Abercorn Works sheds (Harland & Wolff)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Description at February 2007: Building has been demolished.

Description at May 2000: Large, high ceilinged assembly works complex, (with two and single storey office ‘appendages’), attached to the Harland & Wolff shipbuilding yard and largely originally dating from the late 19th / early 20th century but much added to and renovated in subsequent years. The complex is wedged at the SW corner of the yard, with Sydenham Road directly to the S, Old Channel Road directly to the SW and Queen’s Road to the NW. It is now disused.

The whole grouping is roughly triangular in plan, but with the bottom left (SW) corner of the triangle cut off. The long (S) base of the triangle faces onto Sydenham Road, the short cut off ‘corner’ onto Old Channel Road, the NW elevation onto Queen’s Road and the long NE elevation onto further works buildings. There are entrances to the NW and the NE.

As with large industrial buildings of this kind, which have expanded and evolved over the years, a number of contrasting building styles and materials are in evidence. Generally the older parts of the structure are in red brick and display some simple styling, with a combination of galvanised steel and asbestos used for the later, more utilitarian, portions; however, in places the older sections look to have been rebuilt in steel themselves, or have had steel/asbestos clad extensions. The roof is a series of northlights, generally running from SE to NW but with a long narrow central section, (behind the large brick façade to the NW- see next paragraph), running SW to NE.

The main entrance to the building appears to be that to the NW. This consists of a large metal clad sliding door (which may not be original), located to the left of centre of the elevation, on a tall, flat topped, brick façade. This façade, which is probably one of the older (c.1910-20) sections of the whole structure, has three tall semicircular arch headed windows, with brick arch courses above (with keystones) and brick ‘pilasters’ between. The large doorway cuts across the lower half of the central (larger) window. The windows themselves are now boarded up. Above the window level ‘Harland & Wolff’ is emblazoned in large raised [?metal] letters.

To the immediate left of this the façade is cut across by a much lower two storey gabled office [?or small workshop] appendage, also in brick. This section (which ‘kinks’ half way along its length with the result that its NW and SE façades are not straight), projects out from the line of the main NW elevation of the complex in a snake-like fashion, and is virtually a stand alone building in its own right. It has a series of large segmental headed mullioned and transomed windows (and a doorway) to the ground floor level with smaller similar windows to the upper floor and its exposed NE gable. The right hand edge of its NW façade is bevelled. Behind (SE) of this building the main NW elevation consists of two tall, utilitarian metal clad gables.

To the right of the large brick façade is a smaller, (but still relatively large), brick gable with windows and brick courses as its larger neighbour. To the right of this the elevation is set back and consists of a large metal clad gable, as far left of the elevation but with a row of tall glazed panels.

To the right this metal gable is cut across by a lower, two storey (mildly) Italianate office building, which appears to be the oldest section of the whole complex (1879-80). This is flat roofed to the SW (right) end, gabled to the NE and has a bevelled SW corner. The SW portion was originally three storey. Its façade is in render with light coloured sandstone as dressings and courses. The ground floor is rusticated. The main door was originally to the NW face but is now blocked up. Its bracketed cornice hood has survived, however. A modern door (aluminium frame, glazing etc.) has been inserted in the SW face. To the SW end (both to NW and SW faces) the upper floor has a series of large, semicircular arch headed windows with moulded surrounds and a bracketed cill course. The windows have pilasters set between them. To the ground floor the windows are much plainer flat arch examples set on an equally plain cill course. There are similar windows to the upper floor left on the NW face. To the SW (flat roofed) end there is a dentilled eaves course with cornice and above. There is a further cornice-like course between ground and first floor level. Square cast iron downspouts. Natural slate to gabled portion of roof.

To the right of this a large portion of the elevation is much more utilitarian in appearance with a row of large, generally metal and brick clad gables . To the right of these gables (at the very right hand edge of the NW elevation) are two small, single storey brick buildings, of c.1910. The building to the left is smaller, relatively plain and has a gabled roof. That to the right is hipped roofed with a symmetrical front (NW) face with end gables and large arch headed window openings.

