Public House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Much altered and extended two-storey hipped roof public house of probable pre 1832 origin. The building has, mainly modern window frames and contrived distressed render (attempting to achieve a vernacular effect). It is set to the E side of the Soldierstown Road near the centre of the small village of Aghalee.

To the right of centre of the asymmetrical W front is a plain door opening with a modern timber door. The door opening is flanked with modern ‘period’ electric coach lamps. To the right is a narrow window with a modern two-pane frame. The upper pane is top hung. To the far right is a large ‘bar window’ with acid etched design. To the far left is a narrow two-pane window as before. To the first floor there are four unevenly spaced two pane windows, as before, but slightly shorter. To the far right is a large painted wooden signboard.

The N façade comprises the gable of the front section which merges with the side of a two-storey return. There are three windows to ground floor and three two-pane windows to first floor. The upper windows sit directly above those to the ground floor, and, as before, those to the first floor are somewhat shorter. To the left at first floor is a large wooden painted signboard. To the far left is a large flat roofed single storey extension with no openings. The far left of the extension is slightly lower. There is a large galvanised metal extract duct.

Like the N façade that to the S comprises the gable of the front section which merges with the side of a two storey return. To the left of centre is a small single storey gabled porch. The door to the porch faces W while to the S face is a small two pane modern window. To the left of the porch is a large two pane window, as before. To the right are a further two similar windows. To the first floor there are three small two-pane windows to the left. To the right is a ‘half dormer door’ which serves as a fire escape and leads on to a galvanised steel fire escape stair. To the right of the stair is a single two-pane window. All first floor windows are shorter, as before. To the far right and set back is a side of the single storey flat roofed extension which has door opening with double timber doors.

To either side of the E elevation is a gable of a return. That to the left has a single plain door while that to the right is blank. Between the returns and projecting forward is the flat roofed single storey extension. The E face of the extension is blank.

The roof to the single storey section is flat while the roof to the (original) two storey section is hipped and covered with natural; slate with fireclay ‘batten roll’ ridge tiles

Historical information

A rectangular building of similar size to the present without the returns, is shown on the OS map of 1832 and the revised OS map of 1857. It is probable that this is substantially the same building we see today. The returns to the east side appear to date from the late 1800s / early 20th century.

In the latter half of the 20th century the building served as a public house, but had been abandoned by the mid 1990s and had fallen into disrepair. It was completely renovated (and extended) in 1996-97 and continues to serve as a public house.

[More historical information to follow.]

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/1/62/1 OS map, Antrim sh 62, 1832
2 PRONI OS/6/1/62/2 OS map, Antrim sh 62, 1857
3 PRONI OS/6/1/62/3 OS map, Antrim sh 62, c.1902

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Much altered and extended two-storey hipped roof public house of probable pre 1832 origin. The building has modern window frames and a distressed render finish, attempting to achieve a vernacular effect. The interior is totally modern and the overall impression of a vernacular public house has been lost.