Horseshoe Shop

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A single storey three-bay building with a central horseshoe-shaped doorway. Main entrance faces west.

West elevation: pitched roof of what appears to be synthetic slates in regular courses; dark ridge tiles; pvc gutter on timber fascia board, and pvc downpipe which is angled toward the flat roof of an adjoining open-fronted shelter. Walls of snecked rubble painted black, with stone dressings to openings painted white; projecting moulded plinth; two raised stone shields, one to each side of doorway, one to left inscribed ‘M’ and ‘18’, the one to the right inscribed ‘F’ and ‘87’, each with a coronet, representing the Viscount Massereene and Ferrard and the date of building, 1887. Windows are modern rectangular timber fixed lights with tongued and grooved horizontally sheeted panels below, recessed behind modern steel roller shutters; with raised block surrounds; both window openings appear to have previously been doorways as the plinth has been removed at each one, and previous to that they each consisted of coupled lights; concrete and composition steps to window openings; Central doorway comprises a raised horseshoe-shaped arch with chamfered reveal, incised outer moulding containing small block stones at intervals; recessed doorway is modern rectangular timber glazed and panelled, set in a plain timber frame with wired glass sidelights and fanlight; concrete step.

North elevation: a plain gable of similar stonework to entrance front but without plinth; moulded timber bargeboards; a later lower single storey corrugated iron roof shelter projects from gable.

South elevation abuts an adjoining building with higher gable.

Rear elevation: roof as previous to front but with lower courses of new synthetic slates. Entire original rear wall of front block is obscured by later lean-to rear extension. Rear extension has corrugated iron roof; walls of concrete blockwork, partly painted white; pvc rainwater goods. Rectangular timber sheeted door; one small rectangular timber window in rear wall, with similar in north side of rear return.

SETTING: the building stands on the street-front within the built-up area of the town, facing directly onto a pavement. Adjoining buildings to each side of no special architectural merit. Rear of building faces onto a concrete yard surrounded by sheds of corrugated iron and concrete blockwork.

Historical information

Built in 1887 as a blacksmith’s shop to the design of William Fennell for the Viscount of Massereene and Ferrard.

References – Primary Sources
1. Datestones of 1887 on building.
2. Belfast Ramblers’ Sketch Club Exhibition Catalogue 1888 (Belfast, 1888), p 8, cat. no. 199 (‘New Forge at Antrim’).

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), p 10.
2. A. Smyth, The Story of Antrim (Antrim, 1984), p 65 (illus).
3. J. Hanna, Old Antrim (Catrine, Ayrshire, 2002), pp 35 and 36 (illus).
4. P. Larmour, ‘Founding Father’ (W. Fennell), Perspective, The Journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, Vol 12, No 2, March-April 2003, pp 54-58.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a late Victorian building originally designed as a forge by the architect William Fennell but now converted to a shop. It has lost a number of original features but retains the essential form of its most distinctive element, its horseshoe-shaped entrance arch. It forms a very distinctive feature in the street and remains a rare example of its type.

General comments

This building was previously recorded at HB20/08/044.