Barn Mills (Ambler's Mill)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, eclectic, four, three, two and single storey factory complex in brick, stone and render, built as a flax spinning mill (on the site of a pre 1832 ‘cotton manufactory’) in c.1839-40, added to in 1870, 1880 and later, and now used for spinning mohair. The factory is sited on the east side of Taylor’s Avenue, (with a long frontage to the roadside), on the north-eastern outskirts of Carrickfergus.

In a very rough sense the complex is T shaped. To the E there is a long varied row which faces directly on to the Taylor’s Avenue roadside. This row, which originally contained the boiler house, engine house drying lofts, stores, employees houses etc., has been much altered and added to over the years and consists of four and a half, three, two and single storey portions, mainly in stone and brick, built largely between c.1840 and 1880, but with some later alterations. To the rear (E) of this lies the long three to three and a half storey main mill itself, built in two stages, the larger rendered portion to the W dating from probably c.1839-40 (and possibly containing the fabric of an earlier building), with the slightly lower stone portion to the E dating from 1870, but raised by another storey in c.1900. To the S of the main mill is a very large single storey section of c.1880, in brick with northlights. To the N is a large open factory yard to the N side of which is a long, house-like two storey office block of 1870, with sandstone façade. To the E of this is a small grouping of mainly single storey brick buildings of c.1880, originally coal and gas stores, stables etc., and to the W is a long single storey timber building with a curved (Belfast Truss) roof.

To the N of the complex the ground rises. On this site there used to be a large mill pond, but this was drained and filled in relatively recent years (post 1972) and a housing estate [?of c.1990] now takes in its site. There is a further recently built estate to the E side of the complex.

STORES, ENGINE HOUSE ETC.- A
The long western ‘row’ which faces directly out on to Taylor’s Avenue consists of a varied collection of structures, most of which abut each other and are (largely) linked internally. To the N end of the this ensemble is the main gateway to the complex (with modern gates), which leads into a large yard.

A.1.1-2 [‘Bundling room’, drying loft, boiler house]
To the N end is a three and two storey hipped and gabled block. This block appears to have started out pre 1857 as a much smaller two storey rubble constructed building, but a large section of it was raised a storey. A large portion was also added to the rear (all in brick) c.1900, this is described below as block A.2. Section A.1 used to contain the boiler house and a large brick chimneystack extends through the roof.

The front elevation of the block is three storey to the right (north- A.1.1) and two storey to the left (south- A.1.2). The NW corner of the building is curved. To far left on the ground floor of the W elevation is a blocked up doorway with red brick dressings; the doorway is to the abovementioned curved corner. To the right of this are three windows with similar dressings, and a mixture of sash frames with crude security grills over. A distance to the right of these is a doorway with similar dressings and a timber sheeted door with (broken) two pane fanlight, to the right again (on the two storey section of the elevation) there is the outline of an ‘arcade’, formerly consisting of four large semicircular arches. The arch to the far left is now largely filled with a large timber sheeted double door, whilst the rear are filled with a mixture of rubble and brick. Windows have been inserted into the filled arches at some point, but these have now been blocked (in brick) also.

To the first floor of this elevation there are nine, roughly evenly spaced windows with segmental heads, and dressings much as before. The first five windows from left (those within A.1.1) are slightly narrower and have four pane (sash-like) fixed light frames; the others have similar styled six pane frames. To the second floor of A.1.1 are five windows, with frames as those directly below. There is another similar window to the curved corner to the N end.

The façade of this elevation is in random basalt rubble to the lower to storeys with brick to the second storey. The coursing of the rubble to A.1.2 is markedly different, suggesting that that it is either later or earlier than A.1.1.

The short N elevation of A.1.1 has a window to left on the ground floor, with segmental arch head and sash frame with vertical glazing bars (2/2). To the right of this is a doorway with partly glazed door (and security grill over). To the right of this there is evidence to suggest a window has been blocked up. To the first floor there is a central window with modern frame. To the left of this is a row of three tiny windows with single pane fixed light frames. To the second floor there are two windows as second floor N elevation (but with three panes to window to right). The ground and first floor of this elevation is in painted render, the second floor is in brick.

