Andrew's Spinning Mill, 1 Ballygowan Road, Comber, Co Down

Andrews' Spinning Mill, 1 Ballygowan Road, Comber, County Down

Andrews' flax spinning mill is a large, largely intact industrial complex built in several stages between 1863 and 1925, with some minor later additions. It sits to the north of the Ballygowan Road where it meets Brae Side, just over a quarter of a mile south-west of Comber town centre. The complex was designed in its earliest phase by James Combe & Co of the Falls Foundry, Belfast. The range of buildings runs from single to five storeys, constructed mainly in dressed rectangular sandstone blocks with pale yellow brick surrounds to openings. Despite the substantial span of time over which the complex grew, it displays a remarkable architectural consistency throughout. Large-scale production at the mill ceased in 1988 and the complex closed permanently in 1996–97. Most of the machinery was removed in 1998 and 1999.

The description below is based on a comprehensive survey of the whole site carried out by Dr Fred Hamond in June 1997 and February 1998, with additions by subsequent writers. Each main section of the complex has a reference corresponding to a plan produced by Dr Hamond to accompany his survey. Unless otherwise stated, all walls are of dressed rectangular sandstone blocks laid randomly, and all windows are timber framed.

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HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

The mill was founded by John Andrews and his three sons — James, John and Thomas — who began construction in January 1863. Plans were apparently drawn up by James Combe & Co of the Falls Foundry, Belfast, who in May 1863 estimated that the cost of such a mill in the Belfast district, on suitable foundations, of 18 by 22 bays, would be approximately £450 per bay — around £9,000 for 20 bays. This figure covered foundations, an ashlar plinth, walls, columns, beams, flooring (with no cross gutters in the spinning room), and a roof with skylights for the attic. The building was to be 51 feet wide overall, with a first floor of 14 feet, second floor of 13 feet, third floor of 12 feet 6 inches, and an attic for reeling at 4 feet to the eaves windows. James Combe & Co also supplied the preparing and spinning machinery; the boiler and engine were manufactured by Victor Coates of the Lagan Foundry, Belfast. Much of the construction was supervised by Thomas Andrews, then only 20 years old, who reported in January 1864 that he had installed the arched floors, completed the boiler house, engaged a production manager at a high salary, and was anxious to commence hackling in March. Spinning itself began in June 1864.

The historical development of the mill is greatly assisted by the fact that many of its buildings carry datestones recording not only when new buildings were erected but also when new floors were added to existing ones. Five principal phases of development can be identified.

Phase 1 (early 1860s): The 15 bays of the four-storey spinning mill (Block C, Unit C4) belong to this first phase, as does probably the rope drive block. The office (Block B, Unit B5) and the ground floor of the adjoining block (B4) probably also date from this time, along with the stores, the entrance and the gatehouse.

Phase 2 (1875–77): The boiler house block (C1) at the north end of the spinning mill was erected in 1875, and the preparing mill (D1) the following year. In 1877 a school was erected on the first floor of block B4, with the block extended eastwards at the same time.

Phase 3 (1899–1908): A new engine house (C2) was erected in 1899, the same year as the steam-pressure gauges now in the billiards room — suggesting the engine was supplied by Combe, Barbour & Combe. According to W.A. McCutcheon, this was a compound marine-type engine (not horizontal) and was removed in the 1950s. The chimney (C1.4) and the entrance porch at the north-east end of the spinning mill (C4.2) were probably also erected at this time. In 1901 the ground floor of the east mill (B2) was built. In 1907 the four-storey mill was extended southwards by three bays, and in 1908 a return was added to the north side of block B4. These additions are reflected in increased valuations: from £480 to £545 in 1902, and to £585 in 1908.

Phase 4 (1915–25): In 1915 an engine house, rope drive and toilet block were added to the north gable of the east mill (B1), and a second floor was added to that mill at the same time. In 1920 a one-storey spinning and winding block (F1) and associated buildings (F2) were erected at the north-west corner of the site. Also in 1920, the 1875 preparing mill was augmented by a lift tower and a second toilet block. In 1925 a further one-storey carding unit (D3) was added parallel to and west of the 1875 mill. Valuations again reflect these changes: rising from £585 to £785 in 1917, £756 in 1919, and £800 in 1925.

