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.

SOUTH SECTION- ‘FACTORY / WAREHOUSE’ (HB12/19/025d)
This very long, narrow section is, like much of the rest of the building, is two storey to the W and single storey to the E. It is taller and more ornate than the ‘middle section’ described immediately above, having some Jacobean gables similar to those on the house and the ‘office’ section to the N end of the complex. It has a slated gabled roof.

East elevation
To the ground floor of the west elevation there are a series of large square shop windows with fixed light glazing and with some incorporating glazed doors. Most of these openings appear to be recent enlargements of smaller windows, though one shop front (that to the restaurant to the right hand side) is set within what appears to be an original arched doorway. A window and doorway to the far left (the meat shop) also appear to be original. To the first floor there are 16 (original) windows, mainly with fixed light glazing. Each of the three evenly spaced gables have a further ‘attic’ window. The outer gables are smaller than that to the centre and consequently their windows are narrower.

West elevation
The W elevation is single storey and faces into the rear yard and has a uniform line of windows and some timber sheeted pedestrian doors. Most of the windows have metal security bars over. A doorway to the far left has been blocked up. A portion of the façade to the far right is rendered. There is a large gabled dormer to this side, whose opening is now sheeted over. The dormer looks as though it originally acted as a loft door.

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
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

South section of warehousing on a 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.