The (very short) E elevation of A.1.1 is finished in the same manner as the N elevation. There is a single window to each floor, that to ground floor narrow with a plain sash frame, that to first floor larger, segmental headed and with a modern (i.e. post 1950s) three pane frame, with that to second floor with a frame as second floor previous.

The S (gabled) elevation of A.1.2 is abutted to right by block A.3 (see below). The exposed left hand side of the gable is blank and finished in painted lined render. The small exposed S facing section of the three storey portion of the block is blank and finished in plain render.

A.1.1 has a slated hipped roof out of which rises a tall, industrial, battered octagonal chimneystack in cream-brown brick. This stack was once considerably taller but was reduced in height some time after c.1972. A.1.2 to S has a slated gabled roof.

A.2.1-2 [Workshops and fire engine house]
Attached to the rear (E) of block A.1 is a large three storey hipped roof building in brick (A.2.1), built some time after c.1888 (possibly around c.1900). Attached to the S of this is a relatively large single storey lean-to, also in brick and probably somewhat later in date (A.2.2).

The E elevation of A.2.1 is symmetrical. To the centre of the ground floor is a pair of large door screens each with a large panelled and glazed double door with large six pane fanlight. To the left of these doorways are two very large segmental headed windows, each with nine pane frames. To the right of the doorways are two similar windows. To the first floor are five windows as upper floors N elevation of A.1.2. Five similar windows to the second floor.

To the section of the S elevation there are two windows, as before, to right on the first floor, with four to the second floor. Much of the ground floor and much of the first floor is abutted by the single storey lean-to, A.2.2. This ‘leans-to’ the rear of the two storey A.1.2 and to the S abuts the main spinning mill (block B.1- see below). It has a corrugated asbestos roof with roof lights. To its E elevation there is a right of centre, tall, metal sheeted door. To the left of this are two large low level ‘recesses’, probably once openings, there is another recess to right of the doorway.

To the ground floor of the N elevation of A.2.1 there are two large windows, as ground floor of E elevation. To the first floor there are three windows as first floor E, with three more to the second floor. A.2.1 has a slated hipped roof.

A.3 [The engine house]
The engine house is a tall narrow three and a half storey brick-built ‘frontage’ to the W side of the main spinning mill building itself, wedged between blocks A.1 (to N) and A.2 (to S). It dates from 1880 and within it lies the site formerly occupied by the water wheel.

At (double volume) ground floor level there is a large, projecting L-shaped section with a flat roof. To the W elevation of this there are three tall semicircular headed windows with mullioned and transomed frames (seven panes), and a [?rendered] keystone. The window to right is shorter for directly below it is a large timber and (formerly) glazed double door. To the right hand (S) side of this is a further projection whose window to N and windows to S are all now blocked up (in breeze block). This entire projecting section has several string courses in blue-grey brick and is topped with a [?rendered] cornice and brick parapet. In front of the ground floor level there is a small railed off area (with late 19th / early 20th century decorative iron railings) with pedestrian gate.

To the first floor of the main ‘set back’ portion of this block there are four tall segmental headed windows with three pane mullioned and transomed frames. Above these is a [?rendered] cornice-like string course and, to second floor, are four windows, similar to ground floor but shorter (five panes). Just above the middle windows is a shield-shaped date stone (‘1880’). This floor has several string courses (two in blue-grey brick and flush, one in the same read brick as the façade and projecting).

The narrow N elevation is exposed at first floor level and above. There is a single window to both first and second floors, same as those on corresponding floors to W. The narrow S elevation is only exposed at second floor level, where there is a single window, as second floor N and W. To E the block is abutted by the large mill building with only portions of the second floor level exposed- these are blank.

The engine house block is topped with a cornice course. To the centre of its flat roof there rises a small single storey timber turret / tower with slated pyramidal roof. This has a door to its N face (allowing access to the other roof itself, a small window to the E and to the W face and a metal weathervane. To the immediate N, S and W of this turret there is a large metal water tank with panelled face.

