38 New Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single storey rendered building, gabled and slated with end bays broken forward on the front elevation, to the west, but with the main entrance located in the side.

West elevation comprises a recessed main wall containing four windows, asymmetrically positioned, with end bays broken forward to form twin gables which each contain two windows in the front, except that there is also a central doorway in the left-hand gable.
Roofs of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with dark toned ridge tiles; walls rendered with roughcast painted white, with smooth rendered quoins to extremities of gables; quoins painted green; projecting rendered eaves course to recessed main wall and inner side walls of end bays; wooden eaves board, painted white, with overhanging eaves to end bay gables, which have tongued and grooved sheeted soffits and plain timber barge boards, and turned white painted timber finials. Cast iron gutter and downpipes; PVC soil pipe on left-hand end bay gable. Windows are semi-circular headed timber sliding sash, 6 over 6 with horns, with exposed sash boxes, set in semi-circular arched openings with slightly raised smooth rendered surrounds; projecting stone cills; glazing mainly obscured on inside by opaque plastic film affixed, or by hardboard set back from the inside face, but those of end gable to right are clear glazed to upper sashes.
End gable to left has a central rectangular doorway containing a two-leaf panelled door surmounted by a 2-panel blind fanlight, in a timber frame set in a slightly raised smooth rendered surround; modern brick doorstep. Above doorway is a plain recessed smooth rendered rectangular panel, without inscription; above that, in apex of gable is a larger rectangular recess with raised surround, containing a modern shop sign.
End gable to right is similar to previous except no doorway, and only one panel in apex as previous.

Inner side wall of end bay to left contains a small rectangular timber 6-pane fixed light, set in a smooth rendered surround, with painted concrete cill.

Inner side wall of end bay to right contains a new rectangular timber 6-panel door set in a smooth rendered surround.

North elevation is rendered as previous to entrance front except there is a smooth rendered vertical strip to the left-hand extremity instead of quoins, and no eaves course; timber eaves board, with cast iron gutter. Roof slated as previous, hipped to left-hand side. Two windows: one to left is semi-circular arched as previous; one to right is small, rectangular timber 6-pane fixed light, set in a smooth rendered surround with projecting cill.

Rear elevation comprises the rear of the front block to the right, with a rear return to the left of that, and the rear of the later extension to the left of that: roofs slated with synthetic slates; walling rendered as previous but without quoins; projecting smooth rendered plinth; timber eaves board; metal gutter and downpipe. Rear of front block has a rectangular doorway containing a pair of modern flush timber doors. Rear return has a flush timber door and small modern rectangular windows, timber top-hung to the north side, with a modern rectangular opening containing metal louvres, in the east wall; south wall blank. Rear of extension to left has one window, to the extreme left: semi-circular arched, sashed as previous to front elevation.

South elevation comprises the south gable of the main front block, with a single storey rear return extending to the right.
Gable of main block is rendered as previous with quoins to left-hand extremity; projecting smooth rendered plinth; roof slated as previous to entrance front; overhanging eaves to gable with timber finial all as previous. Cast iron gutter and downpipes. Extension to right: roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with a large modern flush 3-pane rooflight. Elevation mainly comprises a modern shop front set in a modern surround of panelled timber piers, surmounted by a deep frieze displaying modern shop signs, all set in a rendered wall.

SETTING: The building stands detached, within the built-up area of the town, facing a main street but set back form it with a small modern brick paved area in front, bounded by a white painted roughcast rendered wall which contains a small pedestrian gateway to the front, comprising a modern looped iron gate, kept locked, set between rendered square piers; concrete cap to one pier, other missing. Front boundary wall terminates at left-hand extremity in a square pier of coursed granite which forms one of a pair with a corresponding pier to the adjacent former market house to provide an open gateway to the former market yard.
To the south side of the building is the forecourt of a petrol filling station, with its tarmac surface extending round to the rear of the building. South boundary of rear area formed by basalt rubble rear wall of adjacent market yard garages. Area to rear contains modern single storey rendered store building.

Historical information

Built in 1853 as an infant school; became a National School in 1884; school closed in 1937, and building acquired by Drummaul C. of I. Parish for use as a hall; redundant by 1991; sold c 1994 and converted to a supermarket in 1999.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1858, Co Antrim 43 (but not named).

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), p 24.
2. Antrim Borough Council, Historic Antrim and Randalstown: heritage trails leaflet (Antrim, 2000).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

This is an early Victorian building, originally a school which later became a church hall and then became a shop. Despite its conversion to a shop it still retains its external character and has local historical interest as a former school and church hall.