91 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; one stub pot to the one to the left, one modern pot to the one to the right, 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 casements, each casement comprised of two large panes with 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. Downpipes to each side of porch discharge into raised concrete gulleys.

North gable is blank: of basalt rubble with shaped kneelers; plain basalt block copings. One chimney on apex, of coursed roughly squared basalt rubble with plain block cornice; one stub pot. Extending to the left, and slighty set back, is the smooth rendered gable of the rear extension: contains one window, rectangular PVC fixed light and casement.

Rear elevation: main roof is slated as previous, with two modern rooflights; modern concrete coping to party wall with adjoining property to left. Entire rear wall is obscured by a later lean-to extension: roof slated as previous, with two flush rooflights; walling is smooth rendered; contains three windows rectangular PVC fixed lights and casements; rectangular timber glazed and panelled door; PVC rainwater goods.

SETTING: The building stands at one end of 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. Boundary wall returns back to sides, with smooth rendered inner and outer faces; front plot surfaced in cement scred. At the rear of the house is a raised cement surfaced patio bounded by timber fencing; rough grassy plot beyond, leading to shoreline.

Historical information

Built in 1849-50 by Lady Londonderry as a Coastguard Cottage to the designs of Charles Campbell, according to extracts from letters to the Marchioness of Londonderry .

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.