Former RUC Barracks

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey-over-basement stone former police barracks built c.1860 and located to the north of Church Square in Banbridge town centre. Rectangular plan with red-brick projecting porches to southwest and northwest; full-height return to rear and two-storey extension to northeast.

Hipped natural slate roof with central red-brick chimneystack. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on projecting corbelled red and yellow brick eaves over paired moulded yellow brick brackets. Walling is rock-faced black stone built to courses with yellow brick plat-band between floors, yellow brick quoins and dressings. Windows are mainly 6/6 timber sliding sash (where remaining) (diminished in height to first floor) with yellow-brick surrounds and projecting granite sills.

The principal elevation faces southeast and is four windows wide to each floor (slightly grouped to either side).

The southwest elevation has a window to centre at first floor and is abutted at ground floor and basement by the projecting red-brick porch having window to southwest elevation and bricked-up doorway to southwest; accessed by a set of five steps.

The northwest elevation is abutted by the full-height return, having windows to first and ground floor; window to right at basement and partially abutted at right by a Portacabin.

The northeast elevation has three windows to first floor; to centre at ground floor is projecting porch flanked by two windows; to centre at basement is a timber-sheeted door, window at left and single-storey projection at right. Abutted at right by the lower two-storey extension; northwest elevation having two windows to ground floor and a doorway to right at basement.

Setting

Prominently set at the centre of Church Square, directly south of the Masonic Hall (HB17/01/002) and facing the Crozier Monument (HB17/07/011). Set at a lower level to the road with modern metal security fencing and metal gates to southeast elevation; to front is also a modern metal security hut on a stone plinth. Sergeant’s house (HB17/04/003B) to north accessed via entrance to north of Masonic Hall. Bridge to southwest over River Bann flowing on west side of site.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Stone
Windows: Timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The Police Barracks, located to the north side of Church Square, Banbridge was constructed c.1860; it does not appear on the second edition of the Ordnance Survey map for 1860 but is recorded in Griffith’s Valuation of 1863. The building was originally constructed to house both a Police Barracks for Banbridge as well as to operate a rent office for the Downshire estate. Griffiths Valuation (1863) split the value of the building into two to reflect this; the Police Barracks was initially valued at £25 whilst the rent office was valued at £10. Dimensions are given in the fieldbook for the rent office, porch and return, which comprised ‘two good rooms’ and the barrack which occupied the rest of the building. The constabulary barrack is first shown, captioned, on the third edition OS map of 1903. The Ulster Towns Directory for 1877 notes that the Downshire Office was administered by J. T. Reilly, an agent of the Downshire Estate.

In 1894 the Annual Revisions described the building as ‘very substantially built and in good repair’. There was an enclosed yard to the rear of the building and a good supply of water from the pump in the yard. Drainage and sanitary arrangements were ‘satisfactory’ The return completed by the police for the 1901 Census listed seven policemen resident in the building: a Head Constable, a Sergeant and five Constables. All were single, as married men were generally not expected to live at the barracks. The majority of the men came from a rural farming background and more than half were catholic. The men had been born in various locations including King’s County, Kerry, Monaghan, Donegal and Tyrone. In 1911 an additional man had been added to the force which otherwise remained of a similar composition. (1901, 1911 census)

The Census Building return described the Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks as a 1st class building that possessed a stable and a coach house as its sole out offices. In 1909 the estate office was deleted from the valuation lists and the RIC took over the entire building which was then valued at £35. There was no change to the site between 1909 and 1923 when Partition resulted in the establishment of Northern Ireland and the Royal Ulster Constabulary who continued to occupy the building; in 1925 the barracks was purchased by the Ministry of Home Affairs for £1200 and by 1927 its value had increased to £59, due to extensions at the rear. These housed new quarters for the Head Constable which comprised a three bedroom house, with kitchen, sitting-room, pantry, bath and WC.

In 1969 Brett described the barracks as ‘a square Blackstone building ... with yellow brick dressings ... good ironwork railings; dour but full of character, rather like a policeman’s uniform’ (Brett, p. 7). The R.U.C. continued to occupy the barracks until 1991 when a new station was constructed on the Castlewellan Road; since that time the former barracks and Estate Office has remained vacant, falling into a state of disrepair (Dillon, p. 11; Belfast Telegraph).

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/27/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1860
2. PRONI OS/6/3/27/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1903-1918
3. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/64/C – Griffith’s Valuation 1863
4. PRONI VAL/12A/3/16 – Valuer’s Notes 1927
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6/A – Annual Revisions 1864-1874
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6/B – Annual Revisions 1874-1884
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6/D – Annual Revisions 1885-1894
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/7/A – Annual Revisions 1899-1910
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/7/B – Annual Revisions 1911-1922
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/7/C – Annual Revisions 1921-1930
11. Ulster Town Directories (1843-1918)
12. Census of Ireland (1901 / 1911)
13. First Survey Record – HB17/04/002 (1977)
14. Belfast Telegraphn 29th January 1991

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the Borough of Banbridge’
Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1969.
2. Dillon, A., ‘Image of Ireland: Banbridge’ Dublin: Gill & MacMillan, 1997.
3. Dictionary of Irish Architects Website - www.dia.ie
4. Buildings at Risk Register - http://www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/content-databases-barniview?id=467&js=true

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A two-storey-over-basement stone former police barracks built c.1860 and located to the north of Church Square in Banbridge town centre. Well-proportioned in typical mid-Victorian style and demonstrating a robust character despite some loss of architectural detailing. Of interest as an early purpose-designed police station and for the fact that the estate office of the Downshire Estate shared the premises. The modern security structures detract from its appearance and compromise its setting. This is an early and unusual example of the type surviving in almost original condition. The adjoining Sergeant's House (HB17/04/003B) is also of interest.

General comments

Record duplicated to create record for Sergerant's House; this record previously HB17/04/003