Well House, Off Head Rd, Annalong, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4RJ

This well house, built between 1900 and 1919, is located off Head Road, Annalong, County Down, and stands somewhat incongruously amongst the low granite field walls of the area. It was constructed in the distinctive style of the Belfast City and District Water Commissioners (BCDWC) and holds historical and group value due to its association with the initial phase of the Mourne Scheme, specifically the Silent Valley – Dunnywater conduit.

The building is situated on the Kilkeel – Annalong section of the Mourne Conduit, a system fed by the Annalong and Kilkeel Rivers and running to Belfast. It was designed by BCDWC Engineer Luke Macassey, and is one of four remarkably similar structures along the conduit; the others are located at Tullybranigan, Ballykine, and Creevytenant, with a fifth at Dunnywater. The well house contains valve gear that regulates the flow of water into the Dunnywater siphon, which carries water across the Annalong Valley.

The structure is a modest, single-bay building with a pitched roof covered in natural slate, featuring finely dressed knee stones and raised chamfered verges, alongside ogee cast-iron gutters. The walls are constructed of rock-faced granite blocks laid in irregular courses over a chamfered plinth. Originally, there was a central window in each side wall and the north-facing gable, but these are now infilled with concrete blocks. A wrought-iron double-leaf door is situated in the south gable, with a segmental head above it; the dressings to the door and windows are of rusticated granite. Ventilation roundels, originally fitted with louvres, are found in the apex of each gable, but these are now also infilled.

The well house, along with the entire conduit, was initially constructed in 1901, but it did not become fully operational until the completion of the Brackenagh Tunnel in 1903. It contains a valve that automatically regulates water flow and pressure within the pipe, and allows for necessary shut-off during inspection. The building is an example of industrial archaeology and reflects the authorship of Luke Macassey.