Edenderry Mill, Edenderry Industrial Estate, 326 Crumlin Road, Belfast BT14 7EE

Edenderry Mill is a former linen flax spinning mill built in 1865, designed by the architect William J. Barre with contractors McLaughlin & Harvey and clerk of works Henry McConnell. It was described at the time of its construction as "the largest and most complete mill in Ulster." The Edenderry Spinning Company was incorporated under the Companies Act 1862 on 1st December 1864, and by 1870 listed John Beck as its managing director. The site, recorded on the Ordnance Survey map of 1858 as an empty field, was fully developed by the time of the 1938 survey. Although a number of original features have been lost over time, the mill remains a substantial and impressive example of Belfast's industrial heritage. During the listing process, planning permission was granted (reference Z/2007/2626/F) for works affecting the building's special interest, and those works were partially complete at the time of recording. The description that follows refers to the building's condition prior to those permitted works being carried out.

The principal structure is a large rectangular five-storey red brick building, now the nucleus of an industrial estate, with lower two- and three-storey blocks attached and a tall octagonal chimney connected to the south end. Modern telephone antennae are mounted on all four corners of the mill and on a toilet projection on the east side. The main elevation faces east, and the original entrance hall — a covered way, now partly unroofed — between the main mill and a lower block to the south also faced east.

MAIN MILL BLOCK

The east elevation of the main mill is five storeys high and twenty-seven windows wide. A later two-storey flat-roofed block, the former engine room, projects forward at the first four bays from the left; and a later five-storey flat-roofed extension providing toilet accommodation, one window wide, projects forward at the sixteenth bay from the left. The roof is hipped behind a parapet; the covering material is not known. The walls of the main block are of red brick with a moulded sandstone plinth, a painted projecting brick frieze with moulded sandstone cornice at each floor level, and a large projecting moulded sandstone cornice to the top storey carried on two courses of yellow angled brick corbels. At the right-hand extremity the wall breaks forward slightly to form an end pier containing narrow ventilation openings at upper levels; at ground floor level this pier is rendered with a dry-dash finish. A modern steel stairway is attached to the right-hand end, rising to a later doorway at first floor level in the end bay; above this doorway is a later projecting ventilation unit occupying a complete window opening.

Windows throughout are large rectangular timber fixed lights divided by a transom and mullion, surmounted by two-pane top-hung vents — this appears to be the original arrangement — set in segmental brick-arched openings with plain reveals; the cills are formed by moulded plinth and string courses. A number of ground floor windows on the east elevation are blocked up on the inside with concrete blockwork. On the fourth floor, the first four windows at the south end have been blocked with glass bricks at a later date. On the third floor, the fourth window opening from the end has had a doorway inserted, leading onto the flat roof of the projecting block below.

The five-storey toilet projection is of similar walling to the main block. The ground floor window is blocked with brickwork and contains a small rectangular timber window; windows in the storeys above are as described for the main block but incorporate more opening vents. The side walls of the projection are blank, containing only modern metal ventilator grilles. On the north side of the toilet projection is a later single-storey flat-roofed addition in plain red brick, containing modern rectangular timber and metal windows with projecting concrete cills and cast iron rainwater goods. The first ground floor window to the left of the toilet projection has been blocked with concrete blockwork and contains a modern steel door. The second and third ground floor bays to the left of the toilet projection have been opened up to form a large rectangular doorway containing a steel roller door with a projecting metal pelmet. The sixth bay to the left of that contains a later ground floor doorway formed from an enlarged window opening, fitted with a modern rectangular steel door and side panel.

The south elevation of the mill is five storeys high with a parapet roof and four window openings wide; walling is as described for the east elevation. Windows are generally as described above, except that the second bay from the left on the upper three floors is bricked up within recessed reveals, and two windows on the third floor are blocked with glazed bricks. The ground floor window to the left has had a steel grille inserted. The main architectural feature of this elevation is a large semi-circular arched window and door opening occupying two storeys at ground floor level, approached by twin flights of sandstone steps leading to a short podium; the railings to the steps are now missing. The three-bay doorscreen comprises square timber piers containing a doorway to the left, with the other two openings closed up with concrete blockwork. The doorway itself has one arched and panelled original timber door alongside a modern flush door. Above the frieze is a large four-light semi-circular arched window, set in a moulded painted sandstone or rendered surround rising from the first floor frieze and cornice; the tracery consists of five circular timber colonnettes with floriated capitals, a semi-circular arch, and three circular tracery lights, all in roll-moulded timber. Between the two left-hand window bays is a five-storey projecting corrugated iron hoist, added at a later date. Projecting from the elevation at high level, angled down to the roof of the former boiler house standing to the south, is a cylindrical pipe, an original feature. Extending to the left at first floor level is a high-level link block to the sheds at the west, comprising a plain modern red brick gable with PVC downpipes.

