2-3 Sugarhouse Quay, Newry, Co Down, BT35 6HZ

This multi-storey warehouse complex stands directly on the south side of the Newry Canal at Sugarhouse Quay, with its principal façades facing northwest. The complex comprises six contiguous blocks arranged around a central courtyard. The buildings date to the 19th century and originally functioned as commercial warehouse premises.

Block 1

Block 1 runs along the street frontage and consists of two distinct sections with a lean-to addition at the rear.

Block 1.1 is a four-storey block, single-bay deep and four openings wide. It has a natural slate roof hipped to its left side. An artificially slated dormer gable rises from the eaves above loading doors at the second opening from the left. The gutters are missing. The façade is finished in smooth lined render with a raised brick eaves course. At the extreme left of the ground floor is a large double-leaf door. Above this, each of the three upper floors has a single shuttered window opening, all fitted with metal security bars. To the right of each upper floor window is a painted timber loading door, with a cantilevered hoisting beam positioned in the apex of the dormer gable. To the right of the second and third floor loading doors are two shuttered window openings on each floor. Below the lower pair of windows is a painted wall sign advertising the previous occupant, Small, Bennett & Co, Engineering Contractors. None of the windows in this block, or any other block in the complex, have sills.

The left gable is built of random rubble granite with squared quoins and a raised brick eaves course. A shuttered window opening sits under the eaves at the centre, with jambs partly of brick. The right gable forms a party wall with Block 1.2.

The rear elevation is abutted at the middle by Block 2 and on the left by Block 1.3. At ground floor right, the coach arch emerges. It now has a flat concrete head but retains its original segmental brick arch; the void between the old and new head is infilled with concrete blocks. There is also a small shuttered window opening to the top floor.

Block 1.2 matches Block 1.1 in height with four floors. An artificial slate roofed gable rises from the eaves at the middle, directly above loading doors in the second opening from the right. The main pitched roof is sarked and felted to the left of this gable and artificially slated to the right. It has plastic gutters.

At ground floor left is a large vehicle entrance rising to the top of the first floor. It has a rolled steel joist lintel and contains a pair of tongue-and-groove doors, partly metal-sheeted. Above it, at second floor, is a window opening. The middle section has painted timber loading half-doors to the second and third floors. There was formerly also a door at first floor, but this is now rendered over, as has a small window in line at ground floor. A cantilevered hoisting beam sits in the gable apex.

At the right is a painted timber door to the ground floor. Above, and offset to its left, is a single window opening to the first and second floors (no window to top floor); the middle floor opening has metal security bars. The right gable is abutted by a lower two-storey house. The left gable forms a party wall with Block 1.1. The back wall is abutted to eaves level by Block 1.3. A slate-hung gable rises from eaves level at the middle, in line with the loading door gable to the front.

Block 1.3 is a three-storey lean-to addition to the street-front blocks with an artificial slate monopitch roof. It has random rubble granite walls with a raised brick eaves course and half-round metal gutters. At centre right (as viewed from the rear) is the vehicle entrance. Its rolled steel joist lintel cuts through a segmental brick arch. At ground floor left are two window openings, one of which has been created in a partially infilled door. In line at first floor are two similar openings, one with metal security bars. There are two similar openings to the second floor, and a third opening over the vehicle passage. All openings except those at top floor have segmental brick heads, and all have brick jambs. The left gable is abutted by Block 5. The right-hand end is abutted by Block 2.

Block 2

This four-storey return block cuts into the roofline of Block 1.1 towards its left end as viewed from the street. It has a pitched roof hipped on its back (south) gable. The front section is sheeted in corrugated metal, and the back section in natural slate. A square brick chimney rises from the front gable. It has half-round asbestos cement gutters and random granite rubble walls with raised brick eaves.

