Former workshop

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Description
This two-storey block is aligned NW-SE and comprises two buildings. Building 1 is at the NW end and is the earlier of the two. Its SE gable is abutted by Building 2.

Building 1
This two-storey, single-bay building has a pitched natural slate roof, many of which are now missing. Brick chimney, now in poor repair, on SE gable. Half-round rainwater goods, partly missing. Walls of random rubble field stones, with brick eaves and vestiges of whitewashed lime render.
The SW elevation, facing the river, has four window openings to GF, all with flat brick heads and jambs. Their cills, where surviving, comprise clay tiles stamped “Clayton’s/ Agivey/ Patent”. The window at left has remains of a 3x1-pane timber-framed window. There are five FF window opes, detailed as, and in line with, those below (but with shallow segmental heads). Small rectangular ope at the bottom left corner of the fourth window from left; it was probably to facilitate the handling of long lengths of timber inside the FF (there is a corresponding ope on the NE elevation).
The NW gable is abutted to GF by a single-storey continuation (no wall break), the roof of which has collapsed and into which there is now no access. The gable above, on the main building, has completely collapsed.
The NE elevation, fronting the yard, is also five openings wide. On the GF, there is a pedestrian doorway (with timber half-door) and three window opes to left and middle, and a much wider double-leaf timber door at right. There are four windows to FF and a wide double-leaf timber loading door at right; these opes are in line with those below and detailed as the SW elevation. The second FF window from left has a rectangular opening at its bottom right corner which corresponds with the ope on the SW elevation.

Roof: Natural slate.
Walling: Rubble stone.
Windows: 3x1-pane timber
Rainwater goods: Half-round metal gutters.

Building 2
This two-storey, single-bay building abuts the SE gable of Building 1 and is slightly lower. Its GF is a continuation of Building 1, but its FF has been added; there is a clear wall break between them at this level. Pitched roof is covered with clay pantiles. Rainwater goods missing. Walls of random rubble field stones, with brick to eaves and partly to quoins.
SW elevation has two window opes to GF and FF. The two GF ones are obscured by dense overgrowth. The left ope at FF is trimmed with brick, but the other is of stone and has been infilled with concrete blocks.
SE gable is abutted to GF by a now-ruinous single-storey with a pitched roof, now collapsed, but the ghost of which is discernible in the gable. There are two 3x1-pane windows to FF and a metal door to the gable apex.
NE elevation has a pedestrian doorway at left and wide opening at right on GF. The latter has a pre-cast concrete head and concrete block jambs. At FF level is a window at left, and double-leaf loading door at right.

Roof: Clay pantile.
Walling: Rubble stone.
Windows: Missing.
Rainwater goods: Missing.

Setting
The premises overlook the Macosquin River to the SW and are enclosed to all sides by open fields. The block under review partly delineates the SW side of a small yard in which there is a derelict single-storey, single-bay shed with corrugated-metal roof supported on timber uprights and with open sides. Loose brick in yard is stamped “P & M Hurll Ltd”.
A gate at the NW corner of the yard gives access to an unsurfaced laneway from Knockduff Road. This lane, now partly overgrown, formerly continued over the river on a footbridge which was apparently removed when the river was dredged.

Historical information

Although a small building is shown at the NW end of this block on the 1832 and 1852 OS maps, it is not until the 1904 map that it is first shown in its present configuration. It is similarly depicted on subsequent editions.
According to the present owner, the workshop housed in the building was established by Mr Forbes Arthur, who was succeeded by this son John Forbes Arthur. It then passed to his sons John Forbes and James, but they never operated it. It contained a blacksmiths shop on the ground floor for the shoeing of horses and the fabrication and repair of agricultural implements and machinery. There was a carpenter’s shop on the first floor, where cartwheels, wooden implements etc were fabricated.
It is impossible to determine from the valuation revision books when exactly the workshop was erected. However, an F Arthur is first cited in 1879 as occupying an ‘office’ at this location. He probably established the workshop in the 1880s, before handing it over to John Forbes Arthur c.1891. However, the first explicit mention in the valuations of a forge is not until the 1936 valuation revision entry, John Forbes being recorded as the occupant of a house, forge and offices, all rated at five shillings.
As noted in the site description, some of the bricks bear the legend ‘Clayton’s Patent’. This refers to Henry Clayton of the Atlas Works, London, who patented machines for producing tiles, bricks and drain pipes. He exhibited them at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, and at the London Exhibition of 1862. The bricks were actually made in Agivey, probably at the former brickworks just NW of Brickhill Bridge (HB03/03/022).
As was noted as well, one of the bricks carries the name ‘P & M Hurll Ltd’. This refers to Peter & Mark Hurll, a firm of Scottish brick makers who established their partnership c.1887 and operated up to 1980. Their brickworks were at Drumchapel (Glasgow), Glenbogie (North Lanarkshire) and Bo’ness (Falkirk).

References – Primary sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/5/11/1. First edition OS six-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 11 (1832).
2. PRONI OS/6/5/11/2. Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 11 (1852).
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/11B. Valuation revision book, 1864-80, p.60 (1879).
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/11D. Valuation revision book, 1890-98, p.86 (1891).
5. PRONI OS/10/5/11/8/1. First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 11-08 (1904).
6. PRONI OS/10/5/11/8/2. Second edition OS 25-inch map, Co Londonderry sheet 11-08 (1923).
7. PRONI VAL/3/E/5/2B. Valuation revision book, 1936-52, p.171.
8. PRONI OS/111/31/1/1. First edition OS 25-inch IG map, sheet 31-01 (1973).

References – Secondary sources:
1. Information from present owner (2013).
2. Clayton’s Patent: , and www.gracesguide.co.uk/1862_London_Exhibition:_Catalogue:_Class_7.:_Henry_Clayton_and_Co> ((accessed 22/04/2013).
3. P & M Hurll: (accessed 22/04/2013).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A large derelict two-storey former forge and carpenter’s workshop of later 19th century date. Although this building is of note because of its somewhat uncommon function and makers' names on some of its construction materials, it is not of special architectural or historical significance.