Thistlebank House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long, mainly two storey, well mannered late Victorian rubble-built former factory and integral manager’s house, with large Jacobean gables and overall ‘Highland lodge’ feel. The complex, which originally belonged to the Scottish Wholesale Cooperative Society and used for processing livestock, is believed to have been built in 1893 to designs by Thomas Elliot, but it shear length, differing roof heights and levels of detailing suggests that some portions may have been added a few years afterwards. Since the later 1970s it has been occupied with mainly shop / workshop units of various size and some new large window openings have been installed in the process. To the south end there are some large modern extensions, possibly dating from the 1960s or early 1970s. The property is located to the W side of Sligo Road and the E of Old Henry Street, on the SW edge of Enniskillen.

[For the purposes of this description, only the four main compass points will be used.]
The building runs roughly N to S, curving in line with the above mentioned roads. In plan form it is irregular. To the N end is the house (‘Thistle Bank House’). To its S the house merges with a much larger block, which must have once contained offices, but is now filled with shops with a large portion to the E used as the meeting place for a local church. This in turn merges with a large, plainer, lower proportioned block which probably housed most of the factory proper as it were, but is now occupied by more shops, a snooker hall etc. To S of this is a long narrow block, (possibly originally warehouses), slightly taller and slightly more ornate than that to the immediate N. This section also contains shops along with a bingo hall and restaurant. To the very S end the complex appears to have been somewhat extended in more recent years [?c.1970s], with the addition of plain flat roofed sections (also filled with shops).

To the W of the building the ground level rises so that the much of the block is single storey to this side. To this side also there is a long narrow enclosed yard with a long gabled outbuilding, which, like its larger neighbour is two storey to the E but single storey to the W. To the S gable of there is a tall square, battered brick chimney (the outbuilding obviously once contained a boiler or a boiling house). Much of the complex is in squared rock-faced [?lime]stone with smooth dressings and quoins. Throughout much of the building there has been considerable alteration in recent years in terms of window and door openings and the application of modern signage, especially to the E façade where it fronts on to the busy Sligo Road.

THISTLE BANK HOUSE (HB12/19/025a)
As mentioned above, the house lies to the very N end of the block, at the Y junction of Sligo Road and Old Henry Street, with a small wedge shaped garden it front enclosed by a low wall extending from the house itself. It is two storey set on a basement / semi-basement. The latter level (because of the lower ground level of the Sligo Road), is only exposed to the E side.

The front (N) façade is asymmetrical. To the centre is the main entrance, which consists of a panelled door with semicircular fanlight, all set within a semicircular headed recess with smooth dressings (all original openings have similar dressings). To the left of this is are paired sash windows separated by a sandstone ‘mullion’. To the right of the entrance is a canted bay with slated hipped roof and sash window to each face. To the left and centre of the first floor are two sash windows with vertical glazing bars (2 panes over 2) and segmental heads. Above each of these windows is a small decorative gable with a roundel panel thereon. To the right hand side of the first floor is a shallow bay with rises to a larger decorative gable with similar roundel. Within the bay is a pair of taller sash windows with semicircular heads. All of the first floor windows to this side rest on a sandstone sill course.

The E façade (which faces directly on to the Sligo Road), consists of a broad Jacobean (or Flemish) gable, with stone coping and end corbels, which also incorporates a tall stone chimney stack. The gable is three storey. To ground level is the ‘basement’ storey which has two small sash windows (with security bars over) to left and a low timber sheeted stable door to right. This doorway was originally a window. To the first floor, (actually the ground floor), there is a pair of taller sash windows to the left (both 2/1) with similar single window to the right (2/2). To the second (i.e. first) floor there is a pair of sash windows with semicircular heads to the left and a single sash window, with segmental arch head (all 2/2). The windows to this floor are set on a sill course.

The W gable is two storey. To the ground floor right there is a small-ish window, with modern frame, and an adjoining timber sheeted door with tall fanlight. To the first floor there are two windows to the right, similar is size to that on the ground floor but with sash frames (2/2). Ther is a door in the south corner wher it meets the projecting wall of the factory.

The gabled roof of the house is slated. Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

This complex is believed to have been built in 1893 by the Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society as a creamery and livestock processing facility, with associated offices and a manager’s house. It was designed by Thomas Elliot, but one suspects that it may not all have been built at the same time, for the lower proportions and plainer façade of the ‘middle’ / ‘factory’ section suggests it may have been added at a later date; however, this is not certain.

The complex survived as an animal processing facility until the mid to later 1970s, after which much of it was converted to shop units. The extensions may have been added to the south end at this point or perhaps in the 1960s. The former manager’s dwelling, (‘Thistle Bank House’), now serves as a private residence.

References- Secondary sources
1 Hugh Dixon, ‘Historic buildings…Enniskillen’ (Belfast 1973), pp.38, 47
2 Jeremy Williams, ‘A companion guide to Architecture in Ireland 1837-1921 (Blackrock, Irish Academic Press, 1994), p.198
3. Helen Lanigan Wood 'Fermanagh' p 56

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
F. Structural System
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Well mannered late Victorian rubble-built former managers house forming an integral part of the former Scotch Stores factory , with large Jacobean gables and overall ‘Highland lodge’ feel. The complex, which originally belonged to the Scottish Wholesale Cooperative Society and used for processing livestock, is believed to have been built in 1893 to designs by Thomas Elliot, but it shear length, differing roof heights and levels of detailing suggests that some portions may have been added a few years later. The house is presently well maintained and has some unusual interior features.