56 Castle Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively plain, somewhat modernised two storey terrace house with large carriage archway of possible later 18th century construction and at one time part of a larger property with no.58, now with modern [?shop] window to front, modern window frames throughout and artificial ‘slates’. The building is set on the N side of Castle Street, to W of Ballycastle town centre.

The asymmetrical front elevation faces S. To the centre-right of the ground floor is a modern partly glazed door with plain rectangular fanlight. To right is an enlarged (roughly square) shop-like window with single fixed light frame. To far left is a large segmental-headed carriage arch with painted in-out voussoirs and quoins and a roller shutter (placed behind the opening). To the first floor are four unevenly-spaced windows with modern timber frames. The two windows to left are slightly smaller and set at a slightly higher level (over the carriage arch), the windows to right actually belong to no.58. The front façade is rendered and painted. Satellite dish between second and third window.

To the left hand side of the ground floor of the rear elevation, there is a small single storey rendered lean-to with corrugated iron roof. To the W face of this there is a modern door, whilst to the N face is a modern window. To the right of the lean-to (to ground floor of main building) there is a window with modern frame, whilst to right again is the rear of the carriage arch. To the first floor are two widely spaced windows with modern frames. The rear façade of the main building is in random basalt rubble which has been whitewashed (but not maintained). Dentilled brick course to verge. The small lean-to is rendered.

The gabled roof is covered in artificial ‘slate’ with Velux window to rear. Tall rendered chimney stack to W of centre on ridge. PVC rw goods to front, those to rear appear to be metal.

Historical information

The first valuation of December 1834* records that a large old (grade ‘1C+’) house of similar dimensions to the present nos.56 and 58, on the site of this and its neighbour to the east, then occupied by an Adam Boyd and a Patrick Black. As the later valuations do not record any major structural changes to the property we can assume that western half of the large dwelling of 1834 is that we see today. The (combined) property was probably one of the 127 two storey houses mentioned in the OS Memoirs of 1835, and like much of the structures within Castle Street may date from c.1740-70, when the town assumed much of its present form under improving landlord Hugh Boyd; significant sections of the internal detailing of no.58 suggests that it at least may date from the 18th century.

The valuation of 1834 also tells us that in the large yard to the rear (‘Boyd’s Yard’) there was a ‘range of poor dwellings’ the upper parts of which were used as ‘offices’ (i.e. stores or outbuildings). These dwellings were originally sited on both sides of the yard, but only those to the west side now survive (albeit solely as outbuildings).

By 1859 the large house had been split into two properties, with the present no.56 occupied by a Hugh Boyd. Like its neighbour the building appears to have contained a ‘parlour and kitchen below, two rooms over and garrets’. To the rear the range of small dwellings (seven in all) were occupied by John Sharpe, James Kenny, Patrick Carroll, John Hunter, Daniel McCollum, Mary [?McCrank] and Charles McDougall.

Hugh Boyd appears to have remained in the property until 1865, when he was followed a John Whiteford and then Andrew Boyd (who had lived in no.58- presumably a relative). The Boyd family appear to have been succeeded in 1902 by James Campbell, and in turn by a James Bonar (1920-22), John Jennings (1922-?c.1946). According to the valuations the property appears to have remained vacant from c.1946 until 1950 when an Annie McCurdy is recorded as the resident.

Most of the small houses to the rear were finally abandoned some time prior to 1923, for they are recorded as ‘in ruins’ in that year, though one of them (probably in the row to the east) appears to have been occupied up until 1950. The row on the west side of the yard was demolished c.1980s to make way for a large extension to the neighbouring supermarket.

Like its neighbour no.58, no.56 shows signs of having been renovated in c.1980s.

[*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 ‘Pigot & Co’s City of Dublin and Hibernian Commercial Directory (Manchester 1824)
2 OS Memoirs, Parish of Ramoan, 1831-39, reprinted in ‘Ordnance Survey memoirs of Ireland…’ ed Angelique Day, Patrick McWilliams and Noirin Dobson (Belfast, QUB, 1994), p.92 etc
3 PRONI OS/6/1/8/1 OS map, Co Antrim, sh 8, 1832
4 PRONI VAL/1B/135 First valuation, Ramoan parish, 1834
5 Samuel Lewis, ‘Topographical history of Ireland’ (London, 1837)
6 ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1846)
7 ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1856)
8 PRONI OS/6/1/8/2 OS map, Co Antrim, sh 8, 1856
9 PRONI VAL/2B/1/28c Second valuation, Ramoan parish, 1859
10 PRONI VAL/12B/2/3a-g Annual valuation revision books, Ballycastle ED, 1864-1921
11 ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland (Manchester, 1870)
12 PRONI VAL/12E/8/1/1-3 Valuation plan of Ballycastle, 1898-c.1935
13 PRONI VAL/12E/8/2/1 Valuation plan of Ballycastle, c.1905
14 PRONI VAL/12B/2/5a-c Annual valuation revision books, Ballycastle UD, 1921-31
15 PRONI VAL/3G/6/1/1-3 Valuation plan of Ballycastle, 1934-50
16 PRONI VAL/3B/1/5 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Ballycastle UD, 1935
17 PRONI VAL/3C/1/6 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, 1936-57

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively plain, somewhat modernised two storey terrace house with large carriage archway of possible later 18th century construction and at one time part of a larger property with no.58, now with modern [?former shop] window to front, modern window frames throughout and artificial ‘slates’. Though still an asset to the varied Georgian character of Castle Street the recent changes to this property have seriously weakened its impact.