Former Ross Mineral Water Works

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Group of red brick buildings constructed in stages prior to 1900 and in the very early years of the 20th century by Graeme Watt & Tulloch on William Street South and Montgomery Street as offices and factory for Ross's Mineral Waters.

The central portion, on William Street South, is two storey three bay, set slightly forward with prominent oriel window. Slated roof set behind Dutch gable with semicircular head and convex shoulders, of red brick with coloured coat of arms under integral broken pediment. First floor has five light oriel window occupying central bay and windows in outer bays under parapets pierced by small arched openings flanking central gable. At ground floor central bay has generous round-headed window (possibly a former entrance) flanked by round-headed recesses in outer bays. Linked to factory portion by plinth.

To the right, also on William Street South, is the office block, three storey six bay with ground floor now rendered and shop-fronted and topped with carved stone fascia inscribed 'WA ROSS AND SONS, rising to turrets and gable above cornice level. Outer and two central bays slightly advanced. Roof Bangor blues with tall corbelled red brick chimneys. At attic level, central bays rise to form a brick Dutch gable with small semicircular pediment perched on top and stone skews. Outer bays rise to form square red sandstone turrets with four squat bulging columns on each elevation (square at corners), moulded cornice and square ogical lead roof with finial. Second floor windows rectangular with 1/1 casement windows in outer bays and tripartite mullioned windows in central bays; first floor similar but with inner windows basket-headed. Substantial moulded cornice above ground and second floors.

Factory portion to left is relatively plain, three stories of red brick with rendered plinth, ground floor segmental-headed windows blocked up, bays of paired d/h sash windows (6 over 12 at first floor, 6 over 9 at second floor), recessed at upper levels to create paired pilasters separating the bays. Deep eaves corbelled out over second floor, with six brick gables pierced by 12-pane oculi in stone surrounds at outer and four inner bays. Roof Bangor Blue slate, with iron crestings carrying the ornamental lettering ROSS'S and with scrolled finials.

Setting

This is a substantial group of buildings, prominently located at the entrance to a contemporary shopping mall, and close to the Mayfair Buildings and the Masonic Hall.

Roof: natural slate
Walls: brick/sandstone
Windows: Timber
Rwg: Cast iron

Historical information

Nos 17-19 William Street South and nos 1-7 Montgomery Street were the former premises of William A. Ross & Co. Ltd, a mineral water manufactory which produced soft drinks from the site for almost a century. Ross’s premises were constructed in a number of phases. The earliest phase of the building is the three-storey brick and red Dumfries stone warehouse located at nos 1-7 Montgomery Street; this building was constructed in 1883 as the new premises for Ross’s mineral water business. Ross had originally occupied an earlier building on the site which was valued at £90 and had previously been utilised as a shop and stabling yard. Ross came into possession of the site in 1879 and converted it into a mineral water factory, however the building was inadequate for Ross’s expanding business and in 1883 Robert Graeme Watt was contracted to construct a larger warehouse.

Robert G. Watt, a Belfast-based engineer and architect, designed nos 1-7 Montgomery Street prior to his partnership with Frederick H. Tulloch (formed in 1895) when he continued to operate an independent practise; the Dictionary of Irish Architects notes that Watt had an interest in Elizabethan architecture and this interest was expressed in the tudoresque Dutch gable and oriel window at the corner of William Street South and Montgomery Street which was also constructed in 1883 (Building News, p. 14; Dictionary of Irish Architects). Upon the completion of the building, Ross’s mineral water factory was increased in value to £270; as well as the three-storey nos 1 7 Montgomery Street, Ross also occupied a number of earlier properties as offices on the William Street South side (all demolished in c. 1902).

There was no alteration to the value of the factory until the 1900 Belfast Revaluation which greatly increased the rateable value of the building to £390; the valuer noted that the increase was attributable to Ross having expended over £1,550 on renovating the building in 1897. The valuer also noted that the machinery within the property included a gas-powered engine, and that Ross paid £210 in rent per annum. Immediately prior to the extension of the factory, the 1901 Belfast Street Directory described William A. Ross & Co. Ltd. as ‘Ginger Ale, Aerated and Mineral Water Makers.’ By 1902 Ross’s company continued to expand and in that year the factory was extended along William Street South with the erection of the three-storey English Renaissance style warehouse which incorporated square turrets with domes; Robert G. Watt was contracted as architect once again (this time as part of Watt & Tulloch). The extension work required the demolition of the original properties on William Street South; the resulting Edwardian warehouse was completed in the same year, the building work carried out by McLaughlin & Harvey who also constructed warehouses for Ross’s rivals, Messers Grattan & Co. And Lyle & Kinahan (Irish Builder, p. 1301).

