Store near northeast end of Clare Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively large, plain three storey gabled warehouse of 1903 with roughcast façade. The building is set at the N end of the E side of Clare Street, close to Ballycastle town centre.

The front elevation faces roughly W (into Clare Street) and is asymmetrical. To the ground floor there are three large square headed vehicle doorways with timber sheeted doors (sliding door to the left hand doorway). Between the left hand and middle doorway there is a small high level window with two pane (sash-like) timber frame with security grill over. All the windows to front are similar to this only larger.

To the first floor there are four evenly spaced openings- three windows with a timber-sheeted loading door between the second and third window. To the second floor is a similar arrangement with the doorway partly set within a small gable with hoist over.

Both main gables are blank. The S gable displays the outline of a now demolished neighbouring building.

The ground floor level of the rear elevation is completely covered by a single storey gabled structure with roughcast façade and corrugated iron roof. All faces of the structure appear to be blank. To the first floor of the main building there is a window to far left, with another to far left on the first floor with a small gable to its right and another window (with a dilapidated Georgian-paned frame) to right again. Most of the right hand side of the first floor could not be seen.

The façade is covered in unpainted roughcast with concrete window sills (to front windows at least); the main roof is slated. The single storey structure has a row of roof lights to the E side of its roof. The rw goods appear to be mainly PVC

Historical information

Though this site appears to be shown occupied on the OS maps of 1832 and 1857, the valuation plan of 1898, (the earliest detailed large scale plan of Ballycastle*), shows that the site was occupied by three smaller properties. The accompanying valuation books state that these properties were small dwellings, however an entry of 1903 records ‘stores and yard’ on the site in the hands of an Alexander McAllister. As the later valuation books mention no changes, we must assume that the ‘store’ of 1903 is that we see today.

In latter years the store has been used by a local auctioneer and later by a local furniture shop. It is currently used to house building materials.

[*Note on primary sources- Though Ballycastle has its full compliment of valuation books dating back to 1834, the earliest extant valuation plan of the town (indeed the earliest large scale plan) is that dating from 1898. This means that though the first and second valuations (of 1834 and 1859 respectively) present the usual detailed accounts of properties throughout the town, bereft of their contemporary plans it is almost impossible to discover exactly to which buildings the valuers are referring. The writer has circumvented this problem however by adopting the somewhat involved method of reading the records backwards- i.e. taking the more recent (mid 20th century) valuations and tracing each building back from these, using the 1898 map as a marker along the way.]

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/1/8/1 OS map, Co Antrim, sh 8, 1832
2 PRONI VAL/1B/135 First valuation, Ramoan parish, 1834
3 PRONI OS/6/1/8/2 OS map, Co Antrim sh 8, 1856
4 PRONI VAL/2B/1/28c Second valuation, Ramoan parish, 1859
5 PRONI VAL/12B/2/3a-g Annual valuation revision books, Ballycastle ED, 1864-1921
6 PRONI VAL/12E/8/1/1-3 Valuation plan of Ballycastle, 1898-c.1935
7 PRONI VAL/12E/8/2/1 Valuation plan of Ballycastle, c.1905
8 PRONI VAL/12B/2/5a-c Annual valuation revision books, Ballycastle UD, 1921-31
9 PRONI VAL/3G/6/1/1-3 Valuation plan of Ballycastle, 1934-50
10 PRONI VAL/3B/1/5 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Ballycastle UD, 1935
11 PRONI VAL/3C/1/6 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, 1936-57
12 Information supplied by Mr James Spence of Castle St, Ballycastle (May 2003)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively large plain three storey gabled warehouse of 1903 with roughcast façade. An unremarkable example of its type somewhat altered in recent years, but still an important part of the ‘backlands’ of Ballycastle.