The west elevation of the mill is five storeys high and of similar character to the east elevation, with a later link block at the south end projecting at first floor level and connecting to a large shed block to the west, and an overhead duct projecting from the northern extremity also connecting with the shed block to the west. The ends of the elevation break forward to form shallow piers; the ground floor wall at the left-hand extremity has had its pier rendered with a dry dash of white limestone chippings at a later date. Windows are as described for the east elevation, but those on the ground floor to the left of the link block have been bricked up; the last two windows to the right, within the alleyway, have had steel grilles inserted. The first window opening from the left within the alleyway has been truncated at the top and contains a rectangular timber four-pane fixed light. The second opening from the left within the alleyway contains the main entrance to the main stairway of the mill: a rectangular doorway with the door now missing, surmounted by an arched two-pane fanlight that is unglazed; the jambs of the doorway retain original cast iron protectors at the bottom. The ground floor walling within the alleyway below the link has been painted over at a later date. The north side of the first floor link block comprises a plain modern red brick gable with asbestos downpipes. The alleyway below the link has a flat ceiling carried on steel girders.

The north elevation of the mill is five storeys high with a parapet roof and four windows wide; walling is as described for the east elevation, except that the entire ground floor is rendered with a dry dash, and the end piers of this elevation are plain, without ventilator slits. The ground floor contains one opening only — a rectangular doorway containing a smaller rectangular flush steel fire door; windows in the floors above are as described above, except that the one to the extreme left on the second floor is obscured by a later large ventilation unit attached to the outside.

NEW ENGINE HOUSE

The new engine house projects from the left-hand extremity of the east façade of the mill. It was designed in 1908 by Browne Brothers. Its east elevation is two storeys high and contains two large semi-circular arched window openings, now partly blocked with brickwork to contain two windows each. The walling is of red brick with a moulded sandstone plinth, a painted projecting brick frieze with moulded sandstone cornice and brick blocking course, and a projecting moulded sandstone string course, painted, which arches over the two window recesses with projecting keystones. First floor windows are semi-circular arched, timber four-light fixed panes with lower opening vents. Ground floor windows are large rectangular timber fixed four-light with transom and mullions.

The north elevation of the new engine house is of similar character to the east, containing one large semi-circular arched opening that has been partly blocked with brick at a later date to form a large modern timber ground floor doorscreen and an arched first floor window as described above. The doorscreen contains a pair of modern aluminium double doors leading onto a short concrete podium approached by a ramp and steps.

The south elevation of the new engine house is visible within the covered alleyway. The walling is of brickwork with a moulded stone plinth painted over. It contains a large timber doorcase comprising a pair of fluted pilasters ornamented with laurel wreaths, carrying a shallow pediment dated 1908. The doorway contains a pair of panelled double doors, flanked by side panels and surmounted by blind fanlights, and is approached by a flight of stone or composition steps with a curved podium or plinth to each side formed of smooth rendered brickwork.

TWO- AND THREE-STOREY BLOCK TO THE SOUTH OF THE MILL

This consists of the original three-storey boiler house, also designed by Barre, with later two-storey extensions built over its east and south faces. Possible later additions along the east and south sides appear to have been made sometime between 1867 and 1872, and may have been designed by Barre himself or by James Ewart, who was responsible for other extensions in 1869.

