Former coach house, courtyard buildings and gate screen

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Grouping of four long, part two, and part single storey dwellings, stables and outbuildings of 1875 built to serve the Glenarm Castle estate and arranged around a courtyard. The building to the W is the two storey former stable block, whilst that to the N is a short terrace of three two storey dwellings and that to the S a long single storey store. The courtyard facing elevations of the above three buildings are constructed in squared semi-coursed rock faced fieldstone [presumably basalt] with red sandstone dressings. To the W side the courtyard is enclosed by a long single storey plain rendered building which is accessed from outside of the yard itself. The courtyard is entered through a decorative gate screen to the NW. The grouping sits at the N end of Glenarm demesne to the S of Straidkilly Road and N of the castle itself. To the immediate S of the this grouping there are other estate dwellings and outbuildings arranged around a much smaller yard- these are recorded under the separate reference HB06/02/001D.

Stable Block
The stable block (now largely used as a store), lies to the E side of the courtyard. To the right of centre of its W (courtyard facing) front is a large sliding timber sheeted door. The opening has an exposed RSJ lintel and smooth red sandstone dressings. To the left are two sash windows with Georgian panes (6/6). Each window has smooth in-out red sandstone dressings and a shallow (pointed) relieving arch over. To the far left is a stable door, as before. To the right of this is a window, as before, and to the far right is a wide panelled door with a plain rectangular fanlight.

To the left of the first floor is a large Georgian-paned fixed light window centred within a small gabled half-dormer. To the right are two squat Georgian-paned sash windows (3/3). To the right again is a further half-dormer, with window as before. To the far right are a further two squat sash windows, as before. The first floor windows all have dressings as ground floor.

The N and S gables abut the adjoining buildings and are therefore not visible while the E elevation, which is finished with plain unpainted render, is blank.

The roof is hipped and covered with natural slate. Cast iron rw goods. The façade rests of a small chamfered plinth.

Dwelling block
The dwelling block is to the N side of the courtyard. This block appears to have originally contained three dwellings, and a stable with office or apartment over. The block now contains three dwellings, one dwelling now incorporating what was a stable.

To the far left on the courtyard facing S elevation is a Georgian-paned sash window (6/6) while to the right is a bricked up door opening. To the right again is a further door which is part sheeted and part glazed. To the right there are three windows, as previous To the right of these are two timber sheeted doors- that to the right is narrow with a plain fanlight. To the far right is another window; above this window is a segmental stone relieving arch and an exposed RSJ (the window sits within a large blocked up former doorway. To left and right of the window are the remains of the stone dressings of this former doorway. To the first floor there are seven unevenly spaced sash windows. Windows and doors all have in-out stone dressings, as before. Doors and windows to the ground floor also have small pointed relieving arches.

The E elevation merges with the E face of the stable block and is blank.

The W elevation has a now bricked up door to the right and a window to the left, o the centre of the first floor is another window. The windows correspond to those on the S elevation. The right side of the elevation merges with a tall rendered yard wall while the left side it merges with the gate screen (see below).

To the right side of the N elevation is a slightly recessed stone panel; to the right is a projecting stone chimney stack which rises from ground level to high above the eaves. The remainder of the façade is finished in plain render. To the ground floor there are eight windows of varying size and set at varying levels. All windows are sashes apart from the 4th from the left which is a very small window with four pane [?top hung] frame. The eighth windows looks as though it has a sash frame, but this in fact may be top hung. The 1st and 6th windows have Georgian panes (6/6), whilst the rest have vertical glazing bars (2/2) apart from the 7th which is plain. The 2nd window sits within a small arched recess (possibly once a door). To the first floor there are 6 slightly unevenly spaced sash windows with Georgian panes (3/3). These vary slightly in size and are set at slightly differing heights.

The rear of the houses opens to a cattle yard with modern steel pens. The N side of the cattle yard is bounded by a two storey hipped roof, rubble built byre with three centred colonnaded openings. To the NE side of the byre there are a number of modern shed extensions.

The S and W elevations along with the right side of the N elevation are finished with squared black stone while the remaining faces are all finished with plain render. The roof is hipped and covered with natural slate. Cast iron rw goods. The façade rests of a small chamfered plinth. There are two stone chimneystacks each with chamfered base and copestone and each are pot less.

