35-41 Lower Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey six-bay painted rough-cast and smooth rendered mid-19th century building with a three-centred carriage archway leading to the rear yard and car park. Located on the west side of Main Street in Bushmills, at the northern end of the village centre with the River Bush to the west, constructed between 1834 and 1855. Originally built as two separate properties, No's 35-41 were converted into single commercial premises in c. 1988 as a result of a major refurbishment. Rectangular plan-form with a large modern commercial extension to the rear c. 1997. Slated pitched roof has two unpainted rendered chimneystacks with buff clay pots. At the time of the survey the building continued to be occupied as commercial premises.

Unpainted smooth and rough-cast rendered walling; timber sliding sash and casement windows on painted sills and shop front below on ground floor level with a three-centred carriage archway to the left side leading to rear yard and car park; all set on a painted rendered plinth; pitched slate roof has black clay ridge tiles and two unpainted rendered chimney-stacks with buff clay pots; half-round painted cast-iron guttering discharging to a painted cast-iron circular downpipe to front elevation, uPVC rainwater goods to the rear and modern extension.

Principal elevation faces North-east accessed directly via paved footpath from the Main Street; six-bays wide on first floor having a mixture of timber painted sliding sash and casement windows, ground floor contains a timber shop front painted in Co-operative colours having a recessed doorway; single three-centred arched carriageway to the left side leads to rear yard and shop car parking, all set on a rendered plinth painted in contrasting colour; cast-iron rainwater goods to front elevation.

South-east elevation is adjoined to neighbouring property at first floor level; smooth painted rendered walling on ground floor level.

South-west (rear) elevation is abutted to the left side by a large unpainted rendered modern extension, providing additional shop accommodation. Rear slope of main slate pitched roof has a small modern roof lights. Right side of main elevation has a small timber casement window on first floor level above coach arch, there is two-storey flat roof unpainted rendered outshot to the left with a concealed large window at first floor level.

North-west elevation walling is of stone and red brick with painted rendered sections at first floor height topped by a unpainted rendered chimneystack having four buff clay pots; ground floor level is abutted by adjoining neighbouring property (under construction) No's 31-33 Lower Main Street [HB05/08/065A-B].

Setting:
Located on the west side of Main Street in Bushmills, at the northern end of the village centre with the River Bush to the west and to the south of Metal Row [HB05/08/070A-H].

Materials:
Roof: Natural Slate (artificial slate to rear)
RWGs: Cast-iron (front) & uPVC (rear)
Walling: Roughcast & smooth rendered
Windows: Timber sliding sash & casements.

Historical information

Nos 35-41 Main Street, a two-storey six-bay mid-19th century building (with coach arch) located on the west side of Main Street in Bushmills, was constructed between 1834 and 1855. The six-bay building was originally constructed as two separate properties, however these structures were converted into a single commercial premises in c. 1988. Nos 35-41 Main Street were amongst the last buildings to be constructed along the west side of Main Street as part of the general rebuilding of Bushmills in the early-19th century. The Bushmills Conservation Area Guide records that Bushmills was a significant settlement before the end of the 18th century but from the 1820s the village was extensively rebuilt by the MacNaghten family of Bushmills House (who had acquired the estate in 1787). The two buildings that now make up nos 35-41 Main Street were not recorded on the Townland Valuation Town Plan or the contemporary Townland Valuations (c. 1834-35) but the row did appear on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1855.

Late-19th century valuation maps show that nos 35-41 Main Street was originally divided into a two-storey two-bay dwelling (the northernmost two-bays of the current building) and a two-storey four-bay dwelling (the southernmost four bays including the current coach arch). Griffith’s Valuation (1859) notes that both buildings were leased to tenants by the MacNaghten estate. The two-bay dwelling was valued at £7 and was initially occupied by Matthew Alexander, a local leather cutter, whilst the larger four-bay house was valued at £8 and 10 shillings and was inhabited by a Mr. Patrick McIninch. The McIninch family continued to occupy the site until c. 1910 and there were few changes to their property during this time. In. c. 1887 the adjoining two-bay dwelling was acquired by Guardians of the Poor Coleraine Union and was converted into Bushmill’s local Dispensary. The dispensary continued to be operated from the site until c. 1895 when the building reverted to use as a private dwelling (UTD).