Phase 5 (mid-to-late 20th century): Toilet blocks were added around the mid-20th century. Further additions, probably after 1960, include the modern shed (B3), infill blocks C6 and C7, a toilet (F1.4), and dispatch units F3 and F4. These later buildings are in stark contrast in style and materials to the earlier fabric.

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BLOCK A

Block A stands at the north-east corner of the site. It is a single-storey building, five windows long, now used as a store. It has a hipped natural slate roof. The walls are coarsely dressed sandstone brought to mortared courses, with plain projecting ashlar eaves. Rainwater goods are missing. The west gable has a large sliding wooden door. Along the south wall there is a beaded tongue-and-groove door with a six-pane transom light above. The window openings have sandstone heads and cills. Along the north wall the windows are eight-over-eight sliding sashes; the openings along the south wall are infilled.

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BLOCK B

Block B runs along the east side of the complex and comprises five principal units (B1–B5), the most notable being the engine house (B1), preparing mill (B2), and office (B5).

Unit B1 — Engine House

This is a single-storey, single-bay building at the north-west corner of the spinning mill, erected in 1915 — the date appears above its porch — the same year a first floor was added to the mill. It has a flat concrete roof over metal beams. There was formerly a water tank on the roof, now removed. The sandstone blockwork is uncoursed and laid in cement, with finely dressed pecked faces. In the middle of the south wall is a porch (B1.2) of similar roof, walls and eaves construction, with the addition of a blocking course above the cornice and smooth ashlar quoins. The door opening has ashlar jambs and stepped ashlar voussoirs, and contains a pair of partly glazed timber doors with a semicircular transom above. All window openings have semicircular heads, chamfered and stepped (in-and-out) yellow-brick jambs, and ashlar sandstone cills. The windows have spoked heads, margined panes and bottom-hinged top openers. There is a three-paned window to each cheek of the porch and a larger four-paned window on the main wall to either side of it. There are two identical four-pane windows along both sides of the main block. At the rear are two similar windows with a double-leaf door between them.

The rope drive from the engine is housed in a flat-roofed bay (B1.3) added to the north gable of the mill at the same time as the engine house, and of identical wall construction. There are two tall flat-headed windows to each floor along its north-facing rear wall, all with one-over-four panes and ashlar sandstone cills.

At the east end of the rope drive bay is a two-storey toilet block (B1.4), built at the same time as the rope drive and of identical construction. It is accessible from both floors of the rope drive bay and the mill, and has small windows on its north and east walls at both floor levels.

Unit B2 — Preparing Mill

This block, used for preparing flax for spinning, was built in two stages. It was initially a single-storey building erected in 1901, as recorded on a stone on the porch on its west wall. A second floor was added in 1915, as recorded by a datestone above the same porch. It was at this point that a stairway was added to the south gable, increasing the building's length to 21 bays. The roof is flat, of felted reinforced concrete, with cast-iron downpipes on the east wall.

The ground floor walls have roughly dressed faces with sandstone blocks brought to cemented courses. The upper floor blockwork has more finely dressed surfaces and is laid irregularly. All window openings to both floors have almost-flat yellow-brick heads and stepped jambs. The ground floor window cills are of concrete, while those to the first floor are of ashlar sandstone. All windows are one-over-four pane top-opening, except the ground floor window to the west wall of the stairwell, which is a two-pane margined fixed light.

A single-storey porch (B2.2) abuts the middle of the west wall. It has a flat concrete roof with a dentilled yellow-brick cornice. Its walls and opening trims match the ground floor of the mill, with chamfered edges to the quoins. Its west face has a painted tongue-and-groove door with a two-pane transom above, and a one-over-four top-hung window to each cheek.

Access to both floors is also possible from a stairwell occupying the southernmost bay (B2.3), which also contains an electric lift and stairs connecting to the office block. The fact that the walls here match the upper floor of the mill, and that the south gable of the mill proper has blocked-up windows, confirms that both floors of this bay are later additions. The stonework also clearly reveals this.

