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Twenty years ago this week a demolition attempt began at Sugarhouse Quay in Newry, with a substantial portion of the warehouse building razed to the ground before it was halted by a concerned resident. Twenty years on what was left of the structure located in the Newry conservation area sits as it was left in October 2004.
The property at 2-3 Sugarhouse Quay dates from 1820-1839 according to a listing on the Department for Communities website.
The listing explains "This is considered to be the most extensive warehouse complex in Newry still to survive from the town’s heyday as a canal port. Although suffering partial demolition at the end of 2004, when much of the roof structure was removed, a substantial majority of the fabric of the building remains intact."
The listing adds "This complex originated in the mid to later 18th century, although it is uncertain that any of the original buildings survive, and was developed over the next hundred years to service the adjoining canal. Most of the existing buildings are 19th century, demonstrating the development of business on the site, and it is the most extensive warehouse complex to survive in Newry."
An application was made in 2015 by Quayside Properties Ltd to demolish the remaining parts of the building "for health and safety reasons" but this was denied because "the building makes a material contribution to the character of the Newry Conservation area and no exceptional reason has been demonstrated which justifies its demolition."
Today the overgrown site lies abandoned, blocked off from the road with wooden hoarding and with seemingly no plans in progress to restore one of the few remaining buildings harking back to the importance of Newry Canal in Newry's development.
Check the full listing out at apps.communities-ni.gov.uk
