McKinley & Clarke

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 3 bay wide 2 storey building with shopfront and long back return, corner building.

Elevation to Castle Street, shopfront to right comprising display window subdivided into 3 vertical panes with narrow vent on top. Panelled front shopdoor, with small porch, fanlight, narrow pier, panelled door to house without fanlight. Name fascia over display window and doors, painted lettering, cornice. A double sliding sash 12 pane window with exposed sash boxes, very decorative cast iron railing on cill protecting lower sash. (There is quite a gradient on Castle Street so that window cill is close to ground level). At 1st floor, 3 no. sliding sash 12 pane windows with exposed sash boxes, windows widely spaced. ½ round cast iron gutter fixed on corbel course. Wall smooth rendered plinth and painted with rusticated quoins at both ends and returned on gable. Roof natural slated with Velux rooflight, chimney stack at each end.

Gable has a single 1st floor window, sliding sash 12 pane, off-centre, wall finished as front wall with deep plinth and rusticated quoins. No bargeboards, rendering taken up to under slate edge.

Further along Clare Street is the back return which consists of 2 parts. 1. A 2 storey, smooth rendered and painted building with central gateway with 3 centre arch, large window on each side, one partial bricked up. At 1st floor 3 no. sliding sash vertical windows, centre one smaller, slated roof and obviously a store

Beyond last another store, 2 storey 3 bay long with off centre gateway with small shuttered windows on each side. At 1st floor 2 single door, very widely spaced with small window between. Over one door a hoist beam projecting from a dormer. Walls roughcast unpainted, roof natural slates. Both these buildings present reasonable fronts to Clare Street. 2 chimney stacks rise from ridges.

No. 72 Castle Street forms a corner building between it and Clare Street with storage/warehouse structures along the latter.

Historical information

A building has probably existed on this site from the c 1740s but the present building most likely dates from the early 19th century and has retained its detail remarkably. Clare Street was originally a place of artisans, originally called Nailor’s Row. Little evidence of it now with the exception of a ruinous shop front, formerly a barber. Repairs were carried out in 1985 and 1988 using NIHE grants. Roof reslated, front renovated, painted. W J Savage architect. The owner carries on a hardware business and resides on premises.

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. Map 1832 Antrim sh. 8.
2. O.S. Map 1832 Rev. 1856 Antrim sh. 8.
3. Notes, 1st Survey, E.H.S. Hill Street, Belfast.

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS Glens of Antrim p 49, 50

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A pleasing early 19th century shopfront and house in Georgian style with good store buildings along Clare Street. Some of the practical detailing such as the window cill railing recall busy market days. The shop interior for detail, layout and presentation of goods is well preserved.