Flax mill, Opposite 6 Caughey's Rd, Dromore, Co Down, BT25 1DS

Flax Mill Complex, Caughey's Road, Dromore

This industrial complex comprises a flax mill, steam engine house, boiler house, chimney, motor house and two stores, located at Caughey's Road, Dromore, a short distance west from restored buildings which operate as a demonstration mill and are recorded separately.

Flax Mill

One of two mills formerly operated at this location, driven by a steam engine in an adjacent building. The mill is aligned east-west at the western end of the premises and is a single-storey, two-bay building with pitched corrugated metal roof, plastic rainwater goods and brick walls with square-headed openings. The north elevation formerly had three wide openings at the left end, all now infilled with concrete blocks; a timber door has been inserted in the left of these three openings. Two doors (one infilled, one with roller shutter) and five windows (all without cills) are present in the remainder of this elevation, all windows having replacement uPVC frames with 2x2 panes. The east gable is rendered with cement and has a small shuttered opening to the apex. The south elevation is abutted at the left by a modern single-storey monopitched toilet block (partly rendered brick) and in the middle by the former steam engine house. The exposed part between these abutting sections has a doorway now infilled. The exposed section at the east end has an infilled door and window, a sliding metal door and two infilled wide openings at the right. The west gable has a door to the left (with roller shutter) and two windows, all with uPVC frames.

Engine House

This building abuts the middle of the south elevation of the flax mill and is aligned north-south. It has a pitched natural slate roof with no rainwater goods and brick walls with square-headed openings. The west elevation has two doors (one infilled) and one window (also infilled). A passage runs between the north gable and the flax mill with a doorway on the gable. The east elevation has a door at the middle and a window at the right. The south gable has a doorway with the roof continuing over as a porch in front of the boiler house.

Boiler House

Aligned east-west parallel to and south of the flax mill. It has a pitched natural slate roof with a dormer ventilator to the north pitch and no rainwater goods. The walls are brick. The north elevation has a doorway at the left with a modern replacement partly-glazed door. The east gable has a doorway with a porch in front. The south elevation has three windows with chamfered concrete cills, all with replacement timber frames. The west gable is blank except for a brick flue to the chimney and the mark of a formerly abutting monopitched single-storey building at the right.

Chimney

A free-standing chimney sits just beyond the west end of the boiler house. It has a square brick base with a tapered flue of square section rising from it. The crown is corbelled brick surmounted by a concrete top. A flue abuts the base of the east elevation. This flue is of brick with a concrete flagged top and an adjustable vertical gate at the east end to control draught through the boiler firebox. A small access hatch runs along the south side.

Motor House

A small single-storey, single-bay building situated to the east of the above three buildings and formerly housing the oil engine which drove a now-demolished mill. It has a pitched natural slate roof with no rainwater goods and brick walls. Aligned east-west, its south elevation has a door (infilled) and a window (partly infilled). The west gable is abutted by a flat-roofed single-storey concrete block building. The north elevation is cement rendered with a doorway therein. The east gable is blank.

Store 1

A relatively modern single-storey, single-bay former flax store aligned north-south immediately north of the motor house. Now completely enveloped by a large corrugated-metal shed. It has a pitched corrugated-asbestos roof with a circular ridge ventilator; part of the roof is now missing. The walls are rendered concrete block with doors to the east elevation and south gable.

Store 2

An original single-storey, single-bay flax store aligned north-south a short distance north-east of Store 1. Now enclosed by a modern corrugated metal shed. It has a pitched natural slate roof. The walls to the east and west elevations were originally open with brick piers supporting the roof; these openings are now infilled with concrete blockwork. The north gable has a window to the corrugated-metal sheeted apex. The south gable has a wide doorway and also has a corrugated metal apex.

Setting

The flax stores are enveloped by a modern corrugated metal agricultural shed. An open water channel runs along the south side of the premises, supplying the water-powered flax mill to the west of the road. The public road is at the west end of the premises. Open concrete flax retting tanks are at the east end. Fields lie to the north and south. To the west of the public road is a working flax mill under the same ownership.