The east elevation of this block is two storeys high with a parapet roof and fourteen windows wide to the first floor. The walling is of red brick with a moulded sandstone plinth and a painted brickwork projecting frieze and moulded sandstone cornice to each storey, with a painted brick blocking course to the parapet. The wall breaks forward at each extremity to form slightly projecting end bays, each three windows wide to the first floor. First floor windows are as described for the main mill block. At ground floor level, the end bay to the left contains two semi-circular arched windows with arched roll-moulded timber tracery, later altered to contain small rectangular opening vents, set in plain reveals which are themselves recessed in rounded reveals with a battered face to the brickwork below. The main wall contains a series of plain semi-circular blind brick-arched recesses that have been painted over at a later date to represent traceried windows, with small ocular ventilator openings in the spandrels between. The fifth opening from the left has been enlarged to form a large rectangular doorway containing a steel shutter with a steel girder over. The end bay to the right has its ground floor opened up to form a rectangular entrance to the alleyway. Within the alleyway, the wall to the right is of vertical tongued-and-grooved boarding containing rectangular timber windows and a modern glazed hardwood door leading to a stairway. The wall to the left within the alleyway contains an open timber stairway at the left-hand extremity with a modern hoist shaft beside it; to the right of that is brick walling containing rectangular timber sliding doors, all disfigured by PVC downpipes. The ceiling of the alleyway is of modern chipboard panels fitted around exposed steel girders. Set into the ground surface just inside the entry is a large weighbridge in patterned cast iron, inscribed "Avery, Birmingham, England." At the time of the first survey in 1986, the alleyway beyond to the west, and returning at the rear to the north and south, was covered over with a glazed roof, but all of this has since been dismantled and removed.

The north elevation of the block to the south, projecting forward from the former engine house, is two windows wide to each floor, with windows glazed as described above. The ground floor is partly obscured by a later low single-storey addition in plain red brick without a moulded plinth, with a flat roof and two windows glazed as described. Projecting from this low addition is a short run of original iron railings on a low original plinth wall, with one curving ornamented cast iron stay; this is linked to a free-standing plain red brick substation standing in front of the new engine house of 1908.

The south elevation of this block consists of a two-storey extension along the south side of the original boiler house, with smooth cement-rendered walls; the red brick end wall of the sheds to the west extends to the left. The roof of the south extension is of Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses, with moulded PVC gutter and downpipes. The walls are smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with a projecting rendered eaves course for most of the block and a short rendered parapet to the right-hand end. First floor windows are rectangular timber fixed lights with transom and mullion, surmounted by top vents, set in segmental-headed openings. The two windows at the left-hand extremity are filled with glazed bricks; the next openings to the right are blind recesses in front of the octagonal chimney, which projects through the roof above; the third window opening from the right has been enlarged to form a rectangular doorway containing a pair of glazed timber doors. The ground floor is partly obscured by a central projecting lean-to block built of red brick, partly rendered, with corrugated asbestos roofing, flush timber doors, and a blocked-up window; PVC guttering. In the wall above the lean-to projection are four ocular ventilators; to the left of the lean-to projection is a later steel stairway leading to a first floor doorway. The main ground floor contains three large rectangular openings: the two to the right-hand end contain steel shutter doors, and the one to the left-hand end is now without a door and lies open. This left-hand opening leads to a covered area between the tall octagonal chimney, the original boiler house, and the sheds to the west. The ceiling is formed by brick jack arches; the ground surface between the chimney and the boiler house is of stone slabs; the ground surface between the chimney and the sheds to the west is of screed, leading through an ornamented cast iron truss at the rear of the covered area to an alleyway beyond running north between the boiler house and the sheds to the west. This alleyway was covered over at the time of the first survey in 1986 but is now unroofed.

CHIMNEY

The tall octagonal chimney is of brickwork with a battered profile, standing on a battered and moulded sandstone plinth. It is now located inside the covered area, with the main shaft projecting up through the roof. There is a full-height meandering crack in the south face. Iron banding appears at intervals up the chimney, with brick corbel courses at the top. The chimney originally stood detached at the south end of the boiler house but has been absorbed by later extensions along the south side of that block. According to the 1867 description, the chimney is octagonal on plan, 18 feet wide at the base and 172 feet high.

The south elevation of the boiler house, visible within the covered area, shows painted brickwork at ground floor level with three windows bricked up and one new doorway containing a modern steel-plated door.

The west elevation of the boiler house, facing into the alleyway, is three storeys high, of red brick overpainted at ground floor level, with two courses of yellow brick corbels to the top, a moulded cast iron gutter, and cast iron and PVC downpipes. Windows are segmental-arched; all but one on the upper floors are boarded up, and all ground floor windows are walled up. A later corrugated iron projection is attached at first floor level, supported on steel stanchions.

The north elevation of the boiler house, facing the main mill, is three storeys high and three windows wide, of similar walling to the west side. Windows are blocked up as described, but the central one on the second floor is original: a timber sliding sash, vertically hung, two over two panes with horns. Moulded cast iron gutter with cast iron and PVC downpipes.