Small Stores
To the S side of the courtyard is a line of single storey lean-to storey stores. To the far left is a door opening (without a door) while to the right is a small sash window (2/2). To the right of this is a timber sheeted door and a further sash window (2/1). To the right again is a wide opening, within the (E) reveal of which is a timber sheeted door which opens into a small store. To the right of this large opening is a further door which is flanked by sash windows (both 2/2). To the far right is another timber sheeted door. The door and window openings all have in-out red sandstone dressings.

The E, W and S faces abut adjoining buildings (recorded under separate ref HB06/02/001d). The mono pitched roof is slated and merges with that of the building to S.

Larger store
To the W side of the courtyard is a single storey, plain rendered store, with slated gabled roof.

The elevation facing the courtyard is blank and rendered while the N (gabled) face has a Georgian-paned sash window (6/6) centred within the upper part of the gable.

The W elevation has two large openings to the left. That to far left has timber sheeted sliding doors whilst the other has (hinged) timber sheeted doors. To the right (S) the block merges with an adjoining ‘office’ section (described in HB06/02/001D).

Gate Screen
Close to the N end of the W side of the courtyard is a decorative gate screen. The gate pillars each have square ashlar block sandstone shafts set on rock face chamfered black stone plinths. The shallow cornice is surmounted by square (with curved faces) pyramidal caps with ball finials. The pillar to N is inscribed ‘18’ with ‘75’ on that to S. Beyond each pillar is a low wall in squared rock faced fieldstone with sandstone coping and decorative railings above. Where these side walls meet the wall of the N and W blocks of the courtyard there is a small respondent pier. The heavy decorative cast iron gates and matching railings each have spear heads. The innermost railing is topped with the crest of the Earl of Antrim.

Outbuildings to north
To the N of the courtyard complex is a cattle yard with various pens and stalls. To the N of these is a long two storey hipped roof outbuilding. This is partly rendered and partly in (painted) rubble. To the ground floor of the S elevation there are three large segmental arched openings with various loft doorways above, the central of which sits within a gabled half-dormer. To the N side a large modern, partly corrugated, iron clad shed, has been attached.

Historical information

This group of outbuildings, stables and dwellings was constructed in 1875 replacing a larger courtyard complex which was destroyed by fire the previous year. It is unclear whether anything survived the fire and was incorporated into the present range of buildings- the evidence presented by the OS map of 1857 suggests that all of the earlier buildings were demolished.

Originally the north block appears to have contained three dwellings and another dwelling or an office over the stable / shed to the east end. The block was altered at some point [?c.1960s] to form two larger dwellings, one taking in the former stable / area, and another (to the west end) formed by the amalgamation of two dwellings. The third, central, dwelling appears to have remained untouched.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.2977 Antrim Papers [The collection contains a bundle of documents (D.2977/43/8) relating to the fire of 1874.]
2 PRONI OS/6/1/29/1 OS map, Co Antrim sh 29, 1832-33
3 PRONI VAL/1B/149 First valuation, Tickmacrevan parish, 1833 [The first and second valuations give details of the outbuildings within the Glenarm estate prior to the construction of the present complex etc. Both valuations, however, do not indicate which building was which, so it is impossible to tell what actually stood where.]
4 PRONI OS/6/1/29/2 OS map, Co Antrim sh 29, 1857
5 PRONI VAL/2B/1/41B Second valuation [notebook], village of Glenarm etc, 1859
6 PRONI OS/6/1/29/3 OS map, Co Antrim sh 29, 1903

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

Grouping of four long, part two, and part single storey dwellings, stables and outbuildings of 1875 built to serve the Glenarm Castle estate and arranged around a courtyard. The building to the W is the two storey former stable block, whilst that to the N is a short terrace of three two storey dwellings and that to the S a long single storey store. The courtyard facing elevations of the above three buildings are constructed in squared semi-coursed rock faced fieldstone [presumably basalt] with red sandstone dressings. To the W side the courtyard is enclosed by a long single storey plain rendered building which is accessed from outside of the yard itself. The courtyard is entered through a decorative gate screen to the NW. The grouping sits at the N end of Glenarm demesne to the S of Straidkilly Road and N of the castle itself. To the immediate S of the this grouping there are other estate dwellings and outbuildings arranged around a much smaller yard- these are recorded under the separate reference HB06/02/001D.