Two small cement-rendered toilet blocks (B2.4 and B2.5) are attached to the east wall. The northern stack is single-storey and probably contemporary with the 1901 building; the southern one is two storeys and was probably added in 1915.

A small single-storey block (B2.6) abuts the east wall immediately north of the northern toilet stack. It has a monopitched slate roof with two skylights to its sarked ceiling. The walls are painted and plastered internally and the floor is tiled. There is a one-over-four top-opening window to each cheek.

Unit B3

Immediately east of the preparing mill is a large modern single-storey shed, now used as a workshop but originally built as a hackling room. Its pitched roof has parapeted verges and is covered with profiled metal sheeting, with a vertical break on the east-facing pitch to accommodate a row of windows. Aluminium rainwater goods are fitted. The walls are of brick with recessed panels dressed with rusticated cream brick. The east wall forms part of the site boundary. The south gable has a roller-shuttered door with a decorative brick roundel above. A short linking passage on the west wall connects through to the preparing department. The north gable has three four-pane modern plastic windows.

Unit B4

This L-shaped block abuts the east end of the south wall of B2. It is two storeys high and contains offices and recreational facilities. At first floor level it is six windows wide along its south wall, which fronts the street, and seven windows wide along its east wall, which forms part of the eastern site boundary. It appears to incorporate three phases of construction.

The first phase (B4.1) was a single-storey block of roughly square plan along the street frontage, with walls of sandstone blockwork brought to courses. There is a doorway at the west end of the south wall and a single two-over-two sliding sash window. The north wall has a large ten-over-ten sash window. Both windows have sandstone heads, jambs and cills. The west elevation has three windows, one of which is a two-over-two sliding sash.

The building was subsequently raised by a floor and extended eastwards by a two-storey canted bay (B4.2). The upper floor was built specifically as a mill school. It was accessed via a yard from the street through a doorway in the boundary wall just to the right of the gatehouse. This opening has ashlar sandstone jambs and head with stop-end chamfering, a moulded cornice and a blocking course. The lintel is inscribed "Comber Spinning Mill National School" and the blocking course carries the date "1877", now largely obscured by vegetation. The opening contains a painted tongue-and-groove door, now disused. Although there is no obvious break between the two floors, the upper floor blockwork is smaller, more finely dressed and laid in regular courses, and there is a moulded sandstone cornice. The roof of this two-storey building is hipped at its west end and has natural slates and ogee-profile cast-iron gutters. A yellow-brick chimney rises through the canted corner at the east end. At ground floor level on the canted corner there is a door with an ashlar sandstone surround, moulded cornice and horizontal drip mould, containing a painted tongue-and-groove door with a two-pane transom above. The six first-floor window openings along the south wall — two of which are in the cant — have cream-brick heads and jambs and concrete cills, as do the two windows to east and west. All contain metal-framed one-over-four top-opening windows.

The third phase of construction (B4.3) was a two-storey return added to the east end of the north wall of the existing block, with the date "1908" inscribed above the doorway on its north gable. There is a clear wall break along the east wall between the second and third window openings from the south. The sandstone blockwork of this addition is dressed to a higher standard and laid randomly in cement. Its roof, a continuation of that on B4.2, is pitched at its north end with ogee-profile cast-iron gutters. All openings on this return have yellow-brick heads, chamfered and stepped yellow-brick jambs, and sandstone window cills. Along the east wall, both floors have one-over-four top-opening windows. The north gable has a four-panel painted timber door at centre with a three-pane transom, flanked by one-over-one sliding sash windows, and two further small one-over-one sashes at first floor. The west wall has two doors identical to that on the gable, three six-over-six sashes at ground floor, and three one-over-four windows at first floor.

A small toilet block (B4.4) sits at first floor level across the gap between B4.3 and B2.3. It has a reinforced concrete floor and roof with brick walls. Its three sets of metal-framed windows to the north share a continuous concrete head with separate concrete cills. All internal walls are rendered and painted.

