Former RUC Station

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached two-storey five-bay render with painted finish neo-Georgian former Police Station. Built in c. 1939 to designs by Thomas Francis O Rippingham, chief architect for the Ministry of Finance. Rectangular plan-form; deep projecting eaves to slated and sprocketed roof with large rendered chimney stack to the North-west side and a further chimney centred on the ridge. Originally built and utilised by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and subsequently by the P.S.N.I. until 2012. In that year the building fell vacant and continues to be disused today. Set back on the East side of Main Street, within the Bushmills Conservation Area.

Walling is of roughcast render with painted finish; front elevation retains classical neo- Georgian-style elements such as double hipped roof, arched recesses of the front entrance doors with timber multi-paned single-glazed sliding sash windows (with horns) on painted masonry cills that to ground floor have 6/9 lights and to first floor have 6/6 lights (unless otherwise mentioned); continuous rendered projecting band at first floor cill course; louvered metal vents set at regular intervals just below line of eaves to front and rear elevations; mixture of uPVC and cast-iron rainwater goods.

Principal elevation is symmetrical and faces South-west on to Main Street; ground floor is five-bays wide, three central bays set within shallow breakfront with three round-arched recesses that each contain a square-headed opening – a sliding sash window (6/9 lights) in the middle and two flush six-panelled timber doors to either side; a continuous plat band connects these openings at impost level. Breakfront is flanked by timber sliding sash windows (6/9 lights). First floor is three-bays wide, aligned with central bays on ground floor; windows are timber sliding sashes ( 6/6 lights) on continuous painted projecting sill course; deep overhang to slated hipped roof having boarded timber soffit; moulded cast-iron guttering to front elevation that discharges to uPVC downpipe via cast iron hopper. Plinth, masonry cills to ground floor windows, rainwater goods and soffit are all painted in contrasting colour.

North-west side elevation is asymmetrical; ground floor contains a timber sliding sash windows to ground floor (6/9 lights) and first floor (6/6 lights), both to the right side (towards Main St); a tall shouldered chimney stack rises from the centre of the NW elevation projecting above the ridge line of the main slated hipped roof with stepped lead flashing where chimney punctuates eaves; adjoined to the hipped roof behind by a slated chimney cricket.

North-east rear elevation is broadly symmetrical except at ground floor level where the fenestration is more irregular. Five bays at first floor each having a timber sliding sash window (6/6 lights) with continuous cill band directly below that returns to NW and SE side elevations; through-window extract vents fitted to central window and next one to right; vertical metal bars to middle window. Single storey, flat roofed projection to the far left, abutted by a mono-pitched boiler house with profiled metal roof and stainless steel extract flue; both have uPVC gutters and downpipe. Next to flat-roofed projection, a square-headed door opening contains a solid flush timber door with multi-paned sidelights and transom light; followed by two timber sliding sashes (6/6 lights) with a smaller blind opening between and a small 6-paned casement window to the far right side; all on a painted plinth. Slated hipped roof has a squat render painted chimney stack centred on ridge, rear slope has two cast-iron roof lights; moulded cast-iron guttering discharges to a square section downpipe.

South-east elevation is two bays wide and asymmetrical; ground floor has two timber sliding sashes; one to the left side (6/9 lights) and another to the right side (6/6 lights); first floor has a single timber sliding sash (6/6 lights) to the left side, aligned with ground floor bay below; continuous projecting cill at first floor as previously described.

Materials:
Roof: Natural Slate
RWG: Cast-iron & uPVC
Walling: Render, roughcast (painted)
Windows: Timber sliding sash multi-paned with one fixed light to rear (SW)

Setting:
Elevated slightly and set back from the building line of adjacent terraced rows of houses and shops on the East side of Main Street within the Bushmills Conservation Area, on a site bound by rendered walling with painted concrete copings topped by a high security mesh perimeter fence supported on square metal posts. The entrance is accessed via a flight of six concrete steps centred at the front, with dwarf fir trees and lawn to both sides. The North-west side elevation faces on to a bitmac path that runs parallel to a shared alley way leading to a service yard at the rear; the wall steps up in height along this boundary. Both the North-east and South-east elevations face onto concrete hard-standing, enclosed by tubular metal guarding that extends to meet handrails to concrete steps at the right and the site is bound by solid profiled metal security panels at the rear, beyond which a further lawned area is enclosed by mesh fencing and contains a single storey telephone exchange building of similar style, also having double-hipped sprocketed roof, although with red tiles and half-round ridge tiles.

Historical information

The former R.U.C. Station, a two-storey five-bay neo-Georgian barracks located at nos 96-98 Main Street, was constructed in c. 1939. The police station, which until recently was occupied by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, was originally designed by Thomas Francis O. Rippingham (c. 1896-1964). With the establishment of the Northern Ireland state in 1922 the newly-established Ministry of Finance appointed Rippingham (c. 1896-1964) as its official architect. Early in his career Rippingham was tasked with creating a standard design for a series of barracks for the (also newly-formed) Royal Ulster Constabulary and between 1922 and the 1950s dozens of new stations were constructed throughout the six counties employing Rippingham’s standard neo-Georgian design (DIA)
In the aftermath of partition, Ulster architects had rejected modern trends and embraced a neo-Georgian revival. Dixon states that Rippingham’s barrack design is the ‘most outstanding’ application of the neo-Georgian style; the ‘basic design ... while having its own distinct identity derived some of its elements from earlier types of building in the province. The combination of hipped roof with chimneys rising from the end walls looks back to the early-18th century, while the arched recesses of the front door and its flanking windows borrowed from the Regency of Late-Georgian styles give the facade a simple yet positive dignity.

The design was adaptable in size varying from three windows in width to eight or nine; it also proved an environmental success, blending with the older buildings along the streets of Ulster’s towns, or taking its place quietly in more isolated country situations.’ Dixon suggested that the police station in Seaforde Co. Down was ‘the most outstanding in the series,’ however the example at Bushmills is typical of Rippingham’s neo-Georgian design (Dixon, p. 189). The First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) records that the R.U.C. Barracks in Bushmills was constructed in c. 1939. The building was first recorded in the valuation sources in that year, which noted that the barracks was leased by the Ministry of Home Affairs N. I. and was valued at £55. By the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of the building stood at £96.

The police barracks at nos 96-98 Main Street was utilised by the R.U.C., and subsequently by the P.S.N.I. until 2012. In that year the building was closed and put up for sale (along with 43 other stations throughout the province) due to cost-cutting measures (Ballymoney Times).

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/13 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
2. PRONI VAL/4/B/1/22 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)

Secondary Sources

1. Dixon, H., ‘An introduction to Ulster Architecture’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2008.
2. Ballymoney Times (23 Mar 2012)

Online Resources

1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Detached two-storey five-bay render with painted finish neo-Georgian former Police Station situated on the East side of Main Street. Built in c. 1939 to designs by Thomas Francis O. Rippingham. Rectangular plan-form with classical neo-Georgian-style elements to the principal facade. Set along a terrace row to the east side of Main Street Bushmills. Originally built for the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and subsequently occupied by the P.S.N.I. Until 2012; since then it has become vacant and disused. Generally this is a well proportioned building with good quality architectural detailing within the neo-Georgian style. It is one of the most significant buildings within the Bushmills Conservation Area and has both historical and social interest.