The Annual Revisions and Census of Ireland record that nos 35-41 Main Street had been converted into three two-bay dwellings by at least 1911. In that year the Census of Ireland noted that the northernmost two-bays (nos 35-37) were occupied by Daniel McIlrevey, a house carpenter; the middle two-bays (No. 39) were inhabited by Daniel McCaughan, a local flesher, and possessed a ground floor shopfront; while the southernmost two-bays (No. 41 - including the coach arch) were occupied by David Montgomery, also a carpenter. The census building return described the buildings as three 2nd class dwellings, each of which consisted of four rooms. Nos 35-41 Main Street continued to be divided into three two-bay properties under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) which set the combined rateable value of the buildings at £24 and 10 shillings. The valuer noted that the two northernmost buildings (nos 35-39) both possessed ground floor shopfronts by at least the 1930s but that No. 41 Main Street remained in use as a private dwelling. This arrangement of the buildings remained unchanged by the end of the Second General Revaluation at which time the combined rateable value of nos 35-41 Main Street had been further increased to £42.

In 1972 the UAHS Guide for North Antrim described the buildings along Main Street in Bushmills in the following general terms: ‘A well-scaled street. Many good doorways and shopfronts remain, although there is the usual profusion of signs. While no building apart from the former Courthouse is worthy of individual mention, the unity of the street frontages must be maintained’ (UAHS Guide, p. 16). Nos 35-41 Main Street were individually listed in 1980 and were subsequently included in the Bushmills Conservation Area. The conservation area was designated in 1992 in order to preserve the built heritage of the village which possesses the highest number of listed buildings in the North East of Northern Ireland.
The NIEA HB Records note that nos 35-41 Main Street were converted from three separate addresses into the current six-bay structure as a result of a major refurbishment of the site which was carried out in c. 1988. The building underwent a second renovation in c. 1997 when the current modern commercial extension was constructed to the rear of the site to provide additional shop space for The Co-operative Food Company. Planning permission was granted in 2003 for 'alteration to street frontage, internal alterations, minor demolition & extension at rear'. (Bushmills Conservation Area Guide; NIEA HB Records).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/3/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/3/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1855)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/3/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1904)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/3/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1921)
5. PRONI VAL/1D/1/7 – Townland Valuation Town Plan (c. 1834)
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/132 – Townland Valuations (1835)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/25A – Griffith’s Valuation (1859)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/8A-D – Annual Revisions (1859-94)
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/4/6A-C – Annual Revisions (1895-1929)
10. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/13 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
11. PRONI VAL/4/B/1/22 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
12. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1918)
13. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
14. First Survey Record – HB05/08/063-64
15. NIEA HB Record – HB05/08/063-64

Secondary Sources
1. ‘Bushmills Conservation Area Guide’ Belfast: Department of the Environment (N. I.), 1983 – including the Ordnance Survey Town Plan of 1902.
2. Girvan, W. D., ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in North Antrim’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1972.

Evaluation

Two-storey, six-bay mid-19th century commercial building with carriage archway leading to rear. Located on the west side of Main Street in Bushmills, at the northern end of the village centre with the River Bush to the west, constructed between 1834 and 1855. Originally built as two separate dwellings, No's 35-41 were converted into single commercial premises in c. 1988. Planning permission was granted in 2003 for alterations to the street frontage, internal alterations, minor demolition and extension to rear. The original floor plan has been much altered and there is little internal historic fabric and detailing remaining. Externally replacement top hung windows to the front elevation detract from the historic character and a large modern extension dominates the rear. As such, the building does not have sufficient architectural and historic interest to be considered special.

General comments

HB05/08/063 A & B are Dummy records relating to this HB Record