121 Greencastle Pier Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Right one of a symmetrical pair of two storey / three bay semi-detached lighthouse keepers’ houses, at end of Greencastle Pier Road on the north side.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridges. Right gable is coped and has moulded kneelers. Two painted rendered chimneys: that on wall between second and third bays has two pots and that on party wall with adjacent house has four pots. Cast iron ogee rainwater goods with decorative hoppers, supported by a decorative eaves course of three courses of yellow brick (middle one saw-toothed). Circular downpipes are held in place by poppy head clasps. Walls are painted smooth cement render with a painted chamfered basecourse. All windows have painted granite cills.

Main elevation faces south to sea. Central bay of facade is abutted by a single storey porch. It has a pitched natural slate roof with raised gable, and rainwater goods detailed as main block. Its front gable has a 6/6 sliding sash window with horns. Left cheek is blank but marks in render show a doorway has been infilled. Right cheek has a sheeted powder-coated aluminium door, with modern electric light over. To ground floor left and right is a single 6/6 sliding sash window with horns. There are three similar windows to first floor, in line with ground floor openings.

Right gable has a single narrow 4/4 sliding sash window set to right on each floor. Wall continues to the right as the left cheek of the two storey rear extension (see later).

Rear elevation is abutted to left by a two storey extension and to centre and right by a single storey lean-to. Remaining wall at first has a single brick course forming eaves and is painted and rendered with a single 6/6 sliding sash window to first floor centre.

Modern two storey return has a hipped artificial slate roof, tied into main roof but with lower ridge. Walls are painted smooth render with single course of yellow brick forming eaves, with additional eaves board supporting half round gutters. It also has a basecourse as main block. Its rear gable is abutted by a single storey outshot with similar roof and a pair of plastic double glazed patio doors on its rear wall. On wall over outshot is a top hung plastic double glazed window.

Left cheek of two storey return has a modern 4x2 paned fixed window with narrow concrete cill. Left cheek of outshot is blank. Right cheek of two stage return is abutted by the gable of the lean-to and blank over.

Lean-to to rear elevation of main block has a pitched natural roof and projects flush with end of the two storey extension. Its main wall is abutted by a similar lean-to extension, creating a central valley. The latter has a painted rendered back wall and is enclosed by a yard (no access gained).

Left gable is party wall with adjacent property.

Outbuilding to rear of yard is single storey with a monopitched artificial slate roof (sloping to yard), with raised coped verges and decorative kneelers. Walls are painted coursed random Silurian rubble with granite quoins. External wall (to north) has a brick dressed doorway (infilled with concrete blocks) with two small infilled vent openings in wall above.

Paved area to front of house is enclosed by an embattled mass concrete wall and shared vehicular gateway with wrought iron gate held by pair of rock faced ashlar piers with pyramidal granite cap.

Historical information

Erected by the Commissioners of Irish Lights along with the adjoining boathouse (HB16/04/014C). Inhabited from 1889 or shortly before. Associated with Haulbowline Lighthouse (HB16/04/009). Eventually superseded earlier keepers’ houses at Cranfield Point (HB16/04/008) which were inhabited to around 1922. Photograph in Historic Monuments Record shows a door on the left cheek of the porch.

Primary Sources:
1. Drawings in archive of Commissioners of Irish Lights, Dublin.
2. PRONI – VAL 12B/19/13C.
3. Photograph (1975): In Historic Monuments Record of Northern Ireland, 5-33 Hill Street, Belfast BT12LA.

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

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Together with the adjoining dwelling, the block to the east, and the boathouse, this is a significant group of houses strategically located near the shoreline at Greencastle Point. Their formalised design clearly distinguishes them from other houses in the area. Although the front of this particular house remains little altered, the extensive additions to its rear compromise its overall character.