15 MAIN ST.

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single-storey three-bay pebble dashed mid-terraced house with a single storey flat roof extension to the rear; rectangular plan-form with a pitched roof; set within a terrace formerly known as 'Metal Row'; built at the same time prior to 1832. Located on the west side of Lower Main Street with views south to Market Square, at the northern end of Bushmills village centre with the Bush River to the west. The terraced row is situated to the immediate south of Woodville House Mill [HB05/08/071].

Pebble dashed walling; small timber top-hung windows with painted stone sloping sills and painted rendered band surrounds to windows of front elevation; all set on a painted rendered plinth; replacement fibre cement pitched roof has black clay ridge tiles and a single unpainted rendered chimney-stack at SW end, with two circular terracotta clay pots; uPVC rainwater goods throughout.

Principal elevation faces South-east accessed directly via pavement from Main Street; three bays wide all set on an unpainted rendered plinth; elevation of each property along the terrace row is divided by unpainted rendered quoins; slightly recessed doorway, centred on elevation, contains a replacement timber door with glazed top panes and metal door furniture, set within a stepped concrete architrave surround with stop blocks.

South-west and North-east sides are abutted by neighbouring properties No. 17 & 13 Lower Main Street [HB05/08/070 B&D].

North-west elevation - not accessible at time of survey, but seen from rear of No.17 Lower Main Street; single storey flat roof extension, three bays wide with a single door opening to the left of two window bays containing timber casement windows.

Setting:
Located on the west side of Lower Main Street with views south to Market Square, at the northern end of Bushmills village centre with the Bush River to the west.

Materials:
Roof: Fibre cement
RWGs: uPVC (front & rear)
Walling: Pebble dashed
Windows: Timber casements & top-hung

Historical information

No. 15 Lower Main Street, a single-storey three-bay dwelling which forms part of a terrace formerly known as ‘Metal Row,’ was constructed prior to 1832. The Bushmills Conservation Guide (1992) records that the village was already a significant settlement by the end of the 18th century but, from the 1820s, Bushmills was largely rebuilt and expanded by the Macnaghten family who had acquired the estate in 1787. The early-19th century terrace at nos 5-19 Lower Main Street was first depicted on the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1832) along its current layout at the northern end of Bushmills. The terrace is located to the immediate south of Woodville House Mill (HB05/08/071), a two-storey dwelling and former iron foundry which gave nos 5-19 Lower Main Street its former name of Metal Row. The contemporary Townland Valuations (c. 1834) records that No. 15 Lower Main Street was initially occupied by a Mr. John McGeehan and was valued at £2 19s. 6d. The valuer described the house as a 2B+ building (that is a thatched building of medium age, but still in sound order and good repair) that measured 30ft by 19.6ft and stood 7.6ft in height.

There was little alteration to the site by the second edition Ordnance Survey map (1855) but the contemporary Griffith’s Valuation (1859) notes that No. 15 Lower Main Street had been slightly increased in value to £3 since the 1830s. The valuer recorded that the thatched house was initially leased by Sir Edmund Macnaghten of Dundarave House (HB05/08/005) to a Mr. Joseph Dinsmore who remained at the site until c. 1886 when the property passed to Hugh McNaul. Under the 1901 Census of Ireland No. 15 Lower Main Street was occupied by Daniel Cochrane, a local agricultural labourer who resided at the site with his wife and their two children. The accompanying census building return records that the thatched roofs of nos 5-19 Lower Main Street had been slated by at least the turn of the 20th century. The return specifically described No. 15 Lower Main Street as a 2nd class dwelling that consisted of four inhabited rooms. The First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) records that the house was increased in value to £3 and 10 shillings and was leased out to a number of tenants throughout this period. No. 15 Lower Main Street had been purchased outright by a Mr. William Gault by the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) which further raised the value of the site to £6 and 10 shillings.

The UAHS Guide for North Antrim (1972) described Bushmill’s Main Street as ‘a well scaled street, for the most part excellently painted and maintained. Many good doorways and shopfronts remain. While no building apart from the former Court House is worthy of individual mention, the unity of the street frontages much be maintained.’ The guide specifically described Lower Main Street as ‘a pleasant curving street facing the grounds of Dundarave’ (UAHS guide, p. 16). No. 15 Lower Main Street was listed in 1980 and was included in the Bushmills Conservation Area which was designated in 1992 to protect the village which possesses the highest number of Listed Buildings for any town or village in the North East of Northern Ireland (NIEA HB Records; Bushmills Conservation Area guide).

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 VAL/1/D/1/7 – Townland Valuation Town Plan (c. 1834)
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/132 – Townland Valuations (c. 1843)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/25A – Griffith’s Valuation (1859)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/8A-D – Annual Revisions (1859-1894)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/4/6A-C – Annual Revisions (1895-1929)
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/13 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
10. PRONI VAL/4/B/1/22 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
11. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1918)
12. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
13. First Survey Record – HB05/08/070
14. NIEA HB Records – HB05/08/070C

Secondary Sources
1. Girvan, W. D., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings & areas of architectural importance in North Antrim’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1972.
2. ‘Bushmills Conservation Area Guide’ Belfast: Department of the Environment, 1992.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

west side of Lower Main Street with views south to Market Square, at the northern end of Bushmills village centre with the Bush River to the west. The terrace is located to the immediate south of Woodville House Mill (HB05/08/071), a two-storey dwelling and former iron foundry which gave Nos 5-19 Lower Main Street its former name of ‘Metal Row’, as it later housed nail makers, foundry and mill workers. Thatched until the turn of the twentieth century, No 15 was initially leased by Sir Edmund Macnaghten of Dundarave House (HB05/08/005), who was responsible for the redevelopment and expansion of Bushmills from the 1820s. While No 15 has been altered, it retains its external historic character with its simple proportions and original window surrounds to front. Still in it's relatively original setting, it has group value with the rest of the terrace, Nos 19-17 & 13-5 (HB05/08/070 A-B & D-G) .