Bessbrook Mill, Derrymore Road, Bessbrook

Bessbrook Mill is a large granite-built spinning mill complex, constructed in stages between 1845 and approximately 1880, with minor early 20th century additions. It stands as the central element of a historically significant model village, and its importance can be understood in four distinct ways.

First, the mill has profound historic significance as the engine behind one of Britain's pioneering model industrial villages. John Grubb Richardson, a Quaker who became sole owner in 1863, laid out Bessbrook with airy streets and squares lined with substantial granite-built workers' houses, each with its own garden, along with public buildings including an enlarged school and the Institute. His work directly inspired George Cadbury's celebrated garden village at Bournville in Birmingham, and possibly Titus Salt's Saltaire in Yorkshire. Bournville in turn became, in the words of historian Gilbert Camlin, "an important influence on the planning of towns and villages all over the world." The mill buildings share group value with the many other listed buildings in Bessbrook.

Second, the mill is a notable piece of 19th century industrial architecture, remarkable both for its sheer scale and the quality of its construction. Many of the component buildings are clad in dressed granite and have a dignified, if austere, character, while the former engine house displays fine Arts and Crafts-influenced detailing.

Third, the complex holds an independent place in industrial history. It was one of the first mills in Ulster to introduce power looms, in the 1850s, and was a ground-breaker in damask weaving through the invention of what became globally renowned as the "Bessbrook Machine" — a loom developed by mill employee Henry Barcroft that revolutionised damask weaving in terms of both efficiency and quality. The weaving sheds survive, and the remaining buildings together reflect the full production process from spinning to weaving, including the transfer of raw and finished materials and workers via the also-listed tram terminus directly opposite on Derrymore Road.

Fourth, the site has significance as a former military base. The mill closed around 1970 and was requisitioned by the army in 1971, during the Troubles, which required a base in the area. Many security-related installations have since been demolished, and a concrete blast wall is being retained as the principal surviving physical remnant of this period. The army vacated the site in 2007 and the buildings were vacant at the time of the listing assessment. The mill's years as an army base — shielded behind imposing security fencing — effectively removed it from public view and, to a degree, from public consciousness, severing it both physically and psychologically from its historic role as the hub of Bessbrook village.

SETTING AND LAYOUT

The mill site lies to the south-east side of Bessbrook village. To the west is a dense belt of trees, beyond which lies the large mill pond. Immediately to the north are the plots of former mill workers' houses, whose dwellings front onto Fountain Street. To the east runs the curving Derrymore Road, with the Bessbrook River to the south and south-east. A large portion of land to the south-west, off Mill Road, was formerly part of the mill but is now separate, with some former mill buildings converted to business units and shops. A tall corrugated metal security fence encloses much of the site to the south and east, with the main entrance off Derrymore Road.

Visually, the complex divides into three distinct sections. To the west, set on a north-south axis and spanning almost the entire length of the site, are three long narrow factory blocks (A1, A2, A3), linked together and descending in both height and breadth from south to north — the southernmost being five storeys and the northernmost three. Projecting to the west side of the southernmost five-storey block is a double-height former engine house (A4). The second section lies at the south-eastern corner, extending at a right angle from the south end of the above; it is roughly L-shaped, with a relatively narrow four-storey portion (B1) to the east set on an east-west axis, a somewhat broader four-storey block (B2) attached at a right angle, and a single-storey structure of similar width running along its length (B3). The third section, to the north-east, is attached to blocks A2 and A3 and consists of two very large single-storey former weaving sheds with northlight roofs. The southern shed (C1) is roughly square in plan, while that to the north (C2) has an L-shaped footprint with its eastern wall set at an angle following the line of the road.

All of these are arranged around a central yard, which when the mill was in operation was largely occupied by various other structures, mainly one to two storeys in height. These have been completely cleared away, and the eastern side of the yard is now partly enclosed by a post-1971 concrete blast wall. To the north end of the site there are some utilitarian post-1971 single-storey buildings.

BLOCK A1

Block A1 was originally the main factory building and remains the dominant structure of the complex — neatly finished and somewhat austere in appearance. It is five storeys high, measures approximately 85 metres by 15 metres, and has a flat roof. It was built sometime between approximately 1848 and 1860, possibly in stages, with the fifth storey added in the early 1920s. Two concrete-block roof sangers and a large full-height rendered latrine extension were added by the army in the 1970s.

