21-23 Vennel Street (The Vennel)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, low, two storey gabled house, originally two dwellings (HB06/02/068H & I), whose vernacular Georgian appearance belies the fact that the property dates from c.1910-15. The building is set on the slope of the S side of Vennel Street.

The front (N) elevation is asymmetrical. To the left of centre is a panelled and glazed door. The door opening has a heavy moulded surround which rests on a moulded plinth which merges with the chamfered and painted plinth at the base of the wall. To the left is a Georgian-paned sash window (6/6) with moulded surround. To the right of the doorway is a similar (but shorter) panelled door with similar surround. This door is no longer used. To the immediate right is another sash window as before (set at a slightly lower level). To first floor are two similar but shorter sash windows; these are directly in line with those to the ground floor. To the left and right are moulded in/out quoins.

The W gable is blank while that to the E has a door to the left of ground floor and a sash window, as front, directly over. The right side of the base of this gable has a large horizontal concrete ‘buttress’.

The rear elevation has two widely spaced sash windows, as front, with moulded surrounds to the ground floor; that to the right is much shorter. To the first floor, and directly in line, are two similar windows.

The whole façade is finished in painted rough cast. There is a fine projecting eaves course to the front and rear elevations. In-out quoins front. The gabled roof is slated. Cast iron rw goods. To each side of the ridge is a rendered chimney stack each with mouldings and two squat chimney pots.

Historical information

VENNEL STREET
Prior to the building of the Coast Road in the 1830s, Vennel Street or ‘The Vennel’ was the main road to Glenarm from Larne and the south. As the name, ‘Vennel’ (archaic Scots- ‘a narrow winding lane’), and its sloping topography suggest, it was the least attractive of the village’s four main streets. This is reflected in the fact that the earliest leases concerning the area (which date from 1743 onwards) refer to it as the ‘Stinking Vennel’ or ‘Stinking Vennel Street’ and repeatedly mention ‘waste tenements’.

John O’Hara’s map of 1779 which shows many small densely packed dwellings along both sides of much of its length. During much of the next century and a half, however, most of this housing was replaced- the 1832 OS map showing a very large gap on the south side, the annotations to the second valuation records showing much post 1859 rebuilding on the north side and the discrepancies between the 1900s OS maps and photographic evidence of c.1910 showing that most of the present south side appears to be early 20th century.

No.21-23
On the valuation records of 1859 tell us that this site was then occupied by two small single storey dwellings which were relatively newly built at that stage. Photographic evidence of c.1910 shows that by that time both of these dwellings were dilapidated (in fact they appear to have been derelict). The present building, which was formerly two dwellings, may date from c.1910-15, and may incorporate some of the fabric of the earlier houses (note the odd ‘buttress to the E gable). The two properties were amalgamated in c.1992.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.2977/1/5/1A, 1C, D.29773A/4/65/64A-B, 74A, 100, 103 etc. Antrim Papers Leases relating to property in ‘The Stinking Vennel’ / ‘Stinking Vennel Street’, 1743, 1754, 1784, 1788, 1831 etc.
2 PRONI D.2977/36/3/1A Antrim Papers Map, showing the Town of Glenarm, plus Glenarm Castle and demesne, by John O'Hara, 1779. [Includes a list of the tenants in Glenarm town.]
3 Ulster Museum A view of Glenarm Castle (painting dating from some time between 1768 and 1812) [This painting also shows the town itself.]
4 View of Glenarm c.1769-c.1812 (painting in possession of Lord Dunluce)
5 “The town and castle of Glenarm, Co. Antrim” [1830] by T.M. Baynes in ‘Ireland illustrated’ (London 1831)
6 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland…’ vol.13 [c.1830-35] ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1992), p.127
7 PRONI OS/6/1/29/1 OS map, Co Antrim sh 29, 1832-33
8 PRONI VAL/1B/149 First valuation, Tickmacrevan parish, 1833 [The map to accompany this valuation is now lost making it extremely difficult, (and in most cases impossible), to tell which properties the valuation book is actually referring to. In some cases (most notably the west side of Toberwine Street) the writer has been able to successfully correlate the information contained within the second valuation notebook for 1859 with that of the first valuation, in order to decipher some of the details contained within the latter, but for most properties within Glenarm this has not been possible.]
9 Samuel Lewis, ‘A topographical dictionary of Ireland’ vol.1 (London 1837), p.658
10 William Makepeace Thackery, ‘Irish sketchbook’ (1843), p.238
11 Mrs and Mrs S.C. Hall, ‘Ireland: Its scenery, character etc., vol.III (London 1843), p.130
12 PRONI VAL/2D/1/11 Valuation town plan of Glenarm, 1859 [with later annotations- ?c.1900]
13 PRONI VAL/2B/1/41B Second valuation [notebook], village of Glenarm, 1859 [In the light of the problems concerning the first valuation this notebook and its accompanying map are both invaluable. For many areas the details of the second valuation only survive in the final printed form, with the names of householders and leaseholders and the rateable value for each property supplied only. For some areas, Glenarm among them, the working notebooks compiled by the valuers have survived, providing information such as dimensions of buildings, their use, the number of rooms they contain, notes on age and condition, and, (occasionally), comments regarding the overall appearance of properties. In many respect these notebooks closely resemble those of the first valuation, but frequently contain more detail.]
14 PRONI OS/8/103/1 OS town plan of Glenarm, 1903
15 PRONI VAL/12E/31/1 Valuation town plan of Glenarm, 1907-[1935]
16 PRONI D.2977/37/3/1 Antrim Papers Plans and elevations of three proposed kitchen houses at Vennel Street, ?c.1920s-30s
16 PRONI VAL/3G/20/1 Valuation town plan of Glenarm. 1936-57

Secondary sources
1 C.E.B. Brett, ‘Historic buildings…Glens of Antrim’ (Belfast 1971), p.16
2 Eileen Black, “A view of Glenarm Castle” in ‘The Glynns- Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Society’ vol.7 (1979), pp.29-30
3 Jimmie Irvine, “A map of Glenarm- 1779” in ‘The Glynns- Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Society’ vol.9 (1981), pp.52-61
4 Hon. Hector McDonnell, “The building of the parish church at Glenarm” in ‘The Glynns- Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Society’ vol.10 (1982), pp.31-36
5 Felix McKillop, ‘Glenarm- A local history’ (Glenarm 1987)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Small, low, two storey gabled house, originally two dwellings, whose vernacular Georgian appearance belies the fact that the property dates from c.1910-15. Some internal period detail survives which along with surviving external detail gives the building sufficient interest to remain listed.