4-5 and 6 Castle Demesne

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Plain gabled two storey terrace of estate workers houses, of perhaps c.1875 or earlier, which form the east side of a small courtyard, with former laundry to the north side, former dairy to south, and a small ‘office’ block to west. The terrace originally included three dwellings, but two have been amalgamated. The grouping is situated at the north end of the Glenarm estate, a short distance to the north of Glenarm Castle itself.

To the N of this grouping is a much more extensive courtyard complex of dwellings and outbuilding- this is recorded under the separate reference HB06/02/001B.

To the left of centre of the front (E) elevation is a timber sheeted door with two high level glazed panels. To the left there are two sash windows with Georgian panes (6/6), while to the right of the doorway there are a further three similar windows. To the far right is a plain timber sheeted door with shallow two pane fanlight. This doorway may be a relatively recent insertion. The right hand or centre window of the group of three may have originally been a doorway. To the first floor there are six (almost) evenly spaced windows, as ground floor. To the far left there is a pier-like projection, which may be a small remnant of a wall. To the right (N) end the façade merges with E face of the adjoining stable block. The front is finished in unpainted render.

The S gable is also finished in unpainted render but is blank. The gable merges with a tall rendered wall which in turn merges with the S façade of the former dairy (see below).

To the far left on the W elevation is a single storey return. To the ground floor right of this are two windows, as front. To the right of these is a timber sheeted door, with another window to far right. To the first floor there three windows, as before, with a further window between the 2nd and 3rd set at half-landing level. Like the front the rear elevation is finished in unpainted render.

The return to far left (N) links to the former laundry building (see below). This return has a window (3/6) to its S face.

The gabled roof is slated with three small Velux windows to the rear. There are three rendered chimneystacks. Cast iron rw goods.

The ground immediately adjoining the rear of the dwellings is set approximately 600mm below the level of the courtyard.

The N side of the courtyard is bounded by a large single storey gabled building which was the original laundry for the castle. This is also finished in unpainted render. To its E gable there is a doorway to left whilst to right the gable is abutted by the return of the house to E (no.6). To the S façade of the laundry there are four sash windows with Georgian panes (3/6). To N the building is abutted by a long lean-to store. The laundry has a slated gabled roof and a single rendered chimneystack.

To the S side of the courtyard is bounded by a long single storey rendered block which, to its W end, used to house the dairy. To the E end the block is lower and appears to contain sheds /stores. The N elevation of this block has three timber sheeted doors to left with a Georgian paned sash window (6/6) to right. To the W gable there is a doorway. The E gable appears to be blank. To the S façade there are two small windows with dilapidated frames. The gabled roof is slated.

The W side of the courtyard is bounded by a low one and a half storey gabled building, which appears to have contained ‘offices’ of some kind. To the W façade of this there is an odd pointed arch doorway to left with timber sheeted door. This is flanked by narrow windows with semicircular headed frames with margins. Both the doorway and windows are set in unusual ‘geometric’ pointed arch openings. To the right of this door / window grouping there is a sash window with Georgian panes (6/6- but with panes blocked), then a large elliptical headed doorway (for carts) with timber sheeted double door. To right again is a pedestrian doorway with timber sheeted door and rectangular fanlight, with a double sash window to far right. The façade is finished in unpainted render a portion of which (to left) is lined.

To the rear (E elevation) of this block there is a timber sheeted door to left then a window, then the rear of the large (cart) doorway, then another window with recent looking eight pane frame. This elevation is finished in unpainted render (part of which- to right- is lined).

The gabled roof is slated and raises slightly to the N end- suggesting this block was built in two sections (the difference in render suggests this also). To the right (S) on the W side of the roof there are two small gabled dormers with sash windows (2/2). Small cast iron skylight to rear.

Historical information

In 1874 a fire destroyed much of the stable yard and outbuildings at Glenarm Castle, forcing the 11th Earl of Antrim to build a new range of buildings the following year. Whether the whole of the pre 1874 complex was destroyed or not is unclear. The plainness of the dwellings described above could mean that they are pre 1874, but they do not appear to correspond to anything shown on the 1857 OS map- suggesting that they appeared some time after this.

Map evidence suggests that the terrace contained three dwellings up until the mid 1970s.

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
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Plain gabled two storey terrace of estate workers houses, of perhaps c.1875 or earlier, which form the east side of a small courtyard, with single storey former laundry to the north side, former dairy to south, and a small ‘office’ block to west. The terrace originally included three dwellings, but two have been amalgamated.