The walls are almost entirely faced in ashlar granite — possibly the result of a later re-facing in the 1870s — with raised cement pointing, rising to a parapet topped with a row of squat piers. Between the uppermost floors there is a projecting string course, which was formerly an eaves course. The east elevation has three original full-height latrine projections with slit openings, along with some disparate — though possibly original — single and two-storey projections, and the large 1970s latrine extension. To the first, second, third and fourth floors on both the long east and west elevations there is a row of Georgian-ratio flat-arched window openings with granite sills, and, to the ground to second floor openings, raised granite surrounds and unusual pointed lintels. Most of these are filled with modern replacement frames, some of which are partly boarded up; almost all of the ground floor openings have been closed with concrete blocks, as have many of the original arch-headed doorways to the ground floor of the east elevation. To the far right of the east elevation the façade is finished in a mixture of snecked granite and granite rubble, with window openings dressed in brick. The short south elevation has a single window opening to each floor, with ground floor openings filled in as elsewhere. The flat roof is covered in concrete flagstones, probably added by the army in the 1970s, and the underlying roof structure has sagged.

BLOCK A2

Sources suggest this block was built within five to ten years of its larger southern neighbour. Measuring roughly 50 metres by 8.5 metres, it is four storeys high when viewed from the west, with a low fifth or loft storey visible from the east. As a result the building has an asymmetric gabled roof; sources indicate this alteration took place in 1871. The lowest two storeys of the east elevation are abutted by the larger former weaving shed C1. A corrugated metal parapet has been added post-1971.

The west elevation is finished in ashlar granite with raised pointing and has a row of window openings to the first to third floors. These are similar to those on A1, but slightly smaller and without surrounds or unusual lintels, with a mixture of multi-pane timber frames and modern style timber replacements, some of which are partly boarded over. The ground floor openings are all filled in. The east elevation has window openings to its two uppermost floors, with only one visible — to the far left and far right — on the second floor. Those to the uppermost floor are considerably smaller. All have granite sills, brick dressings, and replacement uPVC frames.

BLOCK A3

This L-shaped, three-storey, flat-roofed block appears to have been built in two stages: the north-south section dating from 1861 to 1862, and the east-west portion from approximately 1876 to 1878. The latter appears to have been truncated around 1900. The west elevation of the north-south range is much as the west elevation of block A2, but with two relatively small post-1971 single-storey concrete block and corrugated metal projections, and modern replacement frames to almost all windows. As before, the ground floor openings are all filled in, except for a segmental-headed carriage entrance to the far right, which has modern metal doors.

The ground and first floors of the east elevation are abutted by the large former weaving shed C2, and to the left-hand side of the elevation there is a full-height post-1971 extension finished in cement render. The exposed second floor is in granite rubble with brick-dressed window openings. The north elevation of the east-west portion is finished in rock-faced granite, with window openings similar to those on the west elevation of the previous section, but with early 20th century mullioned and transomed timber frames. The south elevation is much as the east elevation of the north-south section, as is the short east elevation, though with all openings filled in with brick. Details to the edge of the east elevation suggest the north elevation was re-faced. The flat roof is hidden by a parapet. At the south end of the roof, where the block abuts A2, there is a utilitarian post-1971 corrugated metal structure.

BLOCK A4

This double-height, hipped-roof block was originally an engine house. It was built in 1903 to designs by W. J. Gilliland of Belfast and, unlike much of the rest of the complex, displays a degree of architectural ambition. The building is roughly square in plan and abuts the left-hand end of the west elevation of block A1. It has rock-faced granite walls (as A3), broken up by pilasters rising from a tall plinth on the north and south sides at least — the west side could not be inspected. Between the piers are window openings with timber frames with moulded mullions and transoms; two of the windows to the north side have been filled in. Above the windows is a projecting string course, above which are roundel windows, now also filled in. There appear to have been a row of small square window openings at basement level, but a change in ground level has obscured most of these, and most of those still exposed have been filled in. The slated roof has an overhang with a bracketed eaves course.

