38 & 39 Merchant's Quay, Newry, Co Down, BT35 8HF

A four-storey, two-bay warehouse fronting Merchant's Quay in Newry, facing east towards the Newry Canal. Built in the mid-19th century (first documented in the 1863 Valuation, though dating to around 1840–1859), it exemplifies Newry's role as a trading centre. The building comprises two units: No. 38 was originally leased by William B Glenny to Alexander Arbuthnot and John Nesbitt, and No. 39 to Hugh J Wallace, both described as stores.

Of the original structure, only the front facade survives; everything else has been demolished and rebuilt with modern materials. The facade is constructed of coursed and snecked squared granite rubble, all repointed with cement. The left quoin has been rebuilt with concrete blocks, as this was originally an infill building with no quoins. The gabled roof features artificial slates and metal rainwater goods.

The frontage contains numerous door and window openings arranged vertically in line across all floors. Ground floor windows have finely dressed granite cills and one-piece lintels; the first and second floors have keystoned lintels. The ground floor contains eight openings: a wide rectangular window with finely dressed granite jambs and one-piece lintel with modern metal panel infill; a sheeted modern metal door; a metal roller shuttered opening (two window bays wide) extending through the first floor with brick jambs and an infilled semicircular head with decorative metal grille; another sheeted metal door; a window matching the first; another sheeted door; a large metal-gated arch providing passage to the rear; and another window. The first floor has eight openings, all infilled with metal panels, including window openings, the head of the ground floor arch, and loading doors. The second floor has ten openings, all with metal panel infill, comprising window openings and loading doors. The third floor has openings in line with those below: four 1/1 top-opening metal casement windows, two loading doors with metal infill panels, and four further window openings. Above each line of loading doors is a modern slated gable with barge boards and finial; the apex hole through which the cantilevered hoisting beam originally projected is now infilled. Metal tie rods have been inserted across all upper floors.

The right gable is abutted by a higher building. The left gable is abutted by a lower modern building, with the exposed section cement rendered. The rear wall has been completely rebuilt, with the top floor in red brick and no exposed openings to the rear of the main block. A modern extension abuts the rear facade, leaving only the top floor of the main structure exposed. The extension has a flat profiled metal roof, sloped along its facade with two mock dormers, and contains two modern shop frontages along its facade. The passageway from the front emerges through the side wall at left. A large metal weighbridge, possibly associated with the warehouse, stands at the front on the canal side of the road.

Valuation maps from the 1860s–1930s indicate that each unit originally had a rear return, now demolished. The building is of industrial archaeological interest and lies within a conservation area.