Antrim Castle Gatehouse

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An early 19th century crenellated castle-style gatehouse comprising a 2-storey Tudor arched gateway of rectangular plan with octagonal stair turrets to each side on the entrance front. Main entrance faces north.

North elevation: 3-bay, 2-storey, with taller flanking octagonal turrets; walling of snecked blackstone with moulded sandstone copings to crenellated parapets, moulded sandstone corbel course, moulded plinth, and sandstone dressings to openings. Central entrance has a wide Tudor arch with square drip moulding over; 3 moulded shields bearing coats of arms, representing, in the left-hand spandrel the Clotworthy Arms, in the right-hand spandrel the Skeffington Arms, and between them, at the apex of the archway the Clotworthy and Skeffington Arms combined; archway contains a pair of recessed arched timber doors, heavily studded in timber to give appearance of iron bolt heads. Above in the first floor is a rectangular mullioned 4-light window, unglazed, recessed in a chamfered square surround with a Tudor-style drip moulding over. Rising above parapet level, flanking each side, are projecting octagonal towers with projecting plinths and oversailing parapets with crenellated tops; main faces of towers are pierced by narrow blind slit rectangular openings. Angles between gateway and towers are occupied by quadrants of replacement steel railings with ball finials; original iron railings now removed. Tower roofs surmounted by ball finial carrying an ironwork finial, supported by an open iron framework which was originally covered with slates. Main roof is flat, covered with asphalt behind parapets.

East elevation: walling similar to previous; one window at first floor level, rectangular mullioned 2-light, unglazed, recessed in moulded square surround.

Rear elevation: 1-bay, 2-storey with central Tudor archway as previous to entrance front but open, without gates, mullioned window to first floor as previous to entrance front but 3-light, and crenellated parapet as previous; walling similar to entrance front but of rubble basalt. Cast iron hopper and downpipe to rear of eastern tower. Projecting forward from each extremity of the archway are storey-height basalt screen walls.

West elevation: similar to east side except ground floor area is not visible as it is abutted by the adjacent bastion walling. Walling of first floor is of basalt rubble with crenellated parapet and moulded corbel course as previous; one small window opening, now blocked, set in a moulded surround. In angle with tower to left is a small hipped roofed basalt rubble walled outshot chamber supported on an iron girder containing a 2-light timber window in a square surround, now lacking glazing; roof of outshot covered with iron plates.

SETTING: The building stands in a corner of the market square facing directly onto the roadway. Extending to the west of the entrance front and then returning forward is the stone wall of the bastion and wall-walk at higher level, with a grassed area in front of it. Extending to the east of the entrance front is a stone screen wall containing a Tudor archway linked to the front boundary wall of the former bridewell on the adjacent plot. The archway leads into a path to the rear of the gatehouse and beyond to the riverbank to the south. The archway of the gatehouse leads to a former vehicular driveway to the castle but is now a pedestrian path. To the rear of the gateway are modern steps leading up to the former bastion and wall-walk. Projecting from the east end of the south elevation is a basalt rubble wall running southwards, which has a crenellated top and one original semi-circular arched doorway, and three later Tudor arched doorways. This wall terminates in an angled turret near the river.

Historical information

Built in 1818 for Lord Massereene as the main gateway to his residence Antrim Castle. Architect's name not recorded. It has been attributed in the past to John Bowden of Dublin but Bowden was only consulted by Lord Massereene on his suggestions for improvement of a design already prepared by someone else.
The gatehouse has been misnamed a 'barbican' from as early as the 1830s when it was so referred to in the 'Ordinance Survey Memoirs'.
At one time the ground in front of the gatehouse was separated from the rest of the town square by a line of iron railings on a low stone plinth, projecting northwards from the adjoining archway on the east side of the gatehouse. Prior to that the line of railings appears to have been set further back skirting the adjacent ramparts to the west.
The quadrants of original ironwork railings flanking each side of the front archway were replaced by new railings in October 2004.
It stands in the area of an ancient monument, no. ANT 163.
The four-centred archway attached to the east side dates from the period of building of the adjacent bridewell and police station of 1852-6. The wall running to the south terminating in an angled turret appears to be contemporary with the gatehouse, but contains three modern doorway openings.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1832, Co Antrim 50.

Secondary Sources
1. Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, Vol 29: Parishes of County Antrim XI, 1832-3, 1835-9 (Belfast, 1995), pp 10, 49.
2. W.T. Pike ed., Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the 20th Century (Brighton, 1909), p 192.
3. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), pp 6 and 7.
4. A. Smyth, The Story of Antrim (Antrim, 1984), pp 48 and 49.
5. J.A.K. Dean, The Gate Lodges of Ulster: A Gazetteer (Belfast, 1994), p 1.
6. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of County Antrim (Belfast, 1996), p 224.
7. J. Hanna, Old Antrim (Catrine, Ayrshire, 2002), p 31.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is an early 19th century gatehouse designed in a 'castle style' originally built as the main entrance to Antrim Castle demesne but now cut off from the demesne by a modern road. It retains most of its original features, and despite the spoiling of its original setting and partial loss of its original physical context, it still forms part of an interesting group along with the bastion and ramparts which it adjoins, and provides the centre of the town with an important and romantic feature.