Internally, the ground floor of B4.1 contains a kitchen, toilets and a large billiards room, which still retains its table and canopy light. Mounted on the wall is a set of polished brass engine steam-pressure gauges by Combe, Barbour and Combe, dated 1899. The ground floor of B4.2 contains the accountant's room; the upper floor has a workshop, kitchen and landing through to the stairwell of the preparing mill. The ground floor of B4.3 contains the boardroom, tea room and toilets; the upper floor has a canteen and toilets.

Unit B5 — Administration Office

This building abuts the west end of the south wall of the preparing mill stairwell. It is single storey, and its principal south-facing elevation is three bays wide. It has a pyramidal natural slate roof with two skylights to the south, surmounted by a cream-brick chimney with a moulded sandstone cap. The sandstone blockwork is brought to courses, with a deeply moulded sandstone cornice that incorporates rainwater gutters (with a cast-iron downpipe on the east wall). All openings have cream-brick heads, stepped jambs and sandstone cills. At the centre of the south wall is the principal entrance, reached by three finely dressed sandstone steps. The door is painted timber with four fielded panels and a two-pane transom light above. There are two windows to the south, four to the west, one to the north and four to the east, the majority of which are two-over-two sliding sashes.

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BLOCK C

Block C stands at the centre of the complex and incorporates seven units (C1–C7), the most notable being the boiler house and chimney (C1), engine house (C2) and spinning mill (C4).

Unit C1 — Boiler House

This is a two-storey-plus-attic building, ten bays long, at the north end of the block. The date 1876 is inscribed on its north gable below the cill of the top window. It has a natural slate gabled roof with upstanding gabled ridge lights. The walls are of coarsely dressed blocks brought to courses, with a deep moulded sandstone cornice, and are finished to a slightly lower standard than the adjoining spinning mill. The east wall at ground floor level is arcaded by seven semicircular-headed openings, all with purple-brick dressings; the three at the north are partially infilled. At the north end of this wall is a wider vehicle opening with a horizontal metal girder head supported by a column at the centre. Goods wagons were once brought through this room on a siding from the Belfast to Downpatrick railway. Above and in line with the ground floor openings are nine tall semicircular-headed openings extending up to eaves level, with cream-brick trim and sandstone cills. Seven have louvered ventilators; the two at the north end are fenestrated with pairs of multi-paned timber lancet lights, each with a pair of opening panes. There are ten similar windows along the west wall at first floor level, with a vehicle entrance at ground floor level on the left of this elevation. The north gable has three flat-headed one-over-four windows at ground floor, three semicircular-headed windows in line above, and a similar window in the apex.

Abutting the west wall of unit C1.2 is a duct leading to the chimney (C1.4). The chimney is of red brick, octagonal in cross-section, and tapers to a corbelled top. It is strengthened by iron bands and has a lightning conductor running down one side.

Unit C2 — Engine House

Situated at the south end of the east wall of unit C1, this two-storey building rises to the level of the bottom three floors of the spinning mill (C4). It was erected in 1899, the date inscribed on its east wall above the entrance porch. The roof (C2.1) is flat, of reinforced concrete decked with plasticised sheeting. The walls are coarsely dressed sandstone blocks laid randomly, with a moulded sandstone cornice and blocking course above. At first floor level on the east wall are three rectangular recessed panels edged with yellow brick, the middle one bearing the 1899 date. All window openings have yellow-brick heads, stepped jambs and sandstone cills.

To the left and right of the entrance porch, which abuts the middle of the east wall, is a tall semicircular-headed opening containing a three-by-four paned spoked-headed window; between the inner and outer panes are narrow strips of stained glass. An identical but taller window is on the south gable, and an infilled one on the north gable. At first floor are three flat-headed one-over-four top-opening windows, with two identical windows on each gable.

The porch (C2.2) has a flat concrete roof around three sides of which is a cement-rendered parapet with projecting corners and coping. Its walls, cornice and opening trims are identical to the rest of the engine house, with the addition of finely dressed and chamfered quoins. There is an entrance on each cheek, both with four-panel painted timber doors and semicircular transom lights above. The east wall has a three-over-six spoked-headed sash window.

