2 Hopefield Avenue

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two storey corner, semi-detached building sitting at the junction of Hopefield Avenue and Crocknamac Road, overlooking open ground on the edge of Portrush town. Designed c.1930 in the Arts and Crafts style, the whole being a J-shaped plan with a turret rising from the bottom corner.

Hipped roof of natural Northumberland slate with terracotta ridge tiles; a hexagonal conical turret on the north corner with a lead finial, gables with timber fascias; eaves have exposed rafters; red brick chimneys with stepped tops and concrete copings. Gutters and rainwater downpipes are uPVC.

Walls are primarily of painted pebble dash render over a stretcher bond red brick plinth; gables are applied half timbered; bays have hung slate and lead sheeting between floors. Windows are square-headed with brick and terracotta tile cills. The windows are assorted: original 6 paned timber frames with metal casements and top lights with leaded stained and obscure glass over; 2 and 3 paned metal casements and uPVC replacements (some within the original timber frames). Door is 3 panelled, the upper panel with a circular leaded light.

The main east elevation has two gabled slightly projecting bays; the one to the south has half timbering to the first floor, the ground floor houses a garage door; the bay in the centre has a half-timbered gable on timber brackets either side of a canted bay, slate hanging between windows. On the north corner a hexagonal turret projects slightly, fully glazed to each floor with lead sheeting between. The entrance and adjacent diminutive rectangular window is to the north of the canted bay and is covered by a flat roofed canopy on a timber bracket. The elevation is 6 windows wide, double casements, tripartite with casements and toplights and single pane.

The side south elevation is one window wide (both replacements) with the half-timbering turning the corner from the front elevation on the first floor. To the west is a walled back yard with a plank door.

The rear west elevation (partially seen) is 3 windows wide to the southern section and abuts HB03/10/065B to the north.

The side north elevation has a casement window on each floor to the west of the corner turret.

Setting:
2 Hopefield Avenue turns the west corner of Hopefield Avenue and the south side of Crocknamac Road which is on the edge of a residential area facing the Metropole Park and Portrush centre to the north. It is set back from the street with a surrounding lawn and hedge. Abutting to the east is HB03/10/065B.

Schedule:
Roof: Northumberland slate
Walls: pebble dashed render
Windows: timber, metal and uPVC
RWGs: uPVC.

Historical information

The current house is one of a semi-detached pair of dwelling houses built c1930 by the Sturrock/Hamilton family, master bakers, and is first shown on the 4th edition OS map (1922-31). The houses, each with a motor house, yard and small garden enter valuation records in 1931 at £35 each.

The first occupier to be noted in the current house was David Sturrock, master baker of Coleraine, although the lease was in the name of his daughter Joanna Hamilton who became the occupier after her father’s death in 1938 (Will of David Sturrock died 23rd September 1938). Accommodation comprised two receptions, six bedrooms, a kitchen, scullery, washhouse, bathroom and WC. Valuer’s notes give a plan of the house with yard to the rear containing coalhouses. By 1937 the house was ‘likely to be sold or let’ for a price of around £1500 or a rental of £80-85 a year. The house remains in use as a domestic dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/6/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1922-31
2. PRONI OS/6/1/6/5 Fifth Edition OS Map 1946-50
3. PRONI VAL/12/F/1/15/1 Annual Revisions (1930-35)
4. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/30 First General Revaluation 1933-57
5. PRONI VAL/3/D/1/15/A/14 First General Revaluation 1933-57
6. PRONI Will of David Sturrock died 23rd September 1938

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two storey semi-detached, corner building designed in the Arts and Crafts style c.1930. Turning the west corner of Hopefield Avenue and Crocknamac Road it sits on the edge of a residential area overlooking open space and Portrush town centre to the north. Although it has some features of the Arts and Crafts style, it has replacement uPVC windows and is not of special architectural or historic interest.