Cogry Mill, 82 Cogry Road, Cogry, Doagh, BT39 0PU

Cogry Mill, Cogry Road, Doagh

Cogry Mill is an extensive complex of masonry and brick buildings associated with flax spinning, dating from the late 19th century through to the mid 20th century, with origins on this site reaching back to 1845. The buildings rise to as many as four storeys and are constructed predominantly in basalt rubble, brick, and related materials. The complex is considered a good mid-19th century example of its type, notable for the quality of its construction — basalt walling with rhyolite and yellow and red brick embellishments — and for surviving largely intact as a flax mill complex, which is now unusual in Ireland, particularly outside major urban centres. Among the complex's historical distinctions, it is said to have been one of the first mills in Ireland to use electric lighting, and is claimed to have been the second such mill in the British Isles to do so. A purpose-built cinema erected within the complex in 1919 adds further interest to the site. To the south-west stands Cogry Cottage, formerly the mill foreman's (originally recorded as Superintendent's) house. On the opposite, western side of the Doagh River is the mill owner's house. Ten individual buildings have been identified within the complex, described below.

Historical Background

A wall plaque in the former engine room records the mill's foundation in 1845. The Coggrey Flax Spinning Mill is depicted on the 1857 Ordnance Survey map along with a mill race. By 1859, the premises — comprising a house, offices, and flax spinning mill — belonged to William Moone and carried a rateable valuation of £213. At that date the mill buildings were one, two and three storeys high, powered by a 30-foot-diameter by 9-foot-wide waterwheel rotating at three revolutions per minute. The accompanying valuation sketch map shows two chimneys and a gas holder, one chimney likely associated with a boiler and steam engine. Around 1860, a water turbine manufactured by the Belfast firm McAdam was installed, supplied by a long cast-iron penstock running across the road.

Samuel Broadbent took over operations around 1871. In 1879 the mill was acquired by William McMeekin and William Cummins; McMeekin also ran the Roughtfort Bleaching and Dyeing Company at the time. The partners' names appear in valuation books until 1886, after which the premises are recorded under the Coggrey Flax Spinning Company. In 1891, a new engine house was built to accommodate a 550 horsepower triple-expansion horizontal steam engine manufactured by Messrs Daniel Adamson of Dukinfield, near Manchester, coupled to an 18-foot-diameter rope drive. Two Lancashire boilers were installed at the same time. An octagonal brick chimney shown on the north side of the main road on the 1902 and 1921 Ordnance Survey maps probably also dates from the 1890s; it had been truncated by the 1970s and its site is now occupied by new houses.

The installation of the new engine coincided with, and was necessitated by, a complete rebuilding and enlargement of the original spinning mill. The present mill is larger in plan and taller (four storeys) than the buildings recorded in 1859, and field evidence indicates it is entirely of late 19th century construction. A report of 1890 (published 1891) noted that electric lighting was in use throughout the premises and remarked on McMeekin's repeated introduction of the latest plant and machinery, noting that the mill's resources had doubled in ten years.

A cinema was established within the complex in the 1910s. A purpose-built cinema building was erected in 1919, used by both mill workers and the public until its closure in 1932. By the time of the 1921 valuation the mill had 12,000 to 13,000 spindles and was powered by both the steam engine and a water turbine of approximately 60 horsepower, probably the original McAdam machine. Although the mill specialised in wet spinning using cold rather than hot water, it also diversified into synthetic materials during the 1930s. A fire in 1944 forced closure for nine months; repairs to the roofs of the mill, engine house and adjoining buildings were not completed until 1948, and several substantial additional buildings were erected during this period of reconstruction. The mill ceased spinning in 1957, was apparently used for agricultural purposes thereafter, and was purchased by the Ulster Engineering Company in 1974. The site continues to be occupied under the name Ulster Shredders. Since spinning ceased, a number of minor yard buildings have been demolished.

The juxtaposition of the spinning mill and engine house is functionally significant: the machinery in the mill was rope-driven by the engine in the engine house. The fireproof jack arching within the mill is also of note. Toilet and lift shaft additions reflect later improvements to working conditions.

Building 1 — Spinning Mill

The principal spinning mill is a double-pile, 13-bay, four-storey masonry building aligned east–west along the main road at the north-east corner of the site. Although spinning was established here in 1846, this building is a late 19th century replacement; no trace of the original mill survives. The original staircase is on the east gable. Brick toilet stacks and a lift shaft were added in the early 20th century on the south and west elevations respectively. The ground floor is currently used as an engineering workshop; the upper floors are disused.

The roof is a double-pile hipped natural slate covering with skylights to the inner slopes and circular ridge vents; this is a mid-1940s replacement of the original roof. Rainwater is collected by ogee cast-iron gutters. The walls are of random rubble basalt, brought to courses, with dressed rhyolite quoins and advanced moulded yellow brick eaves. All openings except the stairwell on the east gable have flat heads trimmed in brick, and all windows have stone sills.

