Belfast

Townland:
Town Parks

Status:
Safe

Listing Grade:
Not_Listed


HARNI Number:
HARNI 26/43/008

Conservation Area:

Condition:
Fair

Industrial Archeology:

Occupancy:
Vacant

Vernacular:

Degree of Risk:
Moderate

Thatched:

Availability:
Unavailable

Monument:

Current Building Use:

Derelict:


Description

*Note, this building is now safe* A robust 4 storey stone built mill with brick window dressings the mill was established in 1851 during the linen industry boom in the North of Ireland. Brookfield was one of the three great linen mills in Belfast supporting many workers with over 1400 looms and 35000 spindles. Bardon notes in 'Belfast an illustrated history' p262 that "by 1951 Belfast newspapers printed photographs of the York Street mill rising from the ground which had been bombed ten years before; the rebuilding reflecting the confidence of the industry that linen had a great future in the city as prices soared to their 1921 levels at the onset of the Korean War. Then came a sudden collapse, and employment fell by 50% between July 1951 and July 1952. Two great linen mills in Belfast - York Street and Brookfield closed down altogether, and the third - Ewarts - survived only by greatly reducing output. Brookfield still stands as a major urban mill on the Crumlin Road with an extensive complex of mill buildings, albeit unlisted. The mill was reported to be a subject of a redevelopment scheme back in 2013 for 40 two bed social housing apartments, however to date this has not come into fruition. Reported to be fire damaged, the building is now vacant and vulnerable. Works began to transform the building into accomodation in 2021. Works were complete by 2023 and the building is now safe. Refs: Bardon, J. 1982 Belfast an illustrated history, The Blackstaff Press Limited, p262.