7 The Diamond

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 2 bay wide 3 storey terrace house. The ground floor has a separate 6 panel door giving access to upper floors. To the west a shopfront incorporating a single panel glazed entrance door to office with a 8 pane office window with centre 4 large pane window with narrow 2 panes on either side. The door and window unified by plain painted pilaster on each side and over a painted name fascia on plaster with neat lettering indicating the ground floor occupant.

At first floor 2 double hung sliding sash 12 pane windows, one of which is centred on the single entrance door and the other centred on the shop front, thus forming an assymetrical arrangement in the façade. At 2nd floor 2 double hung sliding sash 12 pane windows centred over those below but of lesser height. The heads of the upper windows are immediately under the shallow eaves corbel course. There is no roof overhang. ½ round gutters and downpipe shared with No. 6 The Diamond. The walls are smooth rendered and lined and painted.

Roof natural slates with plastered chimneys at either end of ridge. That to the west double the width.

The rear of the building has single double hung sliding sash windows at each floor, walls smooth rendered and unpainted. Roof natural Bangor Blue slates. Ridge height same as adjacent buildings.

The building is the middle of a terrace of 3 with same building line.

Historical information

The building like its adjoining neighbour would appear to have been rebuilt around the c 1840s and became a much deeper structure. The former building was probably built late or middle 18th cent. and may have been a terrace of almshouses. Previous occupant was Margaret McKinlay who was there 30 years. Kathleen Boyd, who died in 1944, was owner until her demise. From then the building became the property of the Boyd and Fullerton Trustees. The building became freehold in 1984 and is now in the ownership of the ground floor occupant. See HB05/14/003 and HB05/14/005.

Precise date of building not known but it appears for the first time on the OS map of 1857; a much smaller structure appeared on the OS map of 1832.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 8.
2. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 8.

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, Glens of Antrim (Belfast, 1971), pp 46 and 52 (item 4).
2. DOENI, Ballycastle Conservation Area (N.D.), pp 50-51.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A mid 19th century, 2 bay wide 3 storey high terrace house which replaced an early 18th cent. house. Substantially renovated inside and with a modern shopfront in a traditional style. It is not of special architectural or historical interest. Alterations to neighbours has also reduced the group value of the terrace.