Historic Buildings Record · Northern Ireland
Water screening house
Carrigenagh Upper, Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade B2
- Grade
- B2
- Type
- Water Works Structures
- Date of listing
- 15 March 1996
- Date of construction
- 1940 - 1959
- Address
- Water screening house, Silent Valley reservoir, Head Road, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4PU
- Townland
- Carrigenagh Upper
- Council
- Newry, Mourne and Down
- Country
- Northern Ireland
- Coordinates
- 54.12693, -6.00080
- Date of survey
- 31 July 1997
- HB reference
- HB16/02/026
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesNational Library of Scotland
Shown on 3 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1906 "Edinburgh. Scottish Lake District. Index Map: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
The Department's description
Exterior description and setting
One-storey building containing water screening plant. Of rock-faced granite blocks in irregular courses over chamfered projecting base and embellished with stepped ashlar granite quoins and oversailing ashlar parapet to flat concrete roof. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Metal roller shutter door on south-west façade, with ashlar granite surround. Paired 1/1 windows (top opening, bottom hung), also with ashlar surrounds (chamfered cills).
‘1950’ datestone over door, with bronze plaques either side. That to left details the duplicate aqueduct which this screening plant services, and also lists BC & DWC officials; that to the right details history of Mourne Scheme and need for this new aqueduct.
Historical information
Although this building was completed in 1950, it was only with the opening of the Bignian tunnel in 1952 that it came into service. Supplied an additional aqueduct belonging to Belfast City & District Water Commissioners between the Silent Valley and Dunnywater (Annalong valley). This new conduit was necessitated by the construction of the Slieve Bignian tunnel, which diverted the headwaters of the Annalong River into the Silent Valley reservoir. The existing conduit, opened in 1901, was of insufficient capacity (it had originally been intended to construct a reservoir in the Annalong valley), hence the need for the second one. Contractor was McLaughlin & Harvey (Belfast), BCDWC engineer was R.H. McCullough, and consulting engineers were Binnie, Deacon & Gourley (Westminster).
Primary Sources:
1. Original map and drawing in DOE Water Service, Westland House, Old Westland Rd, Belfast (cat. no. 4D book 1).
2. Bronze plaques on wall.
Secondary Sources:
1. G. McIldowie ‘The construction of the Silent Valley reservoir, Belfast water supply’ in Proc. Institution Civil Engineers, N. Ireland Branch (Belfast 1934).
2. Belfast City & District Water Commissioners ‘The Mourne Scheme’ (Belfast 1959).
Criteria for listing: architectural interest
A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting
K. Group value
Criteria for listing: historic interest
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
V. Authorship
Evaluation
Of similar style to the 1933 screening house (HB16/02/025), thought has obviously gone into the design of this utilitarian building. It is functionally related to the Bignian tunnel (HB16/01/041 and is one of a number of water-related building hereabouts (the above screening house; also scour valve house, HB16/02/024, and lime dosing plant, HB16/02/062). The bronze plaques in the walls are an integral part of the story of the Mourne Water Scheme.
Nearby in the register
- Screening chamber (1933)Water Works Structuresunder 1 mi
- Lime dosing plantWater Works Structuresunder 1 mi
- Scour valve house etcWater Works Structuresunder 1 mi
- Exhibition hutGallery/ Museumunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.