Maze Station Hotel

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached three-bay two-storey former hotel and public house, built c.1830, located to the north side of Moira Road, Lisburn. Rectangular-on-plan abutted by single-storey return at north.

Roof is pitched natural slate; crested terracotta ridge tiles; two corbelled smooth rendered chimneystacks, each with three terracotta pots; replacement uPVC rainwater goods on timber fascia. Walls are pebble-dashed with smooth rendered painted quoins, smooth rendered sill course at first floor and painted smooth rendered plinth; windows are replacement square-headed timber casements contained within smooth rendered painted reveals and lugged architrave with projecting keyblock and painted projecting masonry sill unless otherwise stated. Replacement timber panelled doors also contained within smooth rendered painted reveals and lugged architrave with projecting keyblock.

Principal elevation faces south and is four windows wide (equally spaced). Ground floor contains two windows at left, at right a replacement timber panelled door with transom light is flanked at right by a bowed timber framed window with crown glass contained within larger opening of similar detail.

East gabled contains double-leaf principal entrance at right access by two diagonal steps down into the building and is abutted at centre by high level smooth rendered walling enclosing yard at north. First floor is blank with mock timber nogging and rendered panels to apex.

Rear elevation (full access not provided) is abutted at left by single-storey return with pitched roof. Exposed section is abutted by a series of single-storey modern extensions of little interest; three windows at first floor.

West gable contains enlarged bowed casement window at left, second window at right, single window at right at first floor. Enlarged window is surmounted by signage which reads ‘MAZE STATION HOTEL 1837’; individual letters enclosed by torus moulded frame on pebble-dash background; surmounted by cast-metal wall light. Timber nogging and rendered panels to apex.

Single-storey return has asbestos tiled roof with clay ridge tiles; timber fascia supporting replacement u-profile rainwater goods; walling and windows detailed as south two-storey block. East principle elevation contains two replacement timber entrance doors each flanked by timber casement window at right. North gable is blank, abutted by roughcast rendered boundary wall at left with saddleback coping. West elevation is abutted by a series of single-storey modern extensions of llittle interest.

Setting:

Set on the junction of Moira Road and Cross Lane the building remains largely intact in its external detailing and location. Adjacent to the west gable entrance a recess in the boundary wall contains an original pair of electric petrol pumps, (of which an exact date could not be determined). Single-storey extensions at north are of little interest.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Pebble-dash
Windows: Square-headed timber casements
RWG: Replacement uPVC

Historical information

A sign displayed on the east gable of the Maze Station Hotel indicates that the building was either constructed, or the hotel first began operation, from 1837; however a large number of buildings on the current site first appear on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1832-33. This map depicts a large oblong building, or perhaps a range of buildings, along the north side of the current Moira Road. To the rear of this structure were depicted two L-shaped outbuildings and a number of smaller structures to the north-west. By the second edition map of 1858 there had been little change to the layout of the site, however the contemporary Griffith’s Valuation of 1861 divides the range of buildings seen on the first edition map into two valuation records; the western section of the range was valued at £8 and occupied by a Mr. Thomas Young whilst the eastern range (which is now the hotel) was occupied by a Mr. James Mooney and was valued at £11.

This hotel was built half a kilometre to the south of the Railway Station which was constructed c. 1840 (the railway line to Portadown was first opened in 1842 – Glenavy History). James Mooney resided at this property until his death in 1880; at that time Mooney, described as a farmer and publican in his will, left his property and effects of £900 to his widow Mary (PRONI Wills Catalogue – 8 May 1880). From the time of her husband’s death Mary Mooney took over operation of the Maze Station Hotel. The 1901 Census records that Mary, a 68 year old Roman Catholic publican, lived at the hotel with her son, Richard Mooney (40, farmer) and widowed daughter Alice Mulholland (28). The Census Building Return describes the property as a 1st class public house which consisted of nine rooms and possessed 11 out offices (including six stable houses for guest’s horses). In 1905 the value of the property was split between the two-storey hotel which was revalued at £7 10s. and a cottiers house at the rear which was valued at £4; in 1906 the public house passed from Mary Mooney to a Mr. John Montgomery who briefly resided there until, in 1907, the property came into the possession of a Mr. Charles Johnson. The 1911 Census records that Johnson (a 49 year old Anglican) took over the hotel residing there with his wife Elizabeth (46) and their three children. The Census Building Return of that year indicates that, instead of the six stables of 1901, the hotel’s outbuildings now included two coach houses as well as a small number of farm buildings.

In 1911 ownership of the hotel passed from the Marquis of Hertford to a Mr. James Drake, a local Catholic farmer, however Charles Johnson continued to reside at the site until the end of the Annual Revisions in 1929. The third and fourth editions of the Ordnance Survey maps (1900; 1920-21) show little change to the layout of the site from the earlier maps of the 19th century although since the current edition of the Ordnance Survey map in 1971 all of the original rear outbuildings have been taken down so that only the two-storey hotel and its single-storey rear return survive; by the west gable of the hotel a pair of electric petrol pumps dating from the mid-twentieth century have also survived, during field inspection the current owner stated that these are the original pumps associated with the building. The Maze Station Hotel is no longer used as a hotel although it continues to operate as a pub and is in a good state of preservation.

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/67/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey 1832-33
2. PRONI OS/6/1/67/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/1/67/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey 1900
4. PRONI OS/6/1/67/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey 1920-21
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/43 – Griffith’s Valuation 1861
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/12A – Annual Revisions 1863-1880
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/12B – Annual Revisions 1880-1889
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/12C – Annual Revisions 1889-1901
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/12D – Annual Revisions 1901-1912
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/12E – Annual Revisions 1912-1929
11. PRONI Wills Catalogue (1880)
12. Census of Ireland 1901 / 1911

Online Resources

1. Glenavy History Website - http://www.glenavyhistory.com/

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Detached three-bay two-storey former hotel and public house, built c.1830, located to the north side of Moira Road, Lisburn. Rectangular-on-plan abutted by single-storey return at north. Although altered internally some original detailing remains intact including original fireplace and decorative cast-iron inset. Set parallel to the road with original electric petrol pumps this former hotel and public house has social significance to the local community. As the character has been significantly altered externally with replacement doors and windows and it has lost its outbuildings, it is not considered to meet the criteria listing.