Former 'coastguard's watch house'

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, plain two storey, former coast guard’s house of c.1830. The building is built into the back wall of Newcastle harbour, with South Promenade to the SW.

The front (SW) façade faces onto South Promenade and is single storey (it is entered from the higher ground above the harbour). The façade has a central doorway with metal sheeted door, but is otherwise blank. The other façades are two storey. The SE gable has a ground floor doorway, with door as before. Brickwork to the immediate right of this door suggests that this opening has been altered, probably on several occasions. The NW gable has a small ground level window opening with bars over. The NE façade has three evenly spaced sash windows to the first floor, each 2 over 2 with vertical glazing bars. To the ground floor is a small, centrally placed, window opening which has been filled with modern pierced concrete blocks (the type used in garden walling).

The whole façade is mainly covered in rough-cast, with the SW in lined render. Sections of rough-cast have fallen away revealing a fieldstone rubble construction. The building rises from an unusual rubble-built base. The roof is gabled and covered in natural slates (which are quite large to the SW side). Small rendered chimney stack to each gable. Granite parapet to NW. PVC rw goods. Modern light fitting to NE façade and SE gable. Stone steps next to SE gable.

Historical information

Prior to 1830, the Board of Customs rented the old 16th century Magennis tower house, by that stage ‘a commodious dwelling house’ for use as a coastguard’s house and offices. In that year, however, the Board was instructed by Lord Annesley to vacate the building which was demolished shortly afterwards. The Board then moved to this purpose built,
but much smaller house to the south, overlooking the new harbour. The property, which the c.1834 valuation records tell us contained a ‘water guard’s house and store under [the] dwelling’, continued as the town’s coastguard station until c.1880s when a much large headquarters was erected close by, with quarters for the coastguard and five assistant officers. The original house now appears to be used exclusively as a store.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.1503 Annesley Papers.
2 PRONI VAL/1B/362 p.21 First valuation, Kilcoo, c.1834-38.
3 PRONI OS/1/3/49 OS map, first ed., Co. Down 49.
4 PRONI VAL/1D/3/10 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1838.
5 PRONI OS/6/3/49/2 OS map, first rev., Co. Down 49.
6 PRONI Second (‘Griffith’s) valuation, Kilcoo, 1863.
7 PRONI VAL/12E/111/1 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1864-1906.
8 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ]).
9 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.161-165.
10 PRONI OS/8/136/1-4 OS plans of Newcastle, 1901.

Secondary sources
1 Grenfell Morton ‘Victorian and Edwardian Newcastle’ (Belfast 1988).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Small, plain, two storey gabled building originally built as a coastguard’s house and store in c.1830. It is built into the back wall of Newcastle harbour and entered from the harbour side at first floor. Later additions to window openings.