The south elevation is 13 openings wide. Brick toilet stacks rise to eaves level between the 2nd and 3rd bays and between the 6th and 7th bays, accessed via balconies from adjoining window openings that have been partly converted to doorways. Original openings have been enlarged with steel heads inserted for double-leaf doors at ground floor centre and first floor left. The windows throughout are 6-over-6-pane cast-iron framed casements.

The east gable of the south pile is abutted by a stairwell, detailed to match the south elevation but with segmental-headed, brick-trimmed openings containing 2-over-2-pane timber windows with stone sills. An overlit double-leaf timber entrance door is on the north elevation of the stairwell. The stairwell roof has been replaced with concrete — probably at the same time as the main roof replacement — and has been raised to accommodate an internal metal staircase giving access to the roof. A decorative wrought metal railing surrounds the balcony and a weathervane is fitted.

The north elevation is partly abutted at its right end by the engine house (Building 2) and is otherwise detailed as the south elevation, but without the toilet stacks and doors. The west gable is abutted on both piles by a five-storey brick tower. The bulk of this tower may date from the early 20th century, but its southern half has been raised to house an electric lift motor, probably in the mid-1940s. This section has a flat concrete roof with a wrought metal railing around it, accessed by a vertical steel ladder fixed to the outside of the wall. On top of the four-storey northern section sits an open metal water tank, probably formerly serving the boilers. The west elevation of the tower has 2-over-5-pane metal-framed casement windows with concrete sills.

Building 2 — Engine House

A single-bay, single-storey brick building fronting the main road at the north-west corner of the spinning mill. It was erected in 1891 to house the 550 horsepower triple-expansion steam engine and is now used as a mess room by the factory employees. The engine house is considered a good example of its type, and despite being refurbished in the 1940s, retains an interior of some note in terms of its surface finishes.

The current felted flat concrete roof is a mid-1940s replacement of the original roof. A raised brick parapet with concrete copings runs above advanced brick eaves. An ogee uPVC gutter runs along the outside base of the parapet, issuing to cast-iron downpipes. The north gable has a raised, similarly detailed verge, but this section is of older red brick and is undoubtedly the apex of the original pitched glazed natural slate roof recorded in the 1921 valuation.

The walls are of red brick with an advanced base course and corbelled eaves. The openings are set within slightly advanced panels and linked by a broad moulded brick string course at head level. In the upper part of the middle panel of the north gable is a sandstone datestone reading '1891'. The east elevation is five openings wide, all with segmental heads and sandstone keystones. The third opening from the left contains a partly glazed double-leaf timber door with a 3-over-8-pane casement overlight. The four remaining openings on this elevation contain 3-over-12-pane metal-framed windows, all with sandstone sills. The north gable has two openings, both infilled doorways with 4-over-5-pane metal-framed overlights.

Building 3 — Boiler House/Mechanics' Shop Range

A double-pile, two-storey brick building aligned north–south along the main road, situated between Buildings 2 and 4. This building dates from the mid-1940s and replaced two late 19th century rubble stone buildings: a boiler house with a drying loft above (adjacent to the engine house), and a mechanics' shop with a yarn store above.

The roof is pitched corrugated asbestos with skylights. A brick parapet runs to the eaves and the raised verges to both gables are coped with concrete. Rainwater goods are asbestos-cement downpipes. The walls are of red brick. All openings have flat concrete heads and the windows have concrete cills. Only the north gable is visible, the other elevations being abutted by adjoining buildings. There is an overlit door at the left end of the west pile. The windows are mainly 3-over-5-pane metal-framed casements to both floors; the ground-floor windows have metal security grilles.

Building 4 — Single-Storey Masonry Building (north-west area)

A single-bay, single-storey masonry building aligned north–south towards the north-west corner of the premises. The 1859 valuation records a three-storey mill building at this location, which had been replaced by the present building by 1902; it is also recorded in the 1921 valuation.

The roof is pitched natural slate with skylights to its east slope, and half-round plastic gutters. The walls are of squared random rubble brought to courses, although the north end is of undressed rubble and may be part of the previous building. Only the north gable and west elevations are visible, the remaining elevations being abutted. The west elevation is six openings long: a timber-sheeted door with skylight in a square-headed brick-trimmed opening at the north end, with the remaining openings having segmental heads trimmed with brick and containing 4-over-4-pane metal-framed casement windows. The north gable has two multi-paned windows.

Building 5 — Two-Storey Brick Building (south end)

A double-pile, two-bay, two-storey brick building aligned north–south at the south end of Building 4. It was erected in 1946 but incorporates a late 19th century masonry building on the ground floor of its north bay. The roofs are pitched slate with skylights. Gutters are missing. The walls are of red brick except for random rubble stonework on the west elevation of the north bay. A concrete ring beam runs between ground and first floors.

