Warehouse

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey symmetrical warehouse aligned east – west along the south side of the former canal basin. Abutting at west and south is a one-storey/ double-pile shed with Belfast truss roofs.

Pitched artificial slate roof with raised rendered right verge. Half-round metal rainwater goods to front.

Walls are of quarried granite rubble laid randomly over a raised base course. Painted chamfered brick trim is used along the top of the base course, on a projecting string course between ground and first floors, along the eaves, and as trimming around the doors and windows (both with stepped jambs).

The main facade, which faces north, is 13 openings wide on both floors. The main entrance is at ground floor centre. This opening now has a flat concrete head and a modern roller shutter door. There is a smaller roller shutter door in the third opening from left (with timber head); this opening has a pair of Gothic brick relieving arches over (identical to those over the paired windows to its left). The remaining 11 ground floor openings contain windows. Their jambs and Gothic heads have stop-end chamfers, and their sloping cills are of dressed granite; all have metal security bars fitted to their outsides. The space between the top of the window frames and underside of the heads is infilled with brick (the bottom edge of which is also stop-end chamfered). The five windows to left of the main entrance are 2/2 sliding sash timber; the two at extreme left are paired. The six windows to right of the entrance are four-paned windows of diminished height; the space between their bottom frames and cills are infilled with brick set in herringbone pattern.

All the first floor openings are in line with those below. At middle is a red-painted t+g loading door, the head of which is partially contained in a gable which rises above eaves level (and which has plain collared bargeboards). There are three small four-pane fixed windows on either side of this door. These are flanked by loading doors (ie in the third and eleventh openings from left) similar to the middle one, and which also have bargeboarded gables over. There are windows similar to the others in the remaining two openings at left and at right; those at left are paired.

A modern metal canopy projects across the entire length of the facade between ground and first floor.

The left gable is abutted by a lower two-storey cement block store belonging to this property. Internal inspection indicates a doorway between them at first floor level. The exposed section of the gable is of brick.

On the rear elevation, a flat roof of an infill structure between the warehouse and one-storey Belfast truss shed behind it runs across at eaves level. A section of wall opposite the main entrance has been removed to facilitate access to this shed. The outside face of the rest of the wall has been smooth rendered; internal inspection shows it to be of random rubble. The first floor was always devoid of openings, but any original ground floor openings have been infilled.

The right gable is abutted by a one-storey shed with Belfast-truss roof. The outside face has been smooth cement rendered. The upper section has been largely rebuilt in concrete block; only a small portion of the original random rubble walling survives. A modern door has been inserted at first floor, accessed by open wooden stairs from the shed.

Historical information

Main block erected for William and Abraham Sinclair (owners of Clanrye Mills) on site of earlier buildings. First appears in Valuation Book revision of 1876. Occupied by Newry Bacon Curing Co from 1922.

Now occupied by J & E Whitten Ltd (Cash & Carry)

For a detailed history of Belfast Truss roofs see HB18/08/139

Sources:

1. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 12B/15/1C, p.228;
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 12E/125/1/12;
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 12B/22/18D, p.2.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-storey symmetrical warehouse aligned east – west along the south side of the former canal basin. The ornate frontage to this mid-Victorian warehouse is of architectural interest and it adds considerable character to the area. The building interior would have been simple and utilitarian and it remains so. These buildings are becoming rare in Newry, especially those with fine facades, and are therefore increasingly important as reminders of the town’s commercial past.

General comments

Includes Belfast Roof Trusses