Castle Bawn, 17 Maghereagh Road, Randalstown, Co Antrim

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey gabled house of asymmetrical plan, with rendered walls, Tudor-arched porch, and prominent octagonal stone chimneys. Main entrance faces west.

West elevation comprises a two-storey, three-bay block to the right with a lower 1½ storey single-bay wing set back slightly to the left of it, and a single storey wing set back slightly to the left of that. Roofs of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with red terracotta ridge cresting and finials; moulded timber barge boards to overhanging eaves; plain wooden soffits. Moulded PVC gutters with PVC downpipes. Walls smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with raised quoins to extremities, and projecting plinth, all painted white. Two rectangular chimney stacks to front, and two to rear which are also visible from front; front stacks each carry two tall octagonal stone chimneys with tall original octagonal pots, all painted white; rear stacks each carry three similar tall octagonal stone chimneys.
Windows are rectangular timber sliding sash, set in plain reveals, surmounted by moulded rectangular labels; projecting stone cills, painted green.

Two-storey block has a slightly projecting two-storey gable to right of porch, with a large gabled dormer to the left of the porch. Gable to right has a tripartite window to ground floor, comprising 4 over 4 central sashes, with horns, flanked by narrower side lights, 2 over 2 without horns; above in first floor the window is sashed 2 over 2 with horns. In ground floor to left of porch the window is sashed 8 over 8 without horns; window in large dormer above is tripartite, comprising 6 over 6 central sashes, without horns, flanked by narrower side lights, 2 over 2 without horns.
Porch contains a Tudor arched chamfered doorway with an original arched timber Gothic panelled door; sandstone doorstep, approached by a flight of three sandstone steps. Each side wall of porch contains a Tudor arched timber window, 2-pane fixed light with margins, incorporating Gothic heads to glazing bars.

1½ storey wing is of similar roof and walling to previous; PVC rainwater goods; cast iron soil pipe; PVC waste pipes. Ground floor contains one window, sashed 2 over 2 with horns; gabled dormer in roof above contains a smaller window, sashed 2 over 2 without horns. Dormer cheeks and front rendered, lined and blocked.

Single storey wing to left is of similar roof and walling to previous; PVC gutter with short PVC outlet into a cast iron hopper and downpipe. Two windows, rectangular timber 4-pane fixed lights in exposed frames.

South elevation: roofs and walling similar to previous, with PVC rainwater goods. Elevation comprises a slightly projecting two-storey gable to the right with a wall-head dormer to the left. Windows all rectangular timber sashes with moulded rectangular labels. Gable to right contains similar window details to gable on entrance front.

Rear elevation is of similar character to south elevation but contains an inappropriate large modern replacement window, rectangular fixed lights with vents.

North elevation is multi-gabled, of similar character to previous elevations, but contains a later flat roofed porch which has a later rectangular fixed light of decorative leaded glass, and an inappropriate recent modern door which incorporates a radially glazed panel.

Rear yard enclosed by single storey white painted outbuildings; larger yard to north surrounded by basalt rubble outbuildings raised a storey by concrete brickwork.

SETTING: The building stands in a rural area within its own area of farmland, approached by a main driveway from the west marked by a set of rendered gate piers and screen walls of no special interest; modern two-storey house within grounds, adjacent to gateway, replacing an earlier cottage or lodge; secondary rear driveway, or lane, to north.

Historical information

Precise date of building not known but it appears on the OS map of 1858. Stylistically it looks like a work of the 1840s or early 1850s which has had late Victorian or Edwardian modifications in the form of terracotta ridge tiles and finials outside and a replacement fireplace inside. Reputedly built by the O'Neill family of Shane's Castle. It may originally have had ornamented barge boards like those of two of the gate lodges to Shane's Castle dating from approximately the same period.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1858, Co Antrim 49.
2. Information from owner in 2000.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a substantial mid-Victorian house of distinctive exterior form and character which retains a number of original features.