2 BRIDGE ST.

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey with attic rendered building (formerly a dwelling), built pre 1859 (possibly c. 1830). Rectangular on plan facing northeast to the southwest side of Bridge Street set at a lower level than the street. Originally abutted on SE gable by two storey building, demolished 1970s. Built as a pair with No.4 Bridge Street (HB05/02/023G), abutting to NW.

Pitched natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles and rendered chimneystacks to either end. Guttering missing with cast-iron downpipe. Painted ruled-and-lined rendered walling with painted rusticated quoins. Square-headed window openings with painted masonry sills and replacement 6/6 sliding timber sash windows with angled horns and exposed sash boxes, 1/1 to rear (c.1950).

Three-bay two-storey northeast front elevation with a central square-headed door opening having replacement hardwood sheeted door. Two window openings to RHS of door and one window opening to LHS on ground floor level. First floor has three equally spaced window openings, not aligned with openings below.

Blind southeast gable with chimney stack with three clay pots.

Three-bay two-storey rear elevation with smaller window openings than front elevation, randomly arranged and all 1/1 timber sliding sash. Central square-headed door opening with steel door to ground floor level. Three small rooflights to rear slope of roof.

Setting:
Terminating a terrace of buildings lining the southwest side of Bridge Street and built as one of a pair with No.4 (HB05/02/023G). Set at a lower level than the street with sunken front pavement enclosed by cement rendered retaining wall and steel railing. Concrete paved rear yard enclosed by tall cement rendered walls and an early rubblestone wall to the northwest only. Small painted rendered outhouse with tin roof to right side of yard.

Materials
Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Painted ruled-and-lined render
Windows Replacement timber sliding sash

Historical information

No. 2 Bridge Street, a two-storey three-bay early-19th century building, was constructed prior to 1859 (possibly c. 1830). The building may be referred to in the 1834 Townland Valuations. It is difficult however to identify specific structures in that source due to the loss of the accompanying Townland Valuation Town Plan for Cushendall. The property was first recorded with certainty on Griffith’s Valuation (1859) which noted that No. 2 Bridge Street was initially valued at £8 and was leased by the Turnly family to Michael McCloy who operated a lodging house from the premises. No. 2 Bridge Street was depicted on the Ordnance Survey Town Plan of 1903 along its current layout, although the map and early photographs show that the (now end-terrace) building was originally abutted to its south-east gable by an additional two-storey-over-cellar building. This property was contemporary with nos 2-4 Bridge Street and was occupied by a local blacksmith, but was demolished in the mid-1970s to make way for the road that now runs along the River Dall.

The valuation sources continued to record Michael McCloy as occupant of No. 2 Bridge Street until c. 1880 when the lodging house passed to his relative Alexander McCloy, a local farmer. The Census of Ireland noted that No. 2 Bridge Street had passed to Archibald Thompson, also a farmer, by at least 1901. In that year the census building return described the house as a 2nd class private dwelling that consisted of four rooms and possessed a stable, piggery, fowl house and a turf house amongst its outbuildings. Archibald Thompson continued to reside at No. 2 Bridge Street until his death in 1925 at which time the house passed to his son Robert Thompson. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of the site was raised to £12 and 10 shillings. Robert Thompson purchased the site outright from the Turnly estate in 1967 and by the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of No. 2 Bridge Street stood at £17 and 10 shillings.

In 1972 the UAHS publication for the Glens of Antrim described nos 2-6 Bridge Street as ‘a continuous terrace of two and three-storey houses, with most glazing-bars complete, of no especial interest, but pleasant and coherent; the dip in the pavement level lends unusual interest to what might otherwise be a little dull’ (UAHS, p. 31). The buildings along Bridge Street were subsequently included in the Cushendall Conservation Area in 1975, only the second conservation area in the province to have been designated at that time, ‘testimony itself to the special qualities of the village.’ In that year the village was also chosen as one of Northern Ireland’s four pilot schemes for conservation during the European Architectural Heritage Year. No. 2 Bridge Street was subsequently listed in 1976 and it was around that time that the adjoining two-storey-over-cellar building was demolished to make way for the new road along the River Dall. NIEA HB Records note that No. 2 Bridge Street underwent general renovation in 1984, including reslating in natural slate and the installation of new cast iron rainwater goods. The private dwelling was converted into a tea room and B&B accommodation c. 1991 (NIEA HB Records; Cushendall Conservation Area Guides).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/20/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1857)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/20/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1903)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/20/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1921)
4. PRONI OS/8/84/1 – Ordnance Survey Town Plan (1903)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/2/7A-F – Annual Revisions (1864-1923)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/2/12A– Annual Revisions (1923-29)
7. PRONI VAL/12/E/24/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1906-c. 1935)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/14 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
9. PRONI VAL/4/B/1/10 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
10. Ulster Town Directories (1880-1918)
11. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
12. PRONI Wills Catalogue (22 Dec 1925)
13. First Survey Record – HB05/02/023 (1971)
14. NIEA HB Record – HB05/02/023F

Secondary Sources
1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings and areas of architectural importance in the Glens of Antrim’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1972.
2. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Buildings of Co. Antrim’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1996.
3. Dallat, C., ‘The road to the Glens’ Belfast: The Friar’s Bush Press, 1989.
4. ‘Cushendall Village Conservation Area’ Belfast: Department of the Environment, 1975.
5. ‘Cushendall Conservation Area’ Belfast: Department of the Environment, 1993.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey with attic rendered former house, built pre 1859 (possibly c.1830). Located on the south west side of Bridge Street and built as one of a pair with its neighbour, No.4 (HB05/02/023G). It sits below road level and is accessed off the sunken footpath of Bridge Street, behind a wall and railings. Originally abutted to SE gable by two storey building demolished in 1970s. Despite the loss of original internal detailing, the exterior retains significant historic fabric. Good external appearance with asymmetrical arrangement of windows, finished with painted ruled-and-lined rendered walling and rusticated quoins. Interesting rear elevation (possibly supporting earlier date), plain, informal composition, no evidence of any return. Together with its neighbour, No.4, with which it has group value, No. 2 forms an intrinsic part of the historic setting of Cushendall village centre.