A.4.1 [Hackling mill]
This section lies to the immediate S of the engine house. It is a large four storey block of pre 1857 construction, in basalt rubble with cream brick dressed window openings, all now blocked up. It originally had a gabled roof but this was removed after a fire in 1972 and roof is now flat. To the S end it has been extended at some point (possibly c.1870) and links to a two storey flax store [block A.4.2- see below] and to the rear (E) it is abutted by a corrugated iron clad stairwell projection linking to the main spinning mill to NE and a large two storey flax and line store [block A.7- see below].

The W elevation is in basalt rubble and has a row of blocked up, brick-dressed, segmental headed window ‘openings’ to each of its four floors. The ground floor as a large elliptical headed carriage entrance (now also blocked up) to the far right hand side. Set between the fifth and sixth ‘window’ to each floor there is a tall continuous recess which stretches to the top of the building. This recess originally contained a window at each floor level, but only the outline of that to the ground floor is still discernible. This recess was originally rose into a small gabled dormer which itself contained a ‘loft’ door, but this was removed post 1972. The recess and all of the window openings are blocked in brick. Above some of the ‘windows’ there are brick-dressed roundel openings which may once have been ventilators, these roundels (which do not appear to be original) are also blocked in brick. The coursing of the stone work to the second and third floor level to the right hand edge of the elevation indicates that that a portion to this side has been added (or rebuilt) at some point, possibly c.1870.

To the N side the block is abutted by the engine house and only the very top floor is exposed. This elevation is mainly in basalt rubble, though it has been patched in brick. There appear to be no openings. The S elevation is abutted by block A.4.2, but is exposed at second and third floor level. This exposed section is rendered and has four segmental headed window openings to each floor. These have a variety of frames, some with Georgian-like panes.

The rear (E) elevation is abutted to the right by a relatively recent looking, corrugated iron clad ‘corridor stairwell’, linking to the main spinning mill to N. To left (S) the elevation is abutted by a large three storey block which was originally used as a flax and line store [A.7- see below]. Between these the elevation is also abutted by a large single storey section with northlights, which links to similar sections to E [B.3- see below]. Thus only a portion of the elevation is actually exposed, and because of all of the neighbouring buildings, can only be seen from a distance. It appears to be in largely in basalt rubble (as front) with a row of blocked up ‘windows’ to the second floor.

The block has a flat roof on which there is a small brick projection [?containing a water tank].

A.4.2 [Flax store]
This building lies to the immediate S of A.4.1. It is two storey with a flat roof and basalt rubble façade. It appears to have been built in two stages, but probably largely dates from c.1870.

The front elevation has three blocked up segmental arched ‘windows’ to the ground floor as well as a tall pedestrian doorway, now also blocked up. To the first floor are four more blocked up ‘windows’, all as before. The S elevation is abutted by a terrace of three two storey dwellings [block A.5- see below], and the exposed remainder of the basalt rubble façade is blank. The rear (E) elevation is abutted by the large three and two storey flax and line stores [A.7].

A.5 [Dwelling houses]
To the immediate S of block A.4.2 is a short gabled two storey ‘terrace’ containing three rendered dwelling houses, now disused and with all openings blocked up. The houses appear to have been largely identical, though that to the S end is slightly larger than the other two. To the W each had a doorway and window to the ground floor with a single window to the first floor to the N and centre house, and two windows to that to S.

The S facing gable of the S house appears never to have had any openings. To rear the façade of the S house projects further that the other two houses and has a two storey gabled return. The return appears to have had a doorway to ground floor on the N face, with a window directly above and a further window to first floor on the main façade right of the return. The other two dwellings each had two windows each to the first floor and a doorway and two windows to the ground floor.

The gabled roofs are slated and there are three rendered chimneystacks (with that to the centre damaged and reduced in height, and that to south increased in height). To the S gable there extends a high basalt rubble wall which spans S to block A.6. This wall contains a large elliptical arched carriage ‘gateway’ (now blocked) with brick ‘voussoirs’.

A.6 [Dining room]
S of the ‘gateway’ is a large single storey gabled building is basalt rubble and brick, with a large flat roofed extension to rear. The building may date from c.1870, but the rear extension appears to be slightly later (documentary evidence suggests c.1880s, but it may have been altered in the mid 1900s).