The principal elevation faces east, away from the complex. It is abutted on the left by Block 3. The remainder of the wall is three openings wide. At ground floor centre is a pair of metal-sheeted doors. Directly above, on each of the three upper floors, is a set of double-leaf painted timber loading half-doors. There is a cantilevered hoisting beam at eaves level (no gable over). Symmetrically arranged at left and right on each upper floor is a single shuttered window (all but one with metal security bars). The ground floor windows are infilled with concrete blocks. All but one of the openings on this elevation have brick jambs and all the windows have brick heads. There are metal patress plates to the second and third floors. A small single-storey shed with corrugated-metal lean-to roof abuts at the left in the corner with Block 3.

The elevation facing into the yard is slate hung to its upper floors. It is abutted on the left by Block 1.3 and on the right by Block 4. At ground floor left, in the angle with Block 1.3, is an abutting single-storey corrugated metal shed. There is a modern door at ground floor right. There are two windows to the first floor, one to the second, and two to the third. All are irregularly arranged and have segmental brick heads. There are patress plates to the second and third floors (as per the corresponding opposite wall). The gable facing south has small window openings to the upper floors.

Block 3

This block abuts the south end of the east wall of Block 2. It is four storeys high with a hipped natural slate roof, random granite rubble walls and raised brick eaves. The elevation to the north (towards the street) has a modern tongue-and-groove door in an original opening at ground floor. To its left is a timber-framed top-hung window, again in an original opening. Above the door, at first and second floors, is a window opening; the lower one has metal security bars, and the upper one wooden bars. At third floor are two window openings, one with metal security bars; unlike the other windows to this elevation, both have brick jambs and heads.

The elevation to the east (away from the complex) has brick quoins to the street end of the top floor. The ground floor was formerly abutted by a gabled single-storey building, the ghost of which is still clearly evident. The ground floor is rendered over. At first floor is an infilled brick-headed door. The remaining two floors above each have a single window opening with brick heads, now infilled. The gable facing south is abutted up to second floor by a building in another property. There are several small window openings to its third floor.

Block 4

This double-pile four-storey building abuts the south end of the west wall of Block 2. It runs parallel with Block 1 along the south side of the yard. The walls are of granite rubble brought to courses with raised brick eaves. Gutters are missing. It has a pitched natural slate roof.

The elevation to the yard (north facing) is four openings wide. The entrance comprises a double-leaf tongue-and-groove door in the third opening from the left. Similar doors sit directly above to each of the upper floors. To the left are two window openings to each floor; at right is a single window opening to each floor. All these openings have segmental brick heads. The window openings also have brick jambs and each has a two-paned timber window frame. There are metal patress plates to all floors.

The right gable (as viewed from the yard) is abutted at the middle by Block 5. There is a single window opening at left to each of the upper floors; the first floor opening retains its timber framework. All have segmental heads and brick jambs. The left end abuts Block 2. The rear wall has windows to the upper floors.

Block 5

This two-storey block links Blocks 4 and 6. It has a flat roof and concrete block walls. The elevation to the yard contains a door at first floor, accessed by a metal ladder. It is of no architectural interest.

Block 6

This two-storey block runs along the west side of the yard and is aligned parallel with Block 2. It has a pitched roof, partly artificial and partly natural slated, with asbestos-cement gutters, partly missing. The walls are random rubble granite.

The elevation to the yard has, at the middle, a large modern door with a concrete lintel. Miscellaneous infilled and new openings lie to its left. Three window openings to the first floor (two are original and all have modern window inserts). The south gable is abutted by Block 5. The north end abuts the rear of Block 1.2 and part of adjoining premises. The elevation away from the yard (west facing) is partly abutted by a single-storey link block to a shop on Sugar Island.

Partial Demolition

Partial demolition took place during the week commencing 11 October 2004. In Block 1.1, the roof was demolished and the top floor partially demolished. Rubble has fallen through the other floors and also into the kiln. Shutters to all windows in the front wall are gone. In Block 1.2, the roof and top floor were demolished down to the heads of openings on the floor below. Rubble is lying on the third floor. Timber loading half-doors to the centre opening in the upper front wall are gone. The remaining buildings on the site are as recorded previously.