BLOCK B1

Sandwiched between A1 to the west and B2 to the east, this block is three storeys high when viewed from the south and four storeys from the north. Its history and development are difficult to follow, but it is possible that it is one of the earliest structures on the site, built approximately 1845 to 1850 as a two-storey building attached to B2, then raised by two floors, extended westwards to link with A1, and largely re-faced approximately 1876 to 1878. The roof, of corrugated metal with a single pitch, is another post-1971 alteration.

The south elevation is largely similar to the west elevation of A1 in its ashlar granite finish; however most of the openings are filled in, apart from three windows with modern frames to the second floor. On the ground floor to the right, what was formerly a large segmental-headed carriage entrance has been reduced to the size of a pedestrian doorway. The north elevation has a somewhat more untidy appearance, revealing something of the block's evolution. The two lower floors to the left of the carriage entrance are as the south elevation, but the remainder is in granite rubble with a markedly different pattern of fenestration — that is, more, squatter openings with brick dressings. The carriage arch to the far right on the ground floor is open.

BLOCK B2

Evidence suggests this block may be the original mill building of the complex, dating from 1845. Physical evidence and sources indicate it began life as a three-storey structure, with the fourth floor — plus an additional loft level to the southern portion — added in the 1870s. At that point the southern portion was given a new hipped roof (which continued across the recently heightened B1), and a double-profile Belfast truss roof was placed on top of the rest of the building. Around 1920 the latter section was given its present metal-trussed gabled roof, and at some point after 1971 a mono-pitched roof was added to the former. There is a large full-height stair projection to the west elevation, capped by a corrugated metal lean-to roof of similar date, and to the left of this a small single-storey flat-roofed extension, possibly from the early 20th century. The ground floor of the east elevation is abutted by block B3. Roughly at the centre of the same elevation there is a latrine projection similar to those on A1.

The walls throughout are a mixture of squared and rubble granite; subtle and not so subtle changes in the stonework denote the various alterations, particularly on the north elevation. The windows are of similar proportion to those on most of the other blocks, though those to the second floor — which was probably originally the uppermost level — are considerably smaller. All have granite sills and brick dressings. Most have been filled in with red brick, with those to the west elevation boarded over or filled with concrete blocks.

BLOCK B3

Sources suggest this single-storey building, with a part flat, part northlight roof, predates 1860. Its original purpose is uncertain, though details in the 1862 valuation book suggest it may have been a coal shed. It has roughly squared granite walls, with window openings largely similar to those on B2 to the east and south elevations, all of which have been filled in with brick. To the far right of the east elevation, one former window was converted to a pedestrian doorway after 1971 and has since also been filled in, as have two semicircular-headed archways to the north elevation. To the south elevation there is a large, recently inserted or enlarged vehicle entrance with a cement render surround and roller shutter.

BLOCK C1

Block C1 is a large single-storey, double-height, northlight-roofed structure measuring roughly 50 metres by 50 metres, with a bevelled south-eastern corner. It was built in the 1850s as a weaving shed, but after 1971 appears to have been used as a vehicle depot. To the west it abuts block A2 and to the north, block C2. The section at the north end directly abutting C2 appears to have been added or rebuilt in the early 1900s, as its exposed eastern elevation is in brick.

The south elevation has been altered in recent years and now has two large flat-arch vehicle openings to the left-hand side. Much of this elevation is cement rendered, apart from the right-hand edge, which is in a mixture of squared and rubble granite with some brick-dressed window openings, now filled in. The east elevation is also in granite and has variously sized openings dressed and filled in similarly. The brick dressings to most of these openings suggest they are not original. Differences in the stonework show that the building has been heightened; sources indicate this may have been carried out around 1900. The northlight roof has frosted glazed panels to the north-facing sides and slated south-facing sides. The roof is pierced in a north-south direction by a series of metal supports.

BLOCK C2

Attached to the north side of C1 and the east side of A3, C2 is a large single-storey building with a northlight roof, built in 1867 to 1868 as another weaving shed, probably altered in the early 20th century. It is roughly L-shaped, with the east face set at an angle following the line of the road. Due to post-1971 structures to the north, and the boundary wall and a lean-to extension to the east, it is difficult to make out anything of the north and east elevations, apart from a small section of the right-hand end of the latter, which has rubble walling and a filled-in former pedestrian doorway. Other exposed sections of original walling have been rendered. The south-facing sides of the roof are largely covered in corrugated plastic sheeting. The north-facing sides appear to be largely glazed, though a section to the north end is covered in what appears to be felt.