The front (W) elevation is in basalt rubble, with a tall blocked up pedestrian ‘doorway’ to far left and three large square-ish blocked up ‘windows’ to right of this. The ‘openings’ are brick dressed with concrete [?or rendered] lintels to the windows.

The S gable is obscured by greenery. The N gable is in brick and is blank.

The rear elevation is dominated by the large flat roofed extension. This is also in brick (but of a more recent variety). To its E façade there is a doorway to right with flat roofed porch and metal roller shutter. To left of this are two very large windows, now covered with corrugated iron. To far left is a much smaller window, partly covered in corrugated iron (the lower two thirds of its timber frame is exposed). To the short N face of the extension there are two more windows, also covered over. The S face is obscured by greenery, as is the small exposed section of the E façade of the main section of the building.

The roof is slated. Small brick chimneystack to S gable.

A.7.1-2 [Flax and line stores]
To the rear (E) of blocks A.4.1 and A.4.2 is a large three and two storey block probably built in two sections and originally containing flax and line stores. The three storey section to N (A.7.1) is probably earlier (pre 1857) and has a pyramidal roof. The two storey section to S appears to be later (perhaps largely c.1870) and has a flat roof. Both are in basalt rubble.

A.7.1
The E elevation of this section has a central pedestrian doorway to the ground floor. This doorway sets within what was once a large elliptical headed carriage arch. To left and right of the doorway former windows have been blocked up. To the first floor there is a large central ‘loft doorway’ opening. To left and right of this are further blocked up ‘windows’. To the second floor there is another central doorway (with projecting winch above). To either side of the doorway is a segmental headed window with brick dressings and Georgian paned sash frame (6/6). To the right hand edge at ground and first floor level this elevation is abutted by the large single storey block with northlights (B.3).

The S elevation is abutted by the two storey block A.7.2, but is exposed at second floor level, where there are three windows as second floor E. Due to the proximity of other buildings, the N elevation could not be seen, however, its ground floor level and much of the first floor is abutted by the large single storey block B.3 and internal evidence suggests there are no openings to the still exposed second floor (though this was not confirmed). To the W are blocks A.4.1-2.

The roof is pyramidal and oasthouse-like, braking into a low pyramidal capped ‘turret’ near the apex (presumably for ventilation/drying purposes.

A.7.2
To the E elevation was a central ground floor pedestrian door with recent roller shutter. To the left are two windows as second floor A.7.1, with another two to right and five more to the second floor. The S elevation is blank except for a broad segmental arched central ‘doorway’ to ground floor, now blocked up. The short W elevation is blank. The roof is flat.

SPINNING MILLS- B
B.1 [Spinning mill]
The spinning mill is the hub of the whole complex. It is a large three (+ attic) storey block with a gabled roof and rendered façade. It may date from 1839-40 and may contain the fabric of a pre 1832 structure. It was greatly extended in 1870 when an equally large two storey portion was added to the E end (B.2). This portion was later raised to three storeys and extends further eastwards [?in c.1900].

The N and S elevations of the mill have a similar functional arrangement with long rows of tall windows, with relatively recent six pane frames, to each floor. This uniformity is broken on the N elevation, by the fact that there are two pedestrian doorways to ground floor, large loft doorways to the far left to the upper floors, and a relatively recent fire escape stair (with associated doorways) to right. To far right on the ground floor the elevation is abutted by the lean-to section of block A.2.

To left the S elevation is abutted by the corridor link from block A.4.1 (see above). To centre right there is a narrow full height projecting bay, which rises above eaves level into a small gable. To far right a narrow (single storey) corridor in brick links to block B.3.

The gabled roof is slated and has a row of large skylights along its entire length (to both N and S). To the E end of the N side of the roof there is a large flat roofed brick (dormer-like) projection [?containing a water tank].

B.2 [Spinning mill extension]
The spinning mill extension is to the E side of the original mill. It is three storey with a flat roof, in basalt (and brick) to the N and rendered to the E and S. Documentary evidence suggests that it was built in 1870 and was originally two storey; the coursing of the stonework gives no hint of this, but it does indicate that it was extended eastwards at some point [?1900+].

