W.J. Kyle

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

End of terrace, street-fronted, three-bay two-storey rendered commercial building, dated 1939, with central pediment, two oriel windows and full-width verandah to the pavement. Rectangular-on-plan, facing west with three multi-bay two-storey returns occupying the entire rear plot to the east.

Pitched artificial slate roofs with roll-moulded terracotta ridge tiles, three red brick chimneystacks with clay pots. Replacement steel guttering, original cast-iron downpipes, timber boxed fascia and timber bargeboard to south gable. Flint dash walling to first floor with rusticated cement rendered quoins. Painted cement rendered walling to ground floor shop elevation with pebble dash rendered walling to all remaining elevations. Square-headed window openings, timber casement to first floor of front elevation, fixed-pane display windows to shop front and 2/2 timber sash windows to south side elevation and returns.

Principal elevation is symmetrically composed with a central rendered pediment rising above eaves level, supported on a pair of rendered Doric pilasters. The closed pediment is formed in moulded cornice with '1938, ARCADE' in raised lettering, while a rectangular painted rendered panel is flanked by a pair of square-headed window openings with timber casement windows and masonry sills. The pair of pilasters rest on a moulded cornice spanning the entire elevation, including the base of the oriel windows to either end. Hipped artificial slate roofs to both oriel windows with lead ridges, painted cement rendered walls to a continuous sill course, with flint dash below. The ground floor is divided into two glazed shop fronts flanked by a door opening to either end and a tapering Doric pilaster with large scrolled console bracket and round-headed gablet. Painted cement rendered walling to entire ground floor with large square-headed shop display window openings having fixed-pane timber framed display windows on chamfered plinth. The shop front to the left has a central recessed entrance with tiled area and a double-leaf timber glazed door. The shop front to the right has a larger recessed area, also tiled, with a glazed display and a double-leaf timber glazed door. To either end is a square-headed door opening with replacement hardwood panelled doors and rectangular overlights. The verandah has replacement uPVC framed lean-to shelter supported on plain concrete posts to the kerb.

South gable fronts onto the front lawn of the Methodist Church and has a single off-centre square-headed window opening to each level with 2/2 timber sash windows and painted masonry sills. The southernmost return also fronts into the church lawn with 2/2 timber sash windows and some enlarged window openings with uPVC windows.

The rear elevation is abutted by a pair of gable-ended returns to the southern half, a larger return to the centre extending to the rear access lane, this elevation is three bays wide with a central fixed-pane window flanked by 2/2 timber sash windows, while a roller-shutter to the ground floor is flanked by a pair of timber casement windows. Abutting the northernmost end of the rear elevation is a further flat-roofed single-storey extension. The two southern returns are abutted by corrugated iron shelter containing the loading area.

Roof Pitched artificial slate
Walling Flint dash & cement render
Windows Timber casement/ timber sash
Rainwater goods Replacement steel gutter/cast-iron downpipes

Historical information

The Arcade is dated 1938 and is first shown on the fourth edition Ordnance Survey map of 1939 replacing earlier buildings on the site.
In 1938 valuers’ notes record a ‘house and shop in course of erection’ occupied by David Kyle and leased from C.F. Smyly. On reinspection on 28 November 1938 the valuer comments, “Hardware shop with dwelling combined. Accommodation: R[eception?], kitchen, scullery, shop, showroom and store/Reception?], three bedrooms, bathroom, separate W.C., showroom and store. Rear entrance for heavy transport. Better type than any existing shop in Castlederg.” A plan and dimensions are given and it is valued at £64. On appeal in 1939 this is dropped to £50 and the valuer comments, “Large shop. Dwelling house on first floor only...Large well-furnished and lighted shop but constructed for one type of business, hardware and furniture...Dwelling house is temporarily occupied by tenant at 14s per week but will shortly be occupied by owner”. In 1946 the dwelling and shop are separately valued and occupied and a catering business is being carried on in the house.
From 1903 the Kyles appear in the Belfast and Ulster Directory’s entry for Castlederg as drapers and, in subsequent years, hardware merchants.
References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/16/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map (1939)
2. PRONI VAL/3/D/7/1D/1 – Valuers’ RV Binder (1933-57)
3. Belfast and Ulster Directory 1903 onwards

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

The building has had significant changes with the addition of the PVC rainwater goods, replacement doors, some PVC windows to the rear and the PVC framed veranda which spans the entire length of the front elevation. As such the building is of insufficent special architectural or historic interest to consider it suitable for listing and is an RO.