Abutting the north wall of the engine house is a small single-storey block (C2.3) of identical roof and wall construction to the porch, but with a dentilled yellow-brick eaves course. Its north wall has a set of double doors, and its east cheek a three-pane window with stained glass margins; the west cheek is blank. A tall metal chimney flue emerges through the roof. This room formerly connected to the engine house proper through a door at the base of the window opening in the party wall, which is now infilled.

Unit C3 — Rope Drive

Between the boiler house and spinning mill is a three-storey, two-bay flat-roofed building. It appears to be contemporary with the adjoining mill, being identical in construction with no wall break between them.

Unit C4 — Preparing and Spinning Mill

This is the principal mill building: a four-storey-plus-attic block, 18 bays wide, at the south end of Block C. The date "1863" is inscribed at first floor level on the tenth bay from the left on the east wall. The pitched roof has natural slates and ogee cast-iron rainwater gutters with downpipes to both sides. The sandstone blockwork is coarsely dressed and laid randomly, with a moulded sandstone cornice; the joints have been repointed with cement mortar. The south gable, which is three windows wide, has a flat parapet across its apex and is surmounted by a belfry (now without its bell) and a metal weathervane. There is a semicircular-headed attic light in the apex.

The majority of window openings have cream-brick heads and stepped jambs, and sandstone cills, with metal-framed one-over-four top-opening windows.

The three southernmost bays differ from the remaining fifteen: the wall facings are more finely dressed, all window openings are trimmed with yellow brick, and the internal columns are larger, supporting bigger steel joists between the brick jack arches. A datestone of 1907 below the second floor window on the south gable confirms this as a later extension; it has been so well integrated that no trace of the original south gable remains.

At ground floor between bays 2 and 3 on the outside face of the east wall is a cast bronze plaque commemorating employees who died in the First World War.

A single-storey entrance porch (C4.2) is located at the north end of the east wall, with a flat roof, yellow-brick trimmings and a dentilled brick eaves course. Its style and position relative to the engine house suggests a construction date of around 1899. A four-panel painted timber door in the first bay of this wall gives access to the stairwell and electric lift (C4.3), both door openings having yellow-brick dressings.

Unit C5

This unit abuts the north end of the west wall of the spinning mill. It has a natural slate roof hipped at its north end, with ogee cast-iron gutters. It incorporates three phases of construction. The first is a small single-storey entrance porch, probably similar to C4.2, with a one-over-four window in each cheek (that to the south now blocked). The end wall of this porch has been removed to accommodate a single-storey building at right angles to it, running parallel with the mill. The blockwork of this second phase is coarsely dressed and brought to courses. This building was subsequently extended to the north, as evidenced by its different stonework, concrete window lintels and cills, and a red-brick trimmed entrance from the west. Its sarked roof is supported on light timber trusses.

Unit C6

This fills the angle between the south gable of C5 and the west wall of the mill. It is a large modern concrete block shed with a flat concrete roof and a large roller-shuttered vehicle door on its south gable.

Unit C7

A modern steel-framed single-storey shed, clad throughout in profiled metal, abutting the west wall of the boiler house. It contains a boiler by Thompson Cochran; its coke supply is raised on an external conveyor belt.

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BLOCK D

Block D is situated towards the west side of the premises and comprises three main elements (D1–D3). Its principal function was the preparing of flax for spinning.

Unit D1 — Preparing Mill

A three-storey-plus-attic block, 15 bays long. The ground floor was used as a flax store, the first floor for drawing, the second floor for hackling, and the attic as a store. This section dates from 1875, the date inscribed above a doorway at the south end of the east wall. A stairwell (D1.2) is incorporated in the southernmost bay. An external lift shaft (D1.3) was added to the north gable in 1920, as dated by an inscription at first floor level on the outside face of its north wall. There is also a cement-rendered toilet block at the south end of the west wall (D1.4), and another on the east cheek of the lift shaft (D1.5).

The building has a pitched natural slate roof with skylights and a metal ridge ventilator at its north end, and ogee cast-iron rainwater gutters. The blockwork is finely dressed and laid irregularly, with a moulded sandstone cornice. At the south end of the east wall is a four-panel wooden door with transom light above, leading into the passage (D1.2) from which there are connections to D1.1 and D3.2. There is also a door to the right of the lift shaft on the north gable, with an external canopy. Fire escape doors are on the second bay from the left on the west wall.