SHEDS AND STORES TO THE WEST

These consist of two main groups: a series of repetitive units with regular north-light roofs immediately to the west of the main mill block, and a group of conjoined blocks of various sizes standing to the west of the boiler house. The former group have a modern façade to the east in new red brick with metal cladding above, containing rectangular openings with steel roller doors and modern windows, and pitched roofs of Bangor blue slates with north lights. The latter group have walls of older red brick with hipped roofs of corrugated asbestos; the main feature contains an original semi-circular archway and a later rectangular opening. The south elevation of the shed and store blocks is of plain red brick with later small rectangular windows created in larger partly bricked-up openings, and PVC rainwater goods.

ORIGINAL BEAM ENGINES AND ENGINE HOUSE

According to the 1867 description, the establishment was powered by "a magnificent pair of beam engines of 160 (collected) nominal horse-power" — one named the Britannia and the other the Hibernia — built by Hick of Bolton and described as "the finest pair of engines in the town," with a driving wheel 26 feet in diameter. The original engine house designed by Barre was located in the south-east corner of the main mill block. After it was superseded by the adjacent new engine house of 1908, it became the dynamo room. It is identifiable as the portion lit by a large traceried window with a fluted Doric columned screen in the interior.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The 1867 description records the complex as consisting of "preparing sheds 214 ft. by 109 ft., terminating in large flax stores and hackling shops; a large spinning mill, 260 ft. by 52 ft., of five storeys high; boiler house for eight boilers, with extensive yarn drying lofts over." The preparatory sheds stood to the west side of the main mill with the flax stores at the south end, level with the south end of the main mill. The extensions along the east side of the boiler house originally contained coal stores. The preparation sheds to the west appear to have been later refurbished with steel trusses to the roofs, though the perimeter wall along the west side facing Cambrai Street and along part of the north side facing Crumlin Road appears to be part of the original complex. The Ordnance Survey map of 1872 shows that the main entrance gateway to the site was originally adjacent to the north-west corner of the main mill block, facing the open alleyway between it and the preparation sheds to the west; this entrance is now closed up and its original piers and gates have been removed. The present main entrance gateway, of modern construction, stands where there was previously an open roadway off Crumlin Road called Mill Avenue; the original boundary walling along the former Mill Avenue has been removed.

Later additions and alterations are documented in original drawings held in the Building Control Office at Belfast City Hall: in 1869, James Ewart designed a single-storey addition to the north end of the preparation shed to the west; in 1908, Browne Brothers designed the new engine house on the east side of the mill; in 1909, a single-storey addition was made to the north (now demolished); in 1911, toilets were added projecting from each floor of the mill on the east side; and in 1914, Edwin Kennedy designed the gate lodge.

SETTING

The mill occupies a corner site within the built-up area of the city, set back a distance from both roads. It stands end-on to the main road, with its main east façade overlooking an access road and car parking areas to the east. The west façade overlooks an alleyway between it and lower sheds to the west. The main mill is surrounded by tarmac areas. Standing detached to the east at the south end is a block of single-storey 20th-century buildings in red brick with north lights roofed in corrugated asbestos. Poor-quality detached sheds stand to the south of the boiler house block.

The site is entered from Crumlin Road through a modern steel railing and gateway set between two original brick piers. The piers are square, of red brick, with a projecting rendered string course and weathered rendered caps. The boundary to Crumlin Road is formed on the east side of the gateway by original basalt rubble walling, and on the west side by modern steel railings standing on a low cement-rendered plinth, terminating at the west end in a now-shortened original blind semi-circular arcaded red brick wall containing ocular ventilators in alternate arches, with a battered profile to the base of the recessed panels; blocked-up north-lighting projects up behind this wall. The boundary to Cambrai Street to the west is formed by the red brick rear walling of the shed blocks: single-storey at the north end, partly semi-circular blind arcaded and partly flush with regularly spaced ocular ventilators in yellow brick surrounds and later small rectangular doorways created; rising to a two-storey fenestrated block with hipped asbestos-slated roofs and rectangular timber windows above segmental-headed blocked-up windows; and then stepping down to plain single-storey height red brick walling containing a large later rectangular opening with a roller steel door. The south and east boundaries are largely formed by fencing.

Standing to the east immediately inside the main gateway is a one-and-a-half-storey gate lodge in red brick with half-hipped red tiled roofs, designed in 1914 by Edwin Kennedy. It has painted stone block dressings to the doorway, which is surmounted by a small canopy on shaped timber brackets; all windows are now modern replacements not to the original pattern.