The very long N elevation has a much less complex appearance than that to NW, with the façade in just two large sections. The left (E) half of the façade has a stark angularity which lends it a certain ‘heroic’ quality. It is in brick with a series of tall semicircular arch headed windows with multi-pane glazing (and many upper panes now boarded up). The right half is largely metal clad (and more utilitarian) with two unbroken rows of glazing. There are three large sliding doors to this side of the complex.

The long S elevation is more untidy in appearance, consisting largely of the metal/asbestos clad gable ends of the various sections of the complex set mainly in ‘crow step’ formation at 45 degrees to the Sydenham Road. Most of the elevation continues the utilitarian feel of those described above, however, to the far right are two large brick gables set on the squint (i.e. in line with the road) with tall semicircular arch headed windows and the same overall ‘heroic’ quality as the left half of the N elevation. To the immediate right of these gables is a decorative cast iron gate with equally decorative cast iron piers with oversailing caps and ball finials. To the far left of the elevation is a grouping of relatively small, stand alone, c.1950s two and single storey flat roofed office blocks. These are in brick with large (mainly picture) windows with timber frames. To the left of this the complex is fringed with a brick wall with another gate screen, (similar to before but with plainer wrought iron gates), roughly where the Sydenham Road curves into Old Channel Road. There are several small office blocks set behind this wall as it faces unto Old Channel Road, also probably of c.1950s vintage, but with hipped asbestos covered roofs. The S elevation possesses two more gate screens, much like the previously mentioned example with the plainer gates. One set of gates has had metal cladding attached to it.

Generally the whole complex is in poor condition.

To the immediate N of the complex there used to stand another equally large works complex, roughly L-shaped in plan. This has largely been demolished though a (mainly brick built) early 20th century boiler house section has survived in truncated form. To its NE façade this has a series of semicircular arched windows similar to those on the NE façade of its neighbour described above. The roof of this boiler house is broken by the large stump of a chimney stack, which was presumably once much taller.

Historical information

The origins of this complex may be traced to 1879-80, when the Harland & Wolff partners erected a large engine works and offices on this site, at a cost of £60,000. This original complex was much smaller and mainly consisted of timber clad sheds with ‘Belfast truss’ roofs. The ‘Italianate’ office block also appears to have been built at this stage.

To the south west, beyond the ‘Italianate’ building, lay the Abercorn Road, which ran south east (to the south east end of Sydenham Road). The 1879-80 engine works only stretched roughly half way along this road, but by 1912 it had he complex had been extended along the whole length of the road. The two storey brick-built office / workshop ‘appendage’ had been added by this stage also, and the larger brick facades next also appear to have been present at this stage also. Despite the presence of much in the way of brick construction, photographic evidence suggests the large shed sections were still mainly timber clad.

By 1922 a large separate works had been constructed on the south west side of the Abercorn Road, and by 1939 the complex had assumed much of its present shape. The Abercorn Road appears to have still existed at this date, though map evidence indicates that it was blocked off to traffic. At some stage after this the works was extended over it.

The whole Abercorn complex was vacated by Harland & Wolff in the 1990s.

Building demolished to make way for regeneration between 2000 and 2007.

References- Primary sources
1 D.2805 Harland & Wolff Papers

Secondary sources
1 ‘The Port of Belfast 1785-1985’ (Belfast Harbour Commissioners 1985)
2 Michael Moss and John R Hume ‘Shipbuilders to the world:125 years of Harland & Wolff’ (Belfast 1986)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Evaluation at February 2007: Building has been demolished.

Evaluation at May 2000: Large, high ceilinged assembly works complex, (with two and single storey office ‘appendages’), attached to the Harland & Wolff shipbuilding yard and largely originally dating from the late 19th / early 20th century but much added to, renovated and rebuilt in subsequent years. The complex is mainly in galvanised steel and asbestos, with the smaller office sections to the north west in brick and render. Whilst being a major part of the shipyard these buildings were not of sufficient quality to merit listing.