The N and S elevations (like B.1) have a functional, uniform appearance with rows of tall, brick dressed windows with six pane frames, to each floor. There is a pedestrian doorway (with tall window-like fanlight) to far right on the ground floor on the S elevation. The N elevation has several rendered string courses, a brick eaves cornice, brick ‘quoins’ to E end and [?] rendered quoins. To the short E elevation there is a recent fire escape stair with associated doorways to the upper floors. The building has a flat roof.

B.3 [Carding and machine rooms]
This irregular single storey block covers a large area of ground to the S of the spinning mill (B.1), abutting blocks A.4.1 and A.7.1 to the W. It is wholly in (red) brick, (with some cream brick ‘quoins’ and dressings), with a series of northlights, with evidence suggesting that it dates from 1880. In plan the block consists of a large roughly square section with a wing to W. Each elevation is generally featureless with evidence of original door and window openings having been blocked, with the remaining few window openings mainly later [c.1950s-60s] insertions. N there is a long lean-to portion (which may have been added in the mid 1900s) with a long bank of modern style windows; to this side also there is a short brick corridor which links to the spinning mill. To W there is a loading bay, with a large (mid 20th century looking) flat roofed canopy which stretches over a loading ramp and associated large doorway. To the SW corner the block has a short basalt rubble foundation.

OFFICES ETC.- C
C.1 [Counting house, office and yarn stores
This block lies to the N end of the complex at one side of a large yard which has the spinning mill to its S side and the workshop block (A.2) and main gateway to the W. The block is two storey, dates probably from 1870 and has a domestic appearance, resembling a terrace of dwellings. The facade is mainly in rock-faced sandstone and roof gabled and slated.

The front (S facing) elevation has a left of centre segmental headed doorway (leading to the office / [former] counting house section) with smooth sandstone dressings (with keystone), panelled double door and plain fanlight. To the left of this are three evenly spaced segmental headed windows, with sash frames (vertical glazing bars 2/2). The windows are dressed as doorway (as are all other openings). To the right of the doorway is a similar window, then a canted bay with shallow lead sheeted hipped roof. Each face of the bay has a window similar to before but with plain sash frame. To right of the bay is a large segmental headed vehicle doorway (which originally acted the door to a small ‘loading bay’) with timber sheeted double door. To the right of this is another pedestrian doorway, as before but with panelled and glazed single door. To right again is another window, then another doorway (with panelled door), then another window.

To the first floor there are twelve windows all as ground floor only shorter. The windows are directly in line with the ground floor openings with a pair directly above the bay.

To the W gable there are two windows to each floor, all corresponding to those to front. The E gable (which is in brick) was formerly abutted at ground floor level by a large coal shed (C.2.1-see below), only the front façade of this shed remains and a small modern single storey shed has been built within the area formerly covered by the large shed (which abuts the gable).

The rear elevation is in fieldstone [?basalt] rubble with brick dressings to openings. To left of centre on the ground floor are two small window opening, that to left with sash frame, the other boarded over with corrugated iron. To the first floor left are five windows of various sizes and a doorway. The doorway and three (or perhaps four) of the windows appear to be boarded up, the window furthest to right has a sash frame (with security bars over). The doorway used to lead, via a metal walkway, to the higher ground to the immediate N, where the mill pond was once located.

The gabled roof is slated. Parapets with lead sheeting. Three sandstone chimneystacks to ridge (two to gables).

C.2.1 [Coal shed]
As stated above a large single storey coal shed of c.1880-90 used to abut the E gable of block C.1, but now only its front façade and part of its E wall remain. The front (S) façade is red brick with several cream brick string courses and is symmetrical. To the centre is a large segmental headed vehicle opening, with brick label moulding and rendered ‘keystone’. To left of this is a tall window-like recess with head and label moulding as before. There is an identical recess to right of the doorway. Above the doorway and recesses is a projecting string course in brick above which is a plain parapet topped with plain [?rendered] coping. In the centre of the parapet there is a small square rendered panel.

