Charley's Bleachworks, Seymour Hill Industrial Estate, Dunmurry, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT17 9PW

Charley's Bleachworks

This complex of industrial buildings sits along the northern boundary of Seymour Hill Industrial Estate, just above the left bank of the River Lagan in Dunmurry, Belfast. It comprises two main structures: an 18th-century three-storey bleachworks (Building 1) aligned north-south at the south end of the block, and a later 19th-century two-storey structure over basement addition (Building 2) to its north. Both are now partly used as stores.

Building 1

The main bleachworks building has a hipped natural slate roof with four modern skylights to its west pitch. Replacement half-round fibre-cement gutters and down pipes drain the roof. The walls are constructed of random sandstone and basalt rubble with stepped sandstone block quoins. Much brick appears between the window openings of the two upper floors, with a projecting brick eaves course overhead. All openings are finished with segmental brick heads and stone jambs.

The principal east-facing elevation displays ten symmetrically arranged window openings across its upper two floors. The ground floor features a central projecting gabled section containing a window, flanked by three windows on each side, none with cills. The first-floor window openings retain their original segmental brick heads, though the frames are modern 2x2-paned top-opening timber casement replacements with concrete cills. Second-floor openings sit directly above those of the first floor; alternate openings have been infilled with brick while the remainder are sheeted over with transparent corrugated plastic and lack cills. A small brick gable with dentillated brick verge projects from the centre of the eaves, and its apex formerly contained a clock, now removed. An advanced rubble base course distinguishes this elevation.

The south elevation contains no openings and is now covered in ivy. The west elevation displays ten regularly spaced window openings across its two upper floors. The ground floor originally had a doorway and four windows, now all infilled. Between the ground and first floors sits an infilled rectangular opening that was originally the headrace intake to the internal waterwheel. First and second-floor window openings match those on the east elevation in detail.

The north gable is abutted by Building 2, with a raised verge separating their rooflines.

Building 2

This structure forms an L-shaped plan, returning west at the north end of the block, with two floors over a semi-basement rising to the same height as the 18th-century building. It has a hipped natural slate roof with two brick chimneys towards its north-west end, one running along the north eaves. Replacement half-round plastic gutters and fibre-cement down pipes are fitted. The walls are rock-faced quarried random rubble basalt with machined brick quoins and dentillated projecting brick eaves.

All openings are contained within recessed panels rising through the floors, embellished with brick quoins and segmental brick heads. The openings themselves also feature segmental brick heads.

The east elevation has five vertical recesses. The basement is exposed here with no openings. The end panels contain single window openings; the middle three have paired window openings, all with sandstone cills (shared by paired windows) now sheeted over with transparent corrugated plastic.

The north elevation is cut into the slope so that only the upper two floors are visible at the right-hand end. It has five vertical recesses: three with single window openings to each upper floor, one with a pair of windows, and one with triple windows. The windows are 2/2 timber sliding sashes with sandstone cills (shared where multiple). Perspex security sheeting covers the windows. The west gable is canted with a recess to each cant. Two ground-floor openings (a window and doorway) are infilled; the right-hand cant has a pair of steel-sheeted doors with segmental-headed overlight. First-floor cants contain 2/2 sashes.

The south elevation has three recessed panels with ground and first-floor openings; all are infilled except two first-floor openings which retain 2/2 sashes.

The west elevation (left of the 18th-century building) has two recessed panels on the left with ground-floor openings, now infilled. The top left opening is sheeted over with plastic; a roller shutter and concrete head have been inserted into the top right opening. At right is a wide brick-trimmed segmental-headed doorway with beaded tongue-and-groove folding door. A brick-infilled window sits above it.

A square tower rises above the eaves line at the corner of the south and west elevations, topped with a pyramidal natural slate roof. Its walls, eaves, and brick dressings match the main building. The exposed west and south elevations feature semicircular-headed brick-trimmed recesses with semicircular window openings at the top (now sheeted over). Lower openings have been altered with modern timber casement windows with shared concrete heads and cills. A single-storey porch with flat concrete roof and dwarf blocking course abuts the tower's ground floor on the west side. This porch, the principal entrance to Building 2, has cement-rendered brick walls. Its left cheek contains a two-leaf two-panelled timber door, and its south cheek an infilled window.

Setting

South-east of the block stands a one- and two-storey range of brick and basalt buildings dating from the 18th century to mid-20th century, all extensively altered for various modern industrial uses. Immediately west are two large concrete and steel furniture stores erected in recent years.