Openings have square heads with concrete heads, except where noted. All windows are metal-framed casements. The east elevation has a large roller shutter door at the right end of the ground floor and a loading door at first-floor left. Two multi-paned windows on the ground floor are set into the stonework within segmental-headed brick openings. Three 3-over-8-pane windows with concrete sills are on the first floor. The south gable has four 3-over-10-pane windows on the ground floor, with a doorway and small window above at the right. Five 3-over-5-pane windows are on the first floor. The date '1946' is cast into the right-hand end of the ring beam. The north gable has a single 3-over-5-pane window. Rainwater goods are asbestos-cement downpipes.

Building 6 — Eight-Bay Spinning Room/Workshop

An eight-bay, single-storey masonry building with roofs aligned east–west, at the south-west end of the main mill. A smaller building is shown on the 1859 valuation at this location; the present building is shown on the 1902 Ordnance Survey map and is probably a late 19th century replacement. It is described as a spinning room in the 1921 valuation and is now used as an engineering workshop.

Each bay has a pitched artificial slate roof with corrugated plastic skylights. The two bays at the north end appear to have been truncated to accommodate the brick extension to the west end of the main mill. The roof of the south bay has been replaced with corrugated metal. Rainwater goods are plastic downpipes. The walls are a mixture of random and squared rubble brought to courses. All openings have square heads. The east elevation has several doorways including a large modern roller-shuttered door; the windows are 6-over-3-pane metal-framed casements with cement-rendered architraves and concrete sills. The west elevation has a roller shutter door and brick-trimmed openings containing 2-over-3-pane metal-framed windows.

Building 7 — Former Cinema

A detached, single-bay, single-storey masonry building aligned north–south along the left bank of the Doagh River at the north-west corner of the premises. A small accountant's office was recorded here in the 1859 valuation, but the present building is considerably larger and dates from 1919, first appearing on the 1921 Ordnance Survey map. The 1921 valuation describes it as a cinema, recently erected. It closed in 1932 and is now derelict.

The roof is hipped natural slate with ogee cast-iron rainwater goods. The walls are of random rubble basalt brought to courses, embellished with dressed rhyolite quoins and advanced moulded brick eaves. All openings except one have square heads trimmed with brick. The east elevation has three door openings (one with a segmental head) and four 3-over-5-pane top-opening timber windows, all with concrete sills. Both gables are blank. The west elevation, facing the river, has four similarly detailed window openings, all now without frames.

Building 8 — Former Stables (ruinous)

A single-bay, single-storey masonry building aligned east–west, spanning the Doagh River along the west side of the premises immediately north of Cogry Cottage. The 1859 valuation describes it as a single-storey-plus-attic stables, a function repeated in the 1921 valuation. The building is now in a ruinous condition, with only the north, west and south walls surviving, all of random rubble construction but truncated in height. The building is carried over the river on two rubble masonry segmental arches. A square-headed window opening on the south elevation is trimmed with brick, possibly a later insertion. A similar but infilled window opening exists on the north elevation. The roof, windows and rainwater goods are all missing.

Building 9 — Yarn Store

A detached, later 19th century, single-storey masonry building of sub-rectangular plan, aligned east–west along the south side of the premises with its principal elevation facing north. Cited in the 1921 valuation as a yarn store.

The roof is hipped natural slate with blue clay ridge tiles and ogee uPVC gutters. The principal north façade is of squared basalt rubble brought to courses; the remaining walls are of random basalt rubble, all with dressed basalt quoins, and a brick eaves course. The north elevation is five openings wide and symmetrical. The central entrance has a semi-elliptical arch with a replacement uPVC door, sidelight and overlight, and cement-rendered architraves. Flanking each side are two square-headed openings with multi-paned metal casement windows, cement-rendered architraves and replacement concrete sills. The east elevation is blank. The south elevation is five windows wide and cants inwards at its right-hand end; the windows are detailed as on the north elevation. The west elevation is blank.

The stonework is of variable quality, with the upper portion of the wall exhibiting a greater degree of dressing, suggesting that an earlier wall may have been incorporated into the structure.

Building 10 — Former Store, now Offices

A detached, single-storey masonry building of sub-rectangular plan at the south-east corner of the premises. Erected between 1902 and 1921 and cited as a store in the 1921 valuation, it has since been refurbished as offices for Ulster Shredders.

The roof is hipped artificial slate with ogee uPVC gutters. The walls are of random rubble basalt with dressed rhyolite quoins and brick eaves. The west elevation has a central segmental-headed doorway trimmed in red brick, containing a timber vertically-sheeted door with a picket door inset. The north and east elevations are blank. The south elevation has been cement rendered, with a small entrance door at the right end. There are no windows.