The Moat Inn

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey building with rendered walls, slated roof, and red brick chimneys. Main entrance faces south.

South elevation is 6 windows wide to first floor. Walls rendered with a dry dash of small stones, painted over, with slightly raised painted vertical end strips of smooth cement render, similar plat bands at cill level, plinth and frieze. The square eaves course is supported on a small corbel table; PVC gutter.

Windows are all rectangular timber, 2-pane fixed light with 2-pane top-hung vent, set in square moulded stucco surrounds with keystone. Ground floor has 3 windows, similar to previous, and 3 doorways. Main entrance door is flanked by fluted pilasters rising to an entablature inscribed 'The Moat Inn' in a plaque on the frieze.

Main door is rectangular timber glazed and panelled with 19th century ironwork knocker and handle. Doorway to extreme left-hand side contains a rectangular timber small-pane fixed light window, set in similar surrounds to windows; doorway to right of that contains a pair of double doors, rectangular timber small pane, with modern metal knob handles.

Left-hand gable of main front block is blank, of similar walling to main front; oversailing eaves with shaped brackets; turned wooden finial. Left-hand gable of rear block similar in character except for a first floor window, rectangular timber sliding sash, 2 over 2, with horns; PVC downpipes.

Rear elevation of rear block is of basalt rubble with red brick dressings; roof of natural slates as that to main entrance.
Inner slopes of roofs of both front block and rear block are of synthetic slates.

Gable to right is blank, of similar walling to main front; includes a wall plaque at apex inscribed 'Guinness's Stout & Bass Beer. Best Brands of Whiskeys etc'. Extending to the rear is a smaller gabled block, with blank gable to right.

SETTING: The building is situated in a short side road in a very rural area, with its main front facing the side road and set back from it by a small front garden containing gravel; low front boundary walls, rendered and painted. The east gable is next to the main road. The building stands on elevated ground with distant views over the countryside to the south and a view over a church to the south west.

Historical information

Precise date of building not known but it appears on the OS map of 1832, marked as a school house; marked as the Moat Tavern by the 1902 OS map; now a private house rather than a public house.

This building lies within the area of an historic monument, no. ANT50:46.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 50 (shown as 'School House').
2. OS Map 1902, Co Antrim 50 (shown as 'Moat Tavern').

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This early nineteenth century former school has been substantially altered over a prolonged period.