Former Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society factory ('The Scotch Stores'), SOUTH END 'FACTORY EXTENSIONS', Sligo Road, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, BT74 7JY

Former Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society Factory, Enniskillen

A long, mainly two-storey rubble-built former factory and integral manager's house on the south-west edge of Enniskillen, originally belonging to the Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society and used for processing livestock. The complex is believed to have been built in 1893 to designs by Thomas Elliot, though its considerable length, differing roof heights, and varying levels of detailing suggest that portions may have been added a few years after initial construction. The building runs roughly north to south, curving in line with Sligo Road and Old Henry Street, with an irregular plan form.

At the north end stands the manager's house, known as Thistle Bank House. To its south, the house merges with a much larger block that once contained offices but is now divided into shops, with a large eastern portion used as a meeting place for a local church. This transitions into a larger, plainer block of lower proportions that probably housed the main factory operations and now contains shops, a snooker hall, and other commercial spaces. Further south is a long narrow block, slightly taller and more ornate than the section to its north, possibly originally warehouses and now occupied by shops, a bingo hall, and restaurant. At the very south end, the complex appears to have been extended in more recent years, circa 1970s, with the addition of plain flat-roofed sections also filled with shops.

The main building features well-mannered late Victorian detailing with large Jacobean gables and an overall Highland lodge character. Much of the complex is constructed of squared rock-faced limestone with smooth dressings and quoins. To the west, where ground level rises, much of the block appears single-storey. Considerable alteration has occurred in recent years, particularly to window and door openings and modern signage, especially on the east façade facing Sligo Road. Since the later 1970s, the building has been occupied by shop and workshop units of various sizes, with some large modern window openings installed during this conversion.

A long narrow enclosed yard lies to the west of the main building, containing a long gabled outbuilding that is two-storey to the east but single-storey to the west. This outbuilding, also in squared rubble with slated gabled roof and cream-ish brown brick dressings, runs along much of the yard's length. The south gable supports a tall square battered brick chimney, indicating the outbuilding once contained a boiler or boiling house.

The outbuilding's east elevation, facing the yard, features four timber-sheeted doorways of varying sizes, with the far left being largest and the remainder pedestrian in scale. The two central doorways have window fanlights above. Two high-level windows appear to the far left, with a former window to the immediate right of the first doorway now blocked. A further window with modern frame sits to the far right, where the façade sets back and becomes fully two-storey. Here, a broad timber-sheeted opening occupies the ground floor, with a small single-storey lean-to adjoining it featuring a four-pane window to its north face and timber-sheeted door to the east. The first floor of this setback section contains three relatively large segmental-headed windows with modern frames.

The west façade, mainly single-storey, displays a relatively uniform series of brick-dressed window openings, predominantly with modern frames, alongside two timber-sheeted pedestrian doors. A small portion of this façade, roughly central, is rendered. The north gable is blank. The slated gabled roof comprises three sections, the central section having a slightly steeper pitch with a ridge ventilator.

Two gabled projections extend from the main outbuilding: a small single-storey projection at the south gable and a much larger two-storey projection to the north. Wrought iron railings of relatively plain design, set into a low bevelled base, stretch from the south-west corner of the outbuilding, culminating to the south in a pointed stone gate pillar with makeshift gates of corrugated iron. A gateway to the immediate north of the outbuilding features similar but much taller gates.

The chimney is a tall rectangular tapering construction in dark brown brick, attached to the southern gable of the outbuilding.

To the south end of the main complex are large modern extensions, possibly dating from the 1960s or early 1970s.