Window openings have yellow-brick stepped jambs and heads, and sandstone cills. The windows are metal framed with one-over-four and two-over-four top openers. All window openings on the south gable above the level of the abutting building (D2) are blind, including a semicircular-headed window in the apex. Many ground floor windows are infilled with brick, and metal ducts have been inserted through some of the windows along the west wall.

The lift shaft tower (D1.3) projects above the apex of D1.1 at the north end. Despite being built 45 years after the main block, it is of identical construction. It is surmounted by a small metal water tank, with a window to each floor lighting the lift well, and additional windows serving each floor of the abutting toilet block.

Unit D2

A two-storey, ten-window-wide building spanning the south end of D1 and D3, facing the road. It has a hipped natural slate roof with half-round metal and plastic rainwater gutters. The blockwork is coarsely dressed and brought to courses, with a projecting eaves course and more finely dressed quoins. A row of small openings — probably ventilators — runs across the south elevation between the ground and first floors. Window openings have sandstone heads and cills, and in place of windows are timber louvres, most of which are intact. The fifth bay from the left on the south wall contains a large double-leaf timber door with a semi-elliptical head, trimmed throughout with cream brick with chamfered edges. The fourth bay from the left at first floor level on the south wall has a fire escape door. There is also a small door on the east wall, its opening trimmed in the same manner as the ground floor door on the south elevation.

Unit D3 — Carding

This single-storey, 15-bay block runs parallel to and west of D1. The date 1925 is inscribed above the two window openings on its north gable. A covered passage (D3.2) at the south end of its east wall connects with unit D1. The roof is a flat felted reinforced concrete parapeted structure supported on steel beams, one per bay. The blockwork is coarsely dressed and laid in regular courses in cement mortar. There are doors at the east and west ends and to the link passage to D1. The window openings have stepped jambs and shallow segmental heads, all of yellow brick, with concrete cills. The windows are one- and two-over-four metal-framed top openers. Internally, the walls are unrendered and painted, and the floor is quarry tiled. All machinery has been removed, but traces of an overhead lineshaft remain.

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BLOCK E

Block E stands at the south-west corner of the site and comprises three sub-units (E1–E3), all of which appear to have been disused for some time.

Unit E1

A two-storey building, five windows long, with a hipped natural slate roof and half-round metal gutters. The walls are of coarsely dressed sandstone blocks laid irregularly in lime mortar, with a projecting eaves course, similar in constructional style to D2. There is a sheeted timber door on the east wall, set in an opening with chamfered cream-brick jambs and head, and a similar door opening at first floor level on the south gable. All window openings have sandstone heads and cills. The ground floor windows are three-over-six top-opening; the first floor has single-paned windows.

Unit E2

A single-storey block, five windows long, bounded along its west wall by a watercourse. It abuts E1 at an angle as a later addition. It has a pitched natural slate roof with a circular metal ridge ventilator and no rainwater gutters. The walls are of random rubble sandstone set in lime mortar, with dressed quoins. The windows are three-over-six sliding sashes. This building is now accessible only from E3. The roof is sarked, the internal wall faces are cement rendered and painted, and the floor is covered with quarry tiles. The watercourse runs in a north-easterly direction in a culvert under the yard and emerges at the north to feed a dam from which water is abstracted.

Unit E3

A single-storey former garage infilling the angle between E1 and E2, built as a later addition. It has a flat felt-covered roof and half-round plastic gutters. The walls are a mixture of finely dressed sandstone blocks and random rubble sandstone, all strap-pointed with cement and with dressed quoins; the building probably incorporates an earlier rubble boundary wall. There is a set of sliding wooden doors along the south wall with yellow-brick jambs. The windows are eight-over-eight sliding sashes with quarry-tile cills. A random rubble wall runs south from the south-east corner of this building to create a yard in front of E1.

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BLOCK F

This L-shaped block at the north-west corner of the site comprises four sub-units (F1–F4). Its main function was spinning.