To far left the E wall is in brick as front. To right of this (and beyond the line of a projecting gate screen), what remains of this wall is and the rear wall is in fieldstone rubble. To the W side (to the gable of block C.1 and within the area formerly within the shed) there is a small, recent looking flat roofed timber shed. Several crude breeze block constructed garages / sheds now abut the E wall, and to right (N) of these the wall is abutted by the former stable block (C.2.3- see below).

The roof of the shed has been removed; and outline to the inside of the S wall shows that the roof was curved (presumably of the Belfast Truss type).

C.2.2 [Coal and gas store: , governor, retort, gas meter and lime houses]
To the E of C.2.1 is a relatively large single storey hipped roof block in brick, with small projecting sections to E and W. This block, (also probably of c.1880-90), formerly contained a gas and coal store with the governor house in the small W projection and the gas meter and lime house (store) in the larger E projection. To the rear there originally stood a tall brick chimneystack, but this was removed some time prior to 1971.

The main portion of the block, (which is now used as a forge), has a large segmental headed vehicle doorway to the left of centre on the front (S) elevation. This has a timber sheeted double door with glazed panel and brick label moulding with rendered ‘keystone’. To the left of this are two tall segmental headed windows with (relatively recent looking) multi pane frames and brick label moulding. To right of the doorway is a similar window, then a tall pedestrian doorway with timber sheeted door and broken fanlight and label moulding etc. as previous doorway. To the right of this is another window and pedestrian door, much as before. This elevation has three cream brick string courses (which continue across the S faces of the E and W projections). Brick eaves course and stepped base.

To the short W elevation there is a small hipped roof projection. The E face of this has pedestrian doorway with recent roller shutter. To W this face merges with a small-ish gate screen, which stretches to the E wall of the former coal shed (C.2.1). This gateway has a timber gate. The W and N faces of the projection are blank.

To the E end of the block is a slightly larger hipped roof projection. To the E face of this there are two pedestrian doorways, much as S front of main section of block but without fanlights. The E and N faces are blank.

The rear elevation of the main section of the block is blank to the left of centre there is the remains of a lean-to projection (which was probably connected to the former chimneystack.

All sections of the roof are slated. The S side of the roof of the main section of the block has three rooflights.

A (pre c.1880) gasometer once stood to the NE of this block but this was removed some time prior to 1970

C.2.3 [Stables, hayshed and harness room]
This plain two storey, gabled, brick block lies to the immediate E of the former coal shed and to the N of block C.2.2. To its S elevation there is a large doorway to left on the ground floor with two blocked up former window openings to right of this. To the first floor there are four small windows one of which is now boarded with remains of frames to the others. The E gable is blank. The rear (N) elevation could not be seen, but plans suggest it is blank.

C.3 [?Store]
To the E side of the yard (NE end of the complex) there is a large single storey (mainly) timber shed with a curved (Belfast Truss) roof. This may date from the early 1900s and may have acted as a store or perhaps a garage of some sort. It is largely featureless with long timber E and W facades and rendered breeze block ‘gables’ (undoubtedly rebuilt at some point). The timber E and W sides are supported internally by actual tree trunk posts. The structure is in very poor condition and the timber walls are listing badly.

Historical information

A large building is shown on the OS map of 1832, which appears to be on the exact site of the present main section of the spinning mill. This is marked as a ‘cotton manufactory’ and at that time belonged to one James Cowan, who lived in a large single storey house, ‘The Barn’ (or ‘Barn Cottage’), just to the south. According to the OS Memoirs, The Barn was built in c.1790 and was bought by Cowan in c.1827-28, the ‘cotton manufactory’ (which always appears to have been associated with the house) may also have dated from c.1790.

Mechanised cotton spinning, as well as cotton printing, became established in the Carrickfergus area in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, mainly due to the close proximity of the cotton importing town of Belfast, and (in the 1780s and 90s), active promotion of the industry by the Irish parliament. In 1800, it was reported that, within a ten mile radius around Belfast, £192,000 was invested in cotton, which provided work for 13,500 people. By the mid 1830s, however, advances in the power spinning of flax (pioneered by the Mulhollands in Belfast using wet spinning techniques developed by James Kay of Preston), and ever increasing competition from Lancashire cotton mills, began to lead to the conversion of Irish mills to linen production. In Belfast this process was largely complete by 1835, quickly spreading out to other areas in the next decade and largely replacing cotton production throughout Ulster and almost the whole of Ireland by the mid to later 1840s.

