Well House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This building is situated on the Kilkeel – Annalong section of the Mourne Conduit. It contains valve gear which regulates the flow into the Dunnywater siphon (across the Annalong Valley, to its north). It is a one-storey/ single-bay building with a pitched natural slate roof (with finely dressed knee stones and raised chamfered verges). Ogee cast-iron gutters. Walls of rock-faced granite blocks set in irregular courses over a chamfered plinth. There is a central window to each side wall and north-facing gable, all now infilled with concrete blocks. There is a wrought-iron double-leaf door in the south gable, with segmental head over. The dressings to the door and windows are of rusticated granite. In each gable apex is a ventilation roundel, also now infilled (these formerly had louvres).

Historical information

Erected by Messrs Fisher and Le Fanu for the Belfast City and District Water Commissioners (BCDWC). It is one of four identical structures on the Mourne Conduit, which is fed by the Annalong and Kilkeel Rivers and runs to Belfast. The other well houses are at Tullybranigan (HB18/13/071), Ballykine (HB18/06/013) and Creevytenant (HB18/01/028); there is a fifth at Dunnywater (HB16/01/051). All appear to have been designed by BCDWC Engineer L.L. Macassey.

This well house is at the south end of the Dunnywater siphon (a piped section of conduit carrying the water across a valley, in this case the Annalong Valley). It contains a valve which automatically regulates the flow of water into the pipe (and thus regulates its internal water pressure), and also cut it off when necessary for inspection purposes.

Although the conduit between Dunnywater and Belfast came on stream in 1901, it was not until the Brackenagh Tunnel was completed in 1903 that this particular well house came into operation.

Primary sources:
1. Original drawing of the well house in DOE Water Service, Westland House, Old Westland Rd, Belfast (cat. no. 3A19).
2. PRONI – Documents relating to progress of Brackenagh tunnel (WAT 1/3CG/7).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
V. Authorship

Evaluation

Somewhat incongruous amongst the low granite field walls hereabouts, this modest utilitarian structure has been carefully executed in distinctive BCDWC style. It has historical interest and group value due to its association with the first phase of the Mourne Scheme (Silent Valley – Dunnywater conduit).