Ballybot House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Formerly known as Dempster's Mill and now renamed Ballybot House, this three-storey/ 16-bay rubble granite spinning mill is aligned north-south on the west side of Corn Market. Now restored by the Confederation of Community Groups for office and retail use.

The roof is hipped and covered with concrete tiles; there are a number of plastic vents in middle of front pitch and vertical metal chimney flue rising from rear wall. The walls are of random rubble granite with roughly dressed granite quoins. Cyma-recta cast-iron rainwater goods over a six-course red-brick eaves course (top three corbelled). Although the walls of the top floor are of very similar construction to those below, the evident joint line reflects the addition of this storey when the mill was recently refurbished.

Along the ground floor of the facade are windows in bays 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 and 16. All are 2/2 bottom openers in PVC frames. They have stepped red brick jambs, shallow segmental brick heads and granite cills. Occupying the pairs of bays between the windows are five wide openings, also with brick jambs and heads. All have glazed modern shop fronts/ doors inserted, with a wooden fascia and roller shutter above. These openings have replaced the original window and door openings.

Along the first floor are 16 equally-spaced windows identical to those on the ground floor. At second floor there is also a set of 16 windows in line with those below. They are identical in every respect except they are smaller and have flat heads and cast concrete cills.

The right gable is blank save for a modern door opening in ground floor at left. This has a glass panel in a metal frame within a stepped red brick surround, all inserted as part of the refurbishment.

The rear elevation is also 16 bays wide. From left to right on the ground floor, the openings are: bays 1 and 2 - two high t+g rectangular panels with doors in their bottom half; bays 3-6 - four PVC 2/2 bottom opening windows with concrete cills; bays 7-9 - as bay 1; bay 10 - infilled window; bays 11-14 - as bay 3 (but with granite cills); bay 15 - an elliptically headed doorway with a two-leaf t+g door and panelled head; bay 16 - as bay 1. The original openings have been modified to accommodate these new openings, all of which have stepped jambs in matching red brick. There is also the ghost of two one-storey gabled returns on bays 1-4.

At first and second floors are 16 window openings similar in style to front elevation (granite cills on first floor, concrete on second). On both floors, the opening in the ninth bay from left is infilled with stone.

The left gable is blank except for a high semicircular-headed brick window arch, now with a rendered infill. Above and at the side of this opening are three square holes delineated by granite blocks (but now infilled) which possibly supported bearing blocks for shafts within the mill.

At the rear of the mill is a building formerly associated with it (HB16/28/074B). There is now no trace of the chimney (from the steam engine boiler) which formerly stood in the yard to the south-west of the mill.

Historical information

The 1863 Valuation Book notes construction of flax mill by Robert Dempster “in progress”, immediately to east of Corn Market. According to Green, opened in 1865 to spin flax, jute and hemp and once the largest dry spinning mill in Ireland. According to this valuation, it was two and a half storeys high, indicating that there was originally an attic floor as implied by the first floor ceiling construction. Powered by a 40hp steam engine. Dempster also had a second flax spinning mill a short distance to the north, where the Health Village now stands.

Robert Kerr, the mill’s manager took over ownership in 1906 and ran it until his death in 1921. Mill closed in 1927. During second world war used as an army billet. After war, purchased by Manchester-based textile firm of Stark Brothers who operated it as a clothing factory. Occupied by Armaghdown Creameries around 1960s and taken over by Haldane Fisher, builders' suppliers, in early 1980s. Abandoned 1990 and fell into dereliction. Acquired by present owners in 1994; refurbished and reopened in March 1997.

Primary Sources
1. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI – VAL 2B/2/39C, p.114.
2. OS map 1835 edition, PRONI-OS 9/15/2/15.
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI -VAL 12B/15/1/A-G.
4. Plaque on wall in reception area of Ballybot House.

Secondary Sources:
1. E.R.R. Green, 1963, The industrial archaeology of Co Down, p.11 (Belfast: HMSO).
2. Anthony Russell (Chairman, Newry Famine Commemorative Committee).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Three-storey/ 16-bay rubble granite spinning mill of historical interest in terms of Newry's linen industry, being one of three spinning mills in the town (the others being Dromalane and Edward Street). It is a prominent local landmark on the site of the Corn Market. Its jack arch fireproof ceilings are of note and similar to those found at Dromalane Mill. However, modernisation has compromised its status and it is not of special architectural or historic interest.