2022:082 - Mullartown, Annalong Harbour, Down

It was proposed that Newry Mourne and Down Council undertake remedial works to the existing Annalong North Pier, which has a Grade B2 listing on the Historic Buildings Record (HB16/01/070) and is also listed on the Industrial Heritage Record (IHR03632:000:00). The proposed works included the removal and rebuilding of sections of existing masonry wall, anchoring of rock outcrops, filling voids with concrete.
Archaeological monitoring took place intermittently over a two-year period.

Works

Harbour walls
The first area of works concentrated on the seaward, eastern façade of the harbour, where storm damage had removed a number of large granite stones from the base of the wall. A re-enforced steel mesh was formed inside each of the voids around which was packed an hydraulic lime grout which was compatible with the original mortars used in the construction of the pier. The grout was also used to infill the voids within the structure of the pier.
In advance of re-pointing commencing a sample panel was inspected by the project conservation architect, John Kelly of DKP, who was happy with the mortar mix and finish of the work. Following the inspection the joints on the external face of the harbour wall were racked out and re-pointed using a lime grout.
Works also took place on the inner, western façade of the harbour wall where the joints on the face of the harbour wall were racked out and re-pointed using a similar lime grout as was used on the eastern façade.
The masonry at the base of the south end of the pier needed consolidation. A number of boxes were fabricated on site from 10mm diameter stainless steel rods and inserted into the large voids under the harbour wall. These boxes were secured in place via a series of rock bolts, drilled through the boxes and into the underlying bedrock. This was further held in place by a concrete faced stainless steel mesh which was filled with injection mortar providing a firm base for the consolidation of the masonry overhead.

Harbour deck
Following storm damage, all stone from the deck and deck wall was retrieved from the harbour and stored securely on site. The voids beneath the formal deck surface exposed by the missing stone were filled with an hydraulic lime grout. The deck stones were re-laid in the original pattern. Foundations were re-laid for the deck wall running along the eastern and southern side of the harbour, and the wall rebuilt using lime mortar.

AHC Ltd 36 Ballywillwill Road, Castlewellan Co Down BT31 9LF