In 1903 the value of Ross’s factory was further increased to £460 as a result of the extension work, however in 1909 additional offices were constructed to the rear of the building by Robert Corry (a Belfast-based builder), resulting in an increase in the value to £510 at which it remained by the cancellation of the Annual Revisions in 1930. Under the First General Revaluation of property in Northern Ireland (1935) the value of Ross’s mineral water factory was further increased to £840; there was no further valuation undertaken in Northern Ireland for over two decades due to the disruption caused by the Second World War, however Ross’s factory fortunately escaped damage during the bombardment of the 1941 Belfast Blitz which affected surrounding premises. William A. Ross & Co. Ltd. Continued to operate from the premises until the 1970s and by the end of the second revaluation (1956-72) the rateable value of the factory stood at a total of £2,700.

William A. Ross & Co. Ltd. Originally operated under the name ‘The Royal Belfast Ginger Ale, Mineral & Aerated Water, and Cordial Manufactory’ and produced soft drinks from the site for approximately a century. Ross utilised wells located at the site on the corner of William Street South and Montgomery Street, one of which was sunk to a depth of 420ft to ensure purity. In 1912 the Belfast Newsletter described the mineral water industry in Ulster in the following terms:

‘Of the aerated waters exported from Ireland by far the largest proportion is made in Ulster, and particularly in Belfast ... Belfast aerated waters have a natural superiority, apart from the care and skill expended in their production, owing to the exceptional purity of the water entering into their composition ... The carbonating, bottling and other processes now employed embody the results of many years of experience, and are extremely ingenious’ (Belfast Newsletter).

Patton states that William A. Ross & Co. Ltd. Were one of the chief mineral water manufacturers in Ulster and were the chief rivals to Cantrell & Cochrane (founded in the 1850s). The extension of the factory over a period of three decades (1879-1909) reflects the growing success of Ross’s business; his newly acquired premises required a complete reconstruction in the late-Victorian period, renovation work in 1897 (Patton suggests that part of the factory was extended in this year), and the construction of an additional warehouse in the Edwardian period. Watson tells us that Ross’s speciality was the production of ginger ale whilst a wide range of other products such as soda water, lemonade, potash water, seltzer, sarsaparilla, Lithia, Vichy water, aromatic bitters and cola were also produced at the factory which occupied an area of 14,000 square feet (Watson, pp 122-23).

However, due to a decline in demand the mineral water company was forced to close in the 1970s when the factory fell vacant. Ross’s premises remained empty for a number of years and the building was listed in 1988 whilst still lying vacant. In 1990-91 the former factory was renovated by the architectural firms Ostick & Williams and Ferguson & Wheeler; the renovation work was carried out for Ewart plc., property developers (now William Ewart Properties Ltd.) and resulted in the conversion of the former factory into retail properties. The former Mineral Water factory and warehouse is currently occupied by Argos.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1858
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1901-02
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1931
4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map 1938
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/D/1-14 – Annual Revisions 1862-1896
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/33-45 – Annual Revisions 1906-1930
7. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/13 – First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland 1935
8. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/42 – Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland 1956-72
9. Building News, Vol. 45 (6 Jul 1883)
10. Irish Builder, Vol. 43 (3 Jul 1902); Vol. 51 (6 Feb 1909)
11. Belfast Street Directories (1861-1943)
12. Belfast Newsletter (29 Nov 1912)

Secondary Sources

1. Patton, M., ‘Central Belfast: An historical gazetteer’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1993.
2. Pollock, V; Parkhill, T., ‘Britain in old photographs: Belfast’ Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing Limited, 1997.
3. Watson, F. G., ‘Building over the centuries: A history of McLaughlin & Harvey’ Belfast: Nicholson & Bass, 2010.

Online Resources

1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A prominent group of red brick buildings constructed in Art Nouveau style about 1900 to designs by Graeme Watt & Tulloch as warehousing, offices and factory for Ross's Mineral Waters, a significant industry in late Victorian and Edwardian Belfast . Although compromised by modern alterations, much historic fabric and detailing survive and the eclectic composition is unusual. The building represents the ongoing development of industry and commerce in the city centre. This is also a good example of the work of an architectural practice of note.