Unit F1 — Winding and Spinning

A single-storey block, 19 bays long and four windows wide, internally divided by a stud wall into two rooms: an eleven-bay spinning section at the south end (F1.1) and an eight-bay winding section to the north (F1.2). It appears to have been built as a single unit; a datestone above the second door from the left on the east elevation is inscribed "1920". The main block has a flat parapeted roof of felted reinforced concrete over I-profile riveted metal girders, one beam per bay. Metal downpipes are fitted on both sides. A metal-sheeted dust extractor unit has been affixed to the top of the roof along its west side in the more recent past.

The finely dressed sandstone blockwork is set in irregular courses, with a projecting ashlar sandstone eaves course, and cement jointing. Door openings have heads and stepped jambs of purple engineering brick with rounded corners. There are four such openings along the east elevation; the second from the left, at the north end of room F1.2, has a large metal roller shutter. Along the south wall the second window opening from the left has been enlarged to form a door into unit F4.

There are tall window openings along all walls except the north, with each bay lit by at least one window. All have stepped yellow-brick segmental heads and jambs, and finely dressed sandstone cills. The windows have timber frames with two-by-three panes, the middle row of which are top-opening.

Small flat-roofed toilet blocks project to the east and west (F1.3 and F1.4). The eastern toilet block is of identical construction to the main block and is undoubtedly contemporary. The western block, which also incorporates a store, is a later addition in rendered concrete block construction, accessed via an enlarged window from room F1.1.

Unit F2

This unit abuts the east wall of F1 at its north end and is probably contemporary with F1, dating to around 1920. It is subdivided into two sections by a gabled wall that projects above the roofline. The building has a hipped natural slate roof sarked over metal trusses. The north and east walls are of sandstone blocks laid irregularly in cement. There is no south wall; the roof trusses rest on metal columns. The space between these columns is open in room F2.1 and infilled with large slatted wooden doors in room F2.2. The internal party wall is of red brick with purple engineering brick edging along its south end.

Window openings along the north façade have concrete heads and cills, and yellow-brick jambs. Those of F2.1 are infilled externally with concrete blocks; the remainder are louvered on the outside but infilled on the inside. A former door on the north wall of F2.2, which had an engineering brick surround matching those in F1, has also been infilled. Room F2.1 to the west is now a dispatch area; F2.2 houses a tow bailer. Both have concrete floors and painted unrendered walls.

Unit F3

A modern addition in the angle between units F1 and F2. It is a monopitched steel-framed unit clad in profiled metal, with a large roller-shutter door on its east face, housing the dispatch area.

Unit F4

A modern addition to the south gable of unit F1, of similar construction to F3.

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BLOCK G — Gates and Gatehouse

The site is bounded along the street by a sandstone wall. Just east of the main spinning mill (Block C), the wall turns inward to form the canted screen of the main entrance (G1). The vehicle entrance at the centre comprises an elliptical arch in ashlar sandstone over finely dressed and imposted abutments, containing a pair of large painted timber doors with strap hinges. On the right jamb is a polished brass nameplate reading "John Andrews & Co Limited". On the screen to the left is a small semicircular-headed blind opening with post-and-block ashlar jambs, a moulded impost and a keystoned head, faced on the outside with a painted timber door to balance an identical entrance at the right, which leads into the gatehouse (G2). The top of the screen has crenellated ashlar coping stones that step up over the middle arch.

The gatehouse at the right is single storey and of irregular hexagonal plan. It has a crenellated parapet around a flat concrete roof and a chimney on its rear wall. Its walls are of irregularly laid finely dressed blockwork. On its north-west cant, a door with a sandstone lintel leads out into the yard. It is lit by a single two-over-two sliding sash window on its east wall, with a chamfered yellow-brick surround and sandstone cill.

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MISCELLANEOUS FEATURES

In the yard between units F2.2 and C1.3 stands a jib crane. It is manually operated by a handle on each side, with a two-step spur gearing linking to the winding drum, and can rotate about its base. It is of all-metal construction — mostly cast iron — except for its wooden jib. Its base is inscribed "MacAdam Brothers & Co. Soho Foundry Belfast".