Former Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society factory ('The Scotch Stores')

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.

MIDDLE SECTION- ‘FACTORY’ (HB12/19/025c)
To the immediate S the ‘office’ section to the N end, is a slightly lower, much plainer section, which looks as though it belonged to the ‘factory’ proper. This section basically consists of a large square block, which is two storey to the E and single storey to the W, with four shallow, conjoined hipped roofs, now covered in corrugated metal sheeting.

East elevation
To the ground floor of the east elevation there are a series of very large shop windows and doors with modern signage over. To the first floor there is a small original window (with segmental head) to the far left with four much larger (square-ish) windows to the right of this, all of which appear to be recent enlargements. All have modern frames. To the left hand side a large portion of this elevation projects.

West elevation
As mentioned above, the W elevation is single storey and fronts right on to Old Henry Street. It has five large square windows with modern glazing, and a large doorway to the far right. All of the openings appear to have been enlarged in recent years.

The exposed part of the S elevation of this section, (which can be seen from the rear yard off Old Henry Street), is now blank, all of openings having been blocked up.

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

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Low middle portion of the 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 later. Since the later 1970s it has been occupied with mainly shop / workshop units of various sizes and many window openings enlarged throughout. To the south end there are some large modern extensions, possibly dating from the 1960s or early 1970s.