25- 27 Ann Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 4 bay wide 2½ storey building with basement and extensive back return.

The elevation to Ann Street has panelled shop door with shop window on each side, single pane, with conc. cill and plastered panel under and pilasters framing windows and doors. Further along a larger shop window divided with mullion with 2 panes, again framed with pilasters and at the right hand side a panelled door to upper floor accommodation and with pilaster each side. Freestanding, on the pavement, outside the shop window is a post office letterbox (see HB05/14/009D).

Extending the full length of the façade a long painted name fascia with continuous cornice and arranged slightly below cill level of first floor windows.

At 1st floor level 4 no. D/H S/S 4 pane windows with stooled cills regularly spaced. A small hanging sign at one end. The gutter line is well above window heads and supported on row of closely spaced moulded corbels. Ogee gutter, single downpipe. Natural slated roof with 2 widely spaced gabled dormers with D/H S/S 2 pane windows and plain bargeboards. Dormers centred on walling between windows below. Chimneystack at each end. Hip to roof between No. 27 and 29.

The building is set back approximately 900mm from that of No. 23. Further along Ann Street bends between No. s 27 and 29 hence the hip line on roof.

Rear elevation: original rear wall of original 3-storey street front block is now opened up into a 3-storey rear extension. Roof of street front block is pitched, of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. Rear return is in two blocks, both with hipped roofs, slated as previous; walling rendered with wet dash; moulded pvc gutters with unpainted metal downpipes. North side of first block of rear return has a small basement doorway containing a steel door; floor above has a modern boarded timber door opening onto a modern steel fire escape stairway; top floor has a modern rectangular timber sliding sash window, 1 over 1 with horns. Second (lower) block of rear return has a modern pedimented projecting doorway of smooth rendered detailing containing a modern steel shutter door.

Rear wall of rear return is blank.

South side of rear return is also blank.

Historical information

Probably an earlier building of mid 18th cent. either wholly or partially rebuilt. The extensive returns appears of comparative recent date (reported to be 1992). It is not shown on the O.S. Map of 1904 or O.S. Map Antrim 8-12 Rev. 1972. The building was originally 2 i.e. No. s 25 and 27. It is now a large chemist shop and to the rear veterinary suppliers.

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. Map 1832 Antrim sh. 8.
2. O.S. Map 1832 Rev. 1856 Antrim sh. 8.
3. O.S. Map 1904 Ballycastle.
4. O.S. Map 1904 Rev. 1972 Antrim 8-12.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is a building comprising what appears to be a mid-to-late 19th century facadal arrangement behind which is an almost entirely rebuilt interior of 1992 extending into a very large modern rear return. It stands as a building of no special historic or architectural interest.