Northern Constitution, 18 Railway Road, Coleraine, Co Londonderry, BT51 1PD

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A largely symmetrical two-storey rendered terrace, built c.1900, four-openings wide with a largely original late Victorain style shop-front to ground floor. Rectangular on plan comprising two interlinked buildings which form part of the Northern Constitution offices, see also HB03/18/011A, which abuts to the north and west.

Pitched slate roof with terracotta angled ridge-tiles; a brick chimney to north gable having no pots; original skylights (in modern frames) to east and west. Replacement cast-iron ogee rainwater goods mounted on rendered corbelled eaves course with some decorative hoppers. Walling is ruled-and-lined-rendered and painted, (roughcast to rear). Square-headed window openings with painted projecting sills, 1/1 timber sashes in plain reveals (except where otherwise stated).

Principal elevation faces east and comprises four windows across upper floor; ground floor split in two, each side having an expansive plain glass window and replacement four-panelled timber door with deep plain glass transom over; modern sign board spans elevation, supported on fluted painted masonry pilasters.

South elevation abutted by neighbouring terrace.

West elevation is roughcast rendered with single window to first floor on right-side; remainder abutted by expansive two-storey return of (HB03/18/011A).

North elevation abutted by adjoining building (HB03/18/011A).

Setting
Located in an urban
setting within Coleraine town centre, the main elevation faces east onto Railway Road, with a narrow yard located to the rear, leading to Mill Street. The terrace is abutted by, and interconnected to the buildings of the Northern Constitutiuon (HB03/18/011A) to the north and west, with another terrace comprising retail units abutting to the south. An associated but detached former pressroom and paper store (HB03/18/11C) is situated to south-west on Mill Street.

Roof Slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Ruled-and-lined rendered & painted
Windows Timber sash & casement

Historical information

First shown on the third edition OS map (1904), the terraces were constructed, c.1901-1904, in conjunction with the adjoining offices and printing works of the Northern Constitution newspaper (HB03/18/011A). Built on a site which remained relatively undeveloped until the 1890’s, the group of buildings replaced a previous house and forge which were ‘removed in 1900’ (General Revisions 1900-12). The neighbouring ‘printing office and yard’ of the Northern Constitution (formerly the Coleraine Constitution), was first valued at £40 in 1901 (General Revisions 1900-12). The records suggest that during this time the terraces were valued along with the Constitution building, until c.1910. The General Revisions (1900-31) show that the upper house, rear yard and a paint shop on the ground floor were first occupied by house painter Robert McCandless and valued at £23 (Census Records 1901 & 1911). Initially the premises were owned by a William Church, who also owned the Constitution building but in 1917 ownership transferred to the Northern Constitution. The house extended over a second shop and out-stores, located on the ground floor, which valued £17 10s and had a number of occupants, including ‘Lilliput Laundry’ in 1923. In this year, the adjoining former house and shop were taken over and utilised as offices by the Britannic Assurance Company. The First General Revaluation (1935) shows the ground floor remained occupied by these companies but the upper floors fell vacant during this period, except for a single room utilised by Young Women’s Christian Association.

Contemporary maps show the neighbouring terraced buildings, which abut to the south gable were added by 1922 (second edition OS 25-inch map) and field evidence shows that these were interconnected by a doorway at first floor level, which has since been blocked. The footprint of the terrace has remained relatively unaltered and has been abutted by the main Northern Constitution building (to the north and west) since construction, however a series of internal reconfigurations have occurred to modify the link with the adjoining Constitution buildings.

Since the mid-20th century, this building has been reordered to create interconnected and refurbished offices on the ground floor. The entire building now forms part of the office accommodation for the Coleraine Chronicle and Northern Constitution newspapers.

References

1. PRONI OS/6/1/11/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey map (1830)
2. PRONI OS/6/5/7/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (1849-50)
3. PRONI OS/9/24/1/9 – Town Plan map (1882)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/11/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map (1904)
5. PRONI OS/10/5/7/7/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25-Inch map (1922)
6. PRONI OS/10/5/7/7/3– Third Edition Ordnance Survey 25-Inch map (1949)
7. PRONI OS/11/13/13/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey 25-Inch Irish Grid map (1967-8)
8. PRONI VAL/12/E/156/1/9 – Valuation map (1882-1907)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9E- General Revisions (1885-92)
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9F- General Revisions (1885-92)
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9J- General Revisions (1893-99)
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9K- General Revisions (1900-12)
13. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9N - General Revisions (1913-31)
14 PRONI VAL/3/B/6/3 – First General Revaluations (1935)

Secondary Sources

1. http://www.billmacafee.com

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest
T. Historic Importance
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

A two-storey-with-attic, simply detailed late Victorian building with a largely original shop frontage to the ground floor. The building forms part of the accommodation of the Northern Constitution and is interlinked to those blocks to the north and west. The principal elevation has had some replacement elements inserted and the ground floor has been remodelled and refurbished but historic fabric and detailing is substantially retained both externally and internally. The building has undergone a series of internal modifications to link with the other adjoining buildings of the Northern Constitution, signifying the evolving inter-relationship with this building. Although differing in style and form, these offices have group value with the adjoining 20 Railway Street (HB03.18.011A) forming part of Coleraine's newspaper offices.

General comments

Listing criteria R - Age; S - Authenticity and T - Historic Importance also apply

HB03/18/011 is a Dummy record, it has now been renumbered as HB03/18/011A, HB03/18/011B and HB03/18/011C.