Flax mill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An industrial complex comprising a flax mill, steam engine house, boiler house, chimney, motor house and two stores, located at Caughey's Road, Dromore, a short distance to west from restored buildings which operate as a demonstration mill and are recorded separately under HB17/14/020B.

Flax mill
This is one of two mills which formerly operated here and was driven by a steam engine in an adjacent building. It is aligned E-W at the W end of the premises.
A single-storey, two-bay building with pitched corrugated metal roof, plastic rainwater goods and brick walls with square-headed openings.
North elevation formerly had thee wide openings at left end, all now infilled with concrete blocks; a timber door has been inserted in the left of the three openings. Two doors (one infilled, one with roller shutter) and five windows (all without cills) to remainder of this elevation; all windows have replacement uPVC frames with 2x2 panes.
East gable is rendered with cement. Small shuttered opening to apex.
South elevation is abutted at left by modern single-storey monopitched toilet block (partly rendered brick), and to middle by former steam engine house. Exposed part between abutting sections has doorway, now infilled. Exposed section at E end has infilled door and window, sliding metal door and two infilled wide openings at right.
West gable has door to left (with roller shutter) and two windows, all with uPVC frames.

Engine house
This building abuts the middle of the south elevation of the flax mill and is aligned N-S. Pitched natural slate roof, no rainwater goods, and brick walls with square-headed openings.
West elevation has two doors (one infilled) and one window (also infilled).
A passage runs between north gable and flax mill, with doorway on gable.
East elevation has door at middle and window at right.
South gable has doorway; roof continues over as porch in front of boiler house.

Boiler house
Aligned E-W parallel to, and south of flax mill. Pitched natural slate roof with dormer ventilator to north pitch; no rainwater goods. Brick walls.
North elevation has doorway at left with modern replacement partly-glazed door.
East gable has doorway, with porch in front.
South elevation has three windows with chamfered concrete cills; all with replacement timber frames.
West gable is blank except for brick flue to chimney and mark of formerly abutting monopitched single-storey building at right.

Chimney
A free-standing chimney just beyond W end of boiler house. Square brick base with tapered flue of square section rising therefrom. Crown is corbelled brick surmounted by concrete top.
A flue abuts base of E elevation.
The flue is of brick with concrete flagged top and adjustable vertical gate at E end to control draught through boiler firebox. Small access hatch along S side.

Motor house
The small single-storey, single-bay building is situated to the east of the above three buildings and formerly housed the oil engine which drove a now-demolished mill.
Pitched natural slate roof, no rainwater goods and brick walls.
Aligned E-W, its south elevation has door (infilled) and window (partly infilled).
West gable is abutted by a flat-roofed single-storey concrete block building.
North elevation is cement rendered, with doorway therein.
East gable is blank.

Store 1
This relatively modern single-storey, single-bay former flax store is aligned N-S immediately north of motor house. Now completely enveloped by a large corrugated-metal shed.
Pitched corrugated-asbestos roof with circular ridge ventilator; part of roof now missing. Rendered concrete block walls. Doors to E elevation and S gable.

Store 2
An original single-storey, single-bay original flax store aligned N-S a short distance NE of store 1. Now enclosed by modern corrugated metal shed.
Pitched natural slate roof. Walls to E and W elevations originally open, with brick piers supporting roof; openings now infilled with concrete blockwork. North gable has window to corrugated-metal sheeted apex. South gable is wide doorway and also has corrugated metal apex.

Setting: Flax stores enveloped by modern corrugated metal agricultural shed. Open water channel runs along S side of premises (supplies water-powered flax mill to W of road). Public road at W end of premises. Open concrete flax retting tanks at E end. Fields to north and south. To W of public road is working flax mill under same ownership (HB17/14/020B).

Roof: metal and natural slate
Rainwater goods: None
Walls: Brick
Windows: timber and uPVC

Historical information

This mill complex is not shown on the 1919 OS map. A flax mill is first cited in the 1935 Valuation book under the ownership of Isabella McConville. Scutching was commenced by her husband Felix, and he initially erected a flax mill driven by an oil engine, at the start of the First World War (c.1914-15). A steam-powered flax mill was subsequently erected beside it.
Felix’s son Richard took over operations and although flax scutching continues to be cited in the Valuation books for the period 1936-57, both mills stopped in the 1940s, shortly after the end of the Second World War. The mill driven by the oil engine was subsequently demolished; the remaining mill buildings are all shown on the 1974 OS map.
In the 1980s, several of the buildings within the complex were completely enclosed under a large metal-clad shed.

References – Primary sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/3/21/4. Fourth edition OS six-inch map, Co Down sheet 21 (1919).
2. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/11. Valuation book (1924-34).
3. PRONI VAL/3/B/4/1. Valuation revision book (1935).
4. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/2. Valuation revision book (1936-57).
5. PRONI OS/11/202/4/1. First edition OS Irish Grid 1:10,000 map, sheet 202 (1974).
6. Information from owners (2012).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An industrial complex comprising a flax mill, steam engine house, boiler house, chimney, motor house and two stores. Remains of engine-powered flax scutching mills, including chimney and boiler house, all dating from first half of 20th century. Whilst of some historical interest as a 20th century flax mill complex, no machinery survives and the character of the original site has been compromised by the erection of later buildings.