WALLING

The eastern side of the complex, running alongside Derrymore Road, is largely enclosed by a tall rubble wall with rough battlement-like coping. The wall is largely intact except for a section immediately north of the main entrance at the bend in the road, where post-1971 security arrangements appear to have resulted in the demolition of a small section. Beyond this to the north, part of the walling is obscured by corrugated metal cladding, while a wire fence has been placed on top of the remainder of the wall further north. Along this same stretch two original vehicle gateways have survived, each with square dressed granite piers. Most of these piers have lost their capping, except for one to the northern gateway, which has retained a shallow-pitched pyramidal cap with a cast-iron finial originally fitted for a gas lamp. The original gates have been removed and the openings filled in with corrugated metal fencing. To the south side of the main entrance the wall height lowers considerably, merging with the wall of a neighbouring later 19th century dwelling house at 1 Mill Road. Almost directly across the road from the main entrance is the former tram shed built in 1884 to serve the Bessbrook and Newry Tramway.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Linen manufacture in what is now Bessbrook can be traced to 1760 to 1761, when John Pollock opened a bleach green on land acquired from the 4th Viscount Charlemont, later Earl of Charlemont. The name Bessbrook was first recorded in 1779 and probably relates to Pollock's wife, Bess. In 1802 the property was leased from William Pollock by Joseph Nicholson and Sons, who expanded the business and added many of the buildings shown on the 1835 Ordnance Survey map. These included a substantial four-storey yarn mill and a two-storey flax store and drying house, as well as the mill-owner's dwelling — a one-and-a-half-storey house to the east of the mill pond, recorded in the 1836 valuation as measuring 61 feet by 22 by 10½ feet, with returns and additions of 41 by 21½ by 10½ feet, 22 by 12 by 8 feet, and 21½ by 9 by 6 feet. The Nicholsons' mill burnt down in 1839 and they appear to have abandoned the business. In 1845 the family sold Bessbrook to the firm of James Nicholson Richardson and Sons and John Owden.

The Richardsons — a Quaker family and cousins of the Nicholsons, who had previously been involved in bleaching and selling linen cloth — began developing a new mill on the site to the east of the Nicholsons' previous venture. According to the centenary history of the business, the original building was not impressive: "just a small mill with a flat roof in the middle of a green," identified as the structure "at right angles to the main structure." Based on later valuation book evidence and internal detailing — including lower ceiling height, plainer cast-iron columns, and the presence of some timber beams — the original mill appears to have been the south-eastern block (B2), next to what was the main gateway to the complex.

In the late 1840s and 1850s the long main mill (A1) was built on a north-south axis to the west of the original structure, along with the large northlight section (C1) added to the east. The main mill was completed in two stages, with the lower northern section (A2) probably built slightly later but seemingly in place by 1860. It is also possible that both stages were originally three storeys and raised a floor relatively soon afterwards — the stonework and brick of the fourth storey are slightly different, and there are differences to the staircases internally. This work must have been completed by 1862, as both are described as having four floors in the valuation of that year. Various other structures were also added to the north and east of the original mill at this time, including a gasometer, with more to the south-west in the vicinity of the Nicholsons' former mill; it appears that what remained of the 1830s structures themselves was also reused.

