Former Enniskillen Workhouse, Erne Road, Enniskillen, County Fernanagh, BT74 6NN

Former Enniskillen Workhouse

The Former Enniskillen Workhouse is a two-storey building constructed in 1841 and designed by George Wilkinson, a specialist in workhouse architecture who employed the Tudor almshouse style across many institutions throughout Ireland. This was one of the earlier and smaller examples of this architectural type. Originally the front building of the Enniskillen Union Workhouse, the structure transitioned into use as a District Hospital in the early to mid 20th century, when most workhouse complexes underwent such conversion. The original workhouse buildings have largely been replaced by 20th century hospital structures, though this block survives on the eastern side of the hospital site, which sits on a rise north of Enniskillen town centre.

The original section is capital I-shaped in plan, comprising a central rectangular portion with two square end blocks, each terminating to the front in a full-height gabled bay with deeper returns to the rear. Narrow single-storey outhouses with angled corners originally extended from these returns to enclose two rear yards. The southern wing remains intact, but the northern wing was largely demolished around the 1860s to accommodate a sympathetic two-storey addition built at that time. The former yard spaces are now largely covered by later utilitarian extensions.

The walls of the original building and 1860s addition are constructed from rock-faced snecked limestone with raised pointing. Window and door openings to the front feature dressed limestone surrounds, some with drip mouldings. The roofs are steeply pitched and covered with large blue-black slates; verges have parapets and carved stone kneelers, whilst eaves are overhanging with exposed rafter ends. Several tall cut stone chimneystacks are positioned along the ridge lines, each comprising four square stacks set on a plain rectangular base and linked with a chamfered stone cap. A small gabled dormer with slated overhanging roof and decorative bargeboards sits at the centre of the southern roof face of the central portion. Later additions, mostly from the mid to late 20th century, are finished in brick or render with shallow, almost flat roof pitches covered in industrial metal cladding. Rainwater goods throughout are predominantly uPVC with some extruded aluminium sections.

The front facade, roughly east-facing, is symmetrical aside from a small single-storey porch projection to the right that is flush with the frontage. A large flat-roofed late 20th century addition sits behind this porch. The central section features a central ground floor doorway with a Tudor arched opening, dressed cut stone chamfered reveals, and a ledged and sheeted timber double-leaf door with full-height panels. The upper part of this opening is now boarded over to accommodate modern signage. The doorway is flanked by flat-headed window openings with similar reveals and stone sills, all covered by a continuous drip moulding. A moulded stringcourse stretches across the whole frontage above this. Between the mouldings, directly above the doorway, is a shield-shaped date stone inscribed '1841', with a metal Sun fire insurance plaque positioned above. The upper floor of this section contains three window openings set close to the eaves, topped with gablets featuring carved stone kneelers matching the larger gables. The breakfront blocks at either end of the front facade each have an upper floor window opening. The porch features a similar doorway to the main one but with a plain ledged and sheeted single-leaf door.

The southern facade merges at its left with the high stone wall of the former outhouses. Window openings here are asymmetrically arranged without the chamfered reveals or mouldings seen on the front. The wall at the corner features a round-headed opening. The rear western facade presents an untidy appearance due to various 20th century alterations. To the right of the central passageway that formerly divided the yards are two two-storey additions: one flat-roofed and finished in unpainted render, the other with a mono-pitch roof and finished in red facing brick. The former yard walls have been incorporated into structures now enclosing those spaces; the wall to the left has been significantly raised with modern cladding. Window openings are flat-headed with plain cut stone sills and informally arranged. The northern facade is largely obscured by a 1900s single-storey extension and a freestanding Portacabin, both with single-pitch roofs. The extension is finished in plain and ruled and lined render, with informally arranged flat-headed windows.

Window frames throughout the building are predominantly uPVC replacements, though the rear dormer retains its original timber frame complete with central mullion and glazing bars. A similar frame without the mullion appears in the window to the north side of the porch.