The aforementioned James Cowan jumped on the linen bandwagon by 1839-40, with the OS Memoirs reporting that he was then in the process of constructing a ‘new flax mill…built of brick and stone’ measuring 40ft 8in by 127ft ‘in the clear’, with a wheel house measuring 60ft by 40ft built to take a large metal 32ft breast wheel. Whether anything remained of the original cotton mill shown on the 1832 map is difficult to say, the Memoirs make no mention of it and, as the 1836 valuations fail to record its dimensions, we appear to have no way of knowing whether Cowan’s new mill involved the demolition of the old one or merely its extension.

James Cowan died some time between 1846 and 1852 and the ‘Barn Mills’ and Barn Cottage acquired by James Taylor in the latter year. The 1859 valuation tells us that, as well as the main mill building [B.1], the hackling mill [A.4.1] was present by this time, along with a two storey flax store, two storey gate house, three storey store with drying loft [possibly A.7.1], two storey ‘foreman’s and assistant’s house’, two storey forge, and various other two and single storey ‘offices’ all mostly grouped along the roadside to west of the main mill, as today. The machinery was powered by two steam engines, as well as the water wheel, the latter providing one sixth of the ‘30 nominal horse power’ during the ten hours the mill was worked each day.

The sequence of construction of the complex is unclear. The valuation grades everything ‘A’, implying that all the structures were twenty years old or less, with many (or all) conceivably built by Cowan in c.1839-40, at the same time as the main mill. J.A.K Dean states in the ‘Gate Lodges of Ulster…’, (secondary source no.3), that architect Thomas Jackson designed the mill for James Taylor in 1852, however, whilst Jackson appears to have worked on a gate lodge for Barn Cottage there appears to be no evidence to suggest that he had anything to do with the mill*, or that the complex as a whole dates from Taylor’s acquisition of it in 1852.

During the latter decades of the 19th century the mill was much enlarged, assuming the form we see today. Bassett’s ‘Directory’ of 1888 gives an indication of its evolution since the 1850s was well as providing an illustration of the complex showing the main mill [B.1], the ‘new’ engine house of 1880 [A.3], the hackling mill and flax store [A.4.1-2], the office and yarn store of 1870 [C.1], as well as the three dwelling houses to the south end [A.5], the boiler house and bundling room [A.1.1-2], the large single storey carding and machine rooms [B.3] and the gate house (now demolished). Also shown is the large extension to the main mill [B.2], (which was added in 1870 and originally two storey), but conspicuous by their absence are the workshop block [A.2.1] and the third storey to the bundling room [A.1.1], these appear to have been added c.1900-10, along, perhaps, with the third storey of the mill extension.

Bassett states that in1888 there were over 600 employees working 15,088 spindles, with power provided by a ‘compound tandem engine, put in by Mr Wood of Bolton in 1880…capable of working up to 500 horse’; a fire engine ‘by Messrs Merryweather & sons, London’ was stationed within the complex and could ‘be set to work in a minute’ and the firm provided sixty workers’ houses, a news room and a school house. The latter, which by that date was under the National System, may have been present since the 1850s, for ‘National school’ is written as an annotation next to the mill on the second valuation map. Where the school house itself was situated is uncertain, a plan of the site, which appears to date from c.1885-90, makes no mention of it.

In 1858 the mill began to trade under the name of James Taylor & Sons. James Taylor himself died in 1871 and when the last of his male relatives died in 1883 a limited company was formed with James Barbour as chairman and John McFerran as managing director. McFerran took up residence in Barn Cottage.

James Taylor & Sons Limited remained in possession of the Barn Mills until 1945 when, in an attempt to boost employment following the war, the Northern Ireland government provided grant aid to enable the factory to be bought by the wool spinning firm of Jeremiah Ambler of Bradford. The complex was thus converted to the production of woollen thread*, with mohair dominating in later years. At their post war height, Amblers’ employed over 500.