The valuation details compiled in August 1862 supply a comprehensive set of dimensions for the complex. In the lower yard to the south and south-west — all described as relatively old structures — these included: bookkeepers' offices (6 by 7 by 2 storeys), a shed office (27 by 5 by 1), further bookkeepers' offices (19 by 7 by 2), another shed office (15 by 16 by 2), a yarn loft factory (38 by 15 by 3 storeys), a shed office (12 by 7 by 1, thatched), a gateway deduction (4 by 15 by 1), an office (21 by 7 by 1, thatched), a building office (9 by 15 by 3), a saw pit shed (26 by 7 by 1, thatched), a yarn loft (12 by 14 by 4), another office (26 by 7 by 1, thatched), a yarn loft (28 by 13 by 4), a drying house (34 by 12 by 2), a weaving shed (44 by 12 by 1, wooden roof), and a gauging house (26 by 8 by 1). In the upper yard — the main complex to the north and east — these included: a factory (90 yards by 15 by 4 storeys), a store office (20 by 5 by 1, relatively old), an addition to the factory (55 by 9 by 4), offices (19 by 11 by 1, relatively old), a lapping room (10 by 15 by 3), offices (15 by 4 by 1, relatively old), a lapping room (50 by 9 by 3), a washhouse (14 by 37 by 1, relatively old), a weaving house (48 by 50 by 1), an office (7 by 4 by 1, relatively old), a boiler house and offices (19 by 6 by 2), a washhouse (37 by 28 by 1, relatively old), drying offices (19 by 27 by 2), a washhouse (18 by 9 by 1, relatively old), coal sheds (27 by 14 by 1), an office (15 by 4 by 1, relatively old), a mechanics' shop (20 by 8 by 2), an office (10 by 4 by 1, relatively old), a weaving factory (29 by 18 by 3), an office (20 by 7 by 1, relatively old), a small office (3 by 3 by 1), an office (5 by 5 by 1, thatched), a porch in the yard (4 by 4 by 3), a drying house (13 by 7 by 1, relatively old), a turner's workshop (11 by 5 by 1, relatively old), a shed (9 by 6 by 1, relatively old), a forge (10 by 4 by 1, thatched and relatively old), another shed (10 by 6 by 1, thatched), a house (6 by 4 by 3, relatively old), a retort house (9 by 11 by 1, relatively old). Due to subsequent demolition and the valuers' method of measuring — sometimes dividing structures into sections and dealing with them separately — it is difficult to equate much of the above with what survives today. The presence of a long 50-yard three-storey structure does suggest, however, that the north-south portion of the lengthy building (A3) at the north end of the main mill was complete by that date.

In 1863, John Grubb Richardson became sole owner and began the planned development of Bessbrook as a model village. The expansion of the village went hand in hand with the expansion of the mill. In 1867 the valuers recorded that "a new large weaving factory" for damask weaving was under construction — undoubtedly the large northlight-roofed building at the north-eastern corner of the complex (C2). This was completed the following year along with the installation of 110 horsepower steam engines and 80 new weaving looms, as well as new coal and cart sheds. A year later 60 additional looms were installed — bringing the total to 460 — together with a new gasometer measuring 54 feet by 16 feet. In 1871 a new lapping room storey measuring 36 yards by 9 yards was added, most probably the loft level of block A2. The 60 additional looms installed in 1869 were undoubtedly those invented by Henry Barcroft, one of the firm's employees. Later known as the Bessbrook Machine, this loom revolutionised damask weaving in terms of both efficiency and quality of output, spreading the name of the business throughout the global linen trade.

Between 1876 and 1878 further work was carried out to the complex. A third-storey lapping room addition is mentioned as being added to one section, along with what appears to have been a loft storey with a felt roof for holding yarn. The latter may have been placed on top of the original 1845 mill building (B2), where the coursing of the fourth-storey stonework is noticeably different, as are the brick dressings; this section also had a Belfast truss felt roof. Changes to the main mill building are also alluded to, along with alterations to the section between the main mill and the original structure. As this section is clad in dressed granite, it is likely that the long similarly clad west façade of the main mill was re-faced at this stage.

By 1880 the mill had largely assumed the form it was to retain until the 1970s, as confirmed both by the absence of new builds in the valuation records and by a print of the complex dating from no later than 1888, which shows the major surviving structures in place. There were several important later additions: a new engine or pump house to the west side of the main mill in 1903 (A4), designed by W. J. Gilliland of Belfast; and in the early 1920s a fifth storey — complete with castellated piers — added to the large southernmost part of the main mill. The weaving sheds appear to have been altered around the same date.

The mill closed around 1970. The following year the site was requisitioned by the army, which required a base in the area at the onset of the Troubles. Structures in the centre of the complex between the weaving sheds and the 1845 south-eastern section were cleared, along with most of the peripheral buildings to the east, south, and south-west, including the pre-1830s mill-owner's dwelling next to the mill pond. Various additions were made to the remaining buildings, including a large toilet block to the east side of the main mill and changes to the roofs of many buildings; a tall security fence was erected around the complex. The army left Bessbrook in the summer of 2007 and the buildings were vacant at the time of assessment in September 2007.