10 College Square North, Bessbrook, Co.Armagh

A two-storey, two-bay late-Victorian mill workers' terraced dwelling, built around 1890 of local stone to designs by an unknown architect, though possibly the work of civil engineer Mr John Hardy. The building has an L-plan form facing southeast with a single-storey rear return.

Architectural Character

Number 10 forms part of a formal late-Victorian square comprising 53 dwellings arranged on three sides around a central bowling green and playground, primarily accessed from Fountain Street to the southeast. The terraced row of twelve houses forms the northern side of College Square. These buildings are distinctly larger two-storey structures with steeply pitched roofs compared to the terraces on the other sides of the square.

The building is constructed of generally random-coursed rock-faced local Newry Granodiorite walling with stepped red brick dressings to window and door jambs, stone cills, and square-headed gauged-brick door and window openings. The pitched natural slate roof features roll-top black clay ridge tiles. Flush eaves are detailed with separate red and buff brick eaves courses and an alternating red and buff brick corbel course above. The chimney to the southwest, which has been rebuilt in rustic brick, has four terracotta clay pots; the northeast chimney has four buff clay pots. Guttering is generally uPVC with half-round guttering and circular section downpipes, though metal guttering is retained to the front southeast elevation.

Principal Elevation

The front elevation faces southeast and is flush with the terrace. It is near-symmetrical with regular fenestration: two windows at first-floor level aligned with ground-floor openings, all featuring double-hung 1/1 sliding timber sash windows with horns. A painted panelled timber door with two glazed upper panels, brass furniture, and a square-headed fanlight above is positioned between the ground-floor windows, with a window to its southwest side. A modest-sized front garden is enclosed by red brick dwarf walling topped with hooped painted metal railings, with a similar foot gate hung on slim posts to the northeast. A paved path leads from the gate to the front door.

Rear Elevation and Return

The northwest-facing rear return projects into an enclosed rear yard and comprises a single-storey pitched roof structure. Where visible, the elevation shows original stone walling at ground-floor level with a timber sash window to the centre and a diminutive window to the right (southwest). The rear return has a painted smooth cement render finish with painted timber facia. The yard boundary is formed by random-coursed rock-faced local stone walling with concrete coping and a painted sheeted timber door leading to the yard. A single-storey outbuilding with a flat concrete roof occupies the western corner of the rear yard.

Setting

Number 10 is integrated within the planned arrangement of College Square, which comprises formal east, north, and west terraces arranged around a central bowling green, playground, and lawn. Each house is set back from the perimeter public road and footpath with a modest front yard typically enclosed by dwarf walling topped by hooped metal railings. Rear yards are typically enclosed by random-coursed rubble stone walling with square-headed door openings onto a wide rear access route.

The eastern terrace comprises 23 dwellings stepped in groups of six to respect the subtle site relief, terminating at its southeastern end with the village 'Town Hall' (the old Institute building). The western terrace contains 18 dwellings arranged mostly in pairs in a similar style but with some differences in detailing, with the former school building located at its southeastern end.

The central area of the square is now divided into three sections laid to lawn. The northwestern section contains a bowling pavilion and green enclosed by painted hooped metal railings with established trees at its northwest boundary. A lawn enclosed by hooped metal railings lies to the southeast, and an open children's playground with three granite monuments occupies the centre. One monument records those who served the Bessbrook firm for nearly 50 years, including George Wright (Head Mason), John McClelland (Head Millwright), Michael Boyle (Flax Buyer), Robert Ross (Mill Manager), and Austin Kennedy (Rougher), erected in 1911. Another commemorates James N. Richardson with a garden and playground arranged by his wife in November 1927, with an inscription noting it was the last stone cut from Bessbrook quarry. A third monument, recently moved from Bessbrook Mill grounds, details the mill's history from its ownership by the Pollock family in 1760 to Bessbrook Spinning Co Ltd in 1878.