John Martin Monument, Clay Road, Shrigley, Tullyveery (Td.), Killyleagh, Co. Down, BT30 9PN

The John Martin Monument stands at the south end of Clay Road in Shrigley as a tall, spire-like memorial in high Victorian gothic style. Built in 1871 to designs by Timothy Hevey, it commemorates John Martin, founder of Shrigley cotton mill, which later converted to flax production, and the village that grew around it. The monument now remains as the last recognisable remnant of what was once a thriving industrial community, almost all of whose original nineteenth-century buildings have been demolished. The mill itself, much modernised and now badly dilapidated, survives to the south, whilst a bland modern 1960s housing estate has been built to the west.

The monument is gothic in inspiration with the complex infusion of details typical of its era. At its base stands an octagonal colonnade formed by eight polished red granite columns with floral capitals in badly worn light coloured sandstone, and high bases in similar sandstone and granite. The octagonal plinth below the colonnade has a granite trim and tiled inset, with fairly recent-looking tiles. This plinth rests on a base of granite steps in octagonal formation, around which stands a fairly recent-looking low railing. At each angle of the steps is a granite plinth which once held a decorative pier, but these have all been removed.

The columns rise to form pointed arches with light and red sandstone voussoirs and linked label moulding with decorative stops. The arches are contained within light sandstone gables with moulded verges and decorative ceiling boss-like stops. Some of the verges have been broken at the apex and may once have had finials. Every second gable displays a small carved pictorial roundel in light cream sandstone, but most are now broken. The gable verges are linked by a projecting sandstone course below which runs another course in red sandstone with griffin-like gargoyles at each angle, now badly broken.

Above the level of the gables rises a square tower capped with a spire. The tower is in light sandstone with occasional bands of red sandstone. The base of the tower is battered with moulded decoration to the edges. At each face the tower has two flying buttresses with small roundels and tall spire-like caps with finials, some of which have been broken off either totally or partially. The flying buttresses support full-height angle buttresses. The lower half of each face has a triple pointed arch opening with two small grey granite colonettes with floral capitals. Directly above these is a projecting course. Each face of the upper half of the tower has a large roundel opening which once held clock faces but are now louvered. Directly above these is a projecting course in red sandstone with gargoyles to the angles. Above this course is a small gable to each side with a moulded verge with crocket-like moulding and small roundels to tympanums. Between each gable there once stood a corner pier, but most have been broken off. Behind and above the gables rises the spire, which has crocket moulding to angles, a moulded finial and a metal weather vane.

Within the ground-level colonnade is a thick octagonal centre pillar which splays into a ceiling. This pillar is in light sandstone with red sandstone quoins and thin three-quarter columns to angles whose bases merge with the pillar's chamfered plinth. There is a decorative course in red sandstone just below ceiling level, with the ceiling itself in light sandstone with moulded ribs. To the north side of the pillar is a tall church memorial-like moulding in light sandstone with a gabled top and cross finial. This was apparently originally a drinking fountain but is now badly damaged and has lost much detailing, appearing to have once had side colonettes. Its central panel is now blocked up with unsuitable breeze blocks.

In recent years the monument has suffered considerable damage at the hands of vandals and the elements. Much detail has been lost, with many gargoyles, piers, roundels and finials broken and the stone badly worn in places. Recent repairs and alterations, such as the blocking up of the drinking fountain, the tiling to the base, the repositioning of railings and the removal of the clock faces, have in many respects downgraded its appearance further. However, the monument's greatest loss has been the demolition of its nineteenth-century surroundings, which formerly gave it meaningful architectural and social context.