At the time of writing, (June 2001), Amblers’ are in the process of winding down production at the Barn Mills, and are due to vacate the premises soon.

[*During WWII the factory was used for the production of parachutes. This must have involved conversion of the machinery to silk spinning.]

References- Primary sources
1 Pigot & Co’s City of Dublin and Hibernian provincial directory (Manchester 1824) [This directory lists James Cowan (‘cotton spinner’) as the owner of ‘Bank Mill’- could this actually be an erroneous
references to the ‘Barn Mill’? If so, it would mean that Cowan held the mill as early as 1824.]
2 PRONI OS/6/1/52/1 OS map, Co Antrim sh 52, 1832
3 PRONI VAL/1A/52/1 Valuation map (Co Antrim OS sh 52 with annotations), 1832-36
4 PRONI VAL/1B/187 First valuation, Carrickfergus, 1836
5 ‘OS Memoirs of Ireland- Parishes of Co Antrim XIV…1832, 1839-40’ ed Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1996)
6 PRONI OS/6/1/52/2 OS map, Co Antrim sh 52, 1857
7 PRONI VAL/2A/1/52B Valuation map (Co Antrim OS sh 52 with annotations), c.1857-64
8 PRONI VAL/2B/1/22A Second valuation, Carrickfergus, 1859 (-1864)
9 PRONI Plan of the Barn flax spinning mills, Carrickfergus, c.1885-90 [PRONI’s ‘The Ulster textile industry: A catalogue of business records in PRONI relating principally to the line industry in Ulster’ states that this plan dates from 1870, but the presence of the ‘new engine house’ would imply that it is post 1880. This catalogue lists two other documents related to the mill; the first of these, a report on production etc of 1855 (D.2168/1) is now missing, whilst the other, ‘correspondence concerning road widening, 1829’ (D.1769/60/1), appears to date from c.1930-31- not 1829.]
10 George Henry Bassett ‘County Antrim guide and directory’ (Dublin 1888), pp.350-51
11 PRONI OS/6/1/52/3 OS map, Co Antrim sh 52, c.1903
12 Jeremiah Ambler (Ulster) Ltd. Aerial photographs of the Barn Mills, ?c.1970, ?c.1980
13 Jeremiah Ambler (Ulster) Ltd. Plans of the Barn Mills, c.1971

Secondary sources
1 Gordon Campbell and Susan Crowther, ‘Historic buildings…Carrickfergus’ (Belfast 1978), pp.33-34
2 Sheila Speers, ‘Under the big lamp- Historic photographs of Carrickfergus’ (Belfast 1989) [Includes a picture of the Barn Mills c.1890s]
3 J.A.K. Dean, ‘The gate lodges of Ulster- a gazetteer’ (Belfast 1994), pp.3-4

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Large, eclectic, four, three, two and single storey factory complex in brick, stone and render, built as a flax spinning mill (on the site of a pre 1832 ‘cotton manufactory’) in c.1839-40, added to in 1870, 1880 and later, and now used for spinning mohair. The factory is sited on the east side of Taylor’s Avenue, (with a long frontage to the roadside), on the north-eastern outskirts of Carrickfergus.

In a very rough sense the complex is T shaped. To the east there is a long varied row which faces directly on to the Taylor’s Avenue roadside. This row, which originally contained the boiler house, engine house drying lofts, stores, employees houses etc., has been much altered and added to over the years and consists of four and a half, three, two and single storey portions, mainly in stone and brick, built largely between c.1840 and 1880, but with some later alterations. To the rear (east) of this lies the long three to three and a half storey main mill itself, built in two stages, the larger rendered portion to the W dating from probably c.1839-40 (and possibly containing the fabric of an earlier building), with the slightly lower stone portion to the E dating from 1870, but raised by another storey in c.1900. To the south of the main mill is a very large single storey section of c.1880, in brick with north-lights. To the north is a large open factory yard to the north side of which is a long, house-like two storey office block of 1870, with sandstone façade. To the east of this is a small grouping of mainly single storey brick buildings of c.1880, originally coal and gas stores, stables etc., and to the west is a long single storey timber building with a curved (Belfast Truss) roof.