89 Garron Road,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A symmetrical-fronted three-bay single-storey house in Tudor Revival style, of masonry construction, built as one of a terrace of four identical cottages. Main entrance faces west.

Entrance elevation: three-bay, containing one window to each side of a central projecting porch. Roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses with dark toned ridge tiles. One chimney to each extremity, of basalt rubble with a plain block cornice; two modern pots to one to right, common with adjoining house; and one modern pot to one to left, common with adjoining house.
Walls are of basalt rubble with a projecting eaves course; cast iron gutters and downpipes.
Windows are rectangular timber two-light, comprising side-hung casements, double glazed, with simulated margin lights, set in roughly rendered reveals with a flat arch to the head and a projecting basalt cill.

Porch is of similar walling except for addition of a projecting plinth; roof slated as previous; shaped kneelers to porch gable which contains a Gothic arched doorway; rectangular ledged timber door, surmounted by a Gothic arched fanlight containing intersecting glazing bars, framed in a rectangular Tudor style drip moulding; spandrel painted black.

Rear elevation: roof slated as previous, with a new gabled dormer; dormer faces smooth rendered; contains a rectangular PVC window. Rear wall smooth rendered, with left-hand side obscured by a later two-storey rear return, of smooth rendered walls, synthetic slated roofs, and rectangular PVC windows.

SETTING: The building stands within a terrace of four houses, located in a very rural area, on the seaward side of the main coast road. It faces the main road but is set back slightly from it with a small front garden; front boundary wall is of concrete blockwork, painted, with concrete copings and caps to gate piers; modern steel gate; front plot is laid with beach pebbles, with a cement screed path to the front door. At the rear there is a concrete open yard area with two corrugated metal sheds; rough grass to the plot beyond, leading to the shoreline.

Historical information

Built in 1849-50 by Lady Londonderry to the designs of Charles Campbell and established as a post office from the outset, according to extracts from letters to the Marchioness of Londonderry. Interior rebuilt and rear extension added in 1997-8.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 20.
2. Copy of extracts from letters to the Marchioness of Londonderry, in the possession of James Hannigan in 1997.

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, Glens of Antrim (Belfast, 1971), p 25.
2. P. Magill, Garron Tower (Belfast, 1990), pp 30 and 48.
3. F. Hamond, Antrim Coast and Glens: Industrial Heritage (HMSO, Belfast, 1991), p 86 (item no. 49).
4. IHR 7695.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a mid-19th century terrace house in clearly proportioned but plain Tudor Revival style which retains most of its original appearance to the entrance front. Despite some degradation of its setting, it still forms part of an interesting group.