22 Market Square

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 2-storey, 5-bay stone building with a lower 2-storey rear rendered return, both with hipped roofs. Main entrance faces north.

North elevation: hipped roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; moulded metal gutter; two chimneys, of red brick, without pots. Walling is of coursed blackstone rubble with granite quoins to extremities, and red brick block dressings to openings except one window to left of entrance which has granite block dressings to upper half; lower portion has plain reveals. Windows are segmental arched timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 6 over 6, with horns, except window to left of entrance which is a rectangular timber fixed light of 9 panes; projecting cills, except for window to left of entrance which has concrete cill. Entrance contains a modern rectangular timber ledged door with one similar side panel and a plain fanlight; concrete steps flush with front yard surface.
Projecting forward at the left-hand extremity is a screen wall up to first storey height of roughly coursed basalt rubble, with brick block quoins and granite coping. It returns to the east to form a vehicular gateway to the rear yard: concrete lintel surmounted by a course of basalt and granite coping. Left-hand pier, of basalt rubble with brick block quoins, abuts a 2-storey gabled outbuilding, which is described under 'Setting'.

East elevation: roof, walling, and windows as previous except there is a buttress extending from the left-hand end: one window to first floor as previous to entrance front, but 8 over 8 without horns, with iron bars affixed; similar window to ground floor; to left of it is a small window, rectangular timber sliding sash, 1 over 2, without horns, with flat arched head; to left of that is a small high-level window, segmental arched, of cast iron, with lozenge glazing; to left of that is a doorway with flat arched head containing a rectangular timber ledged door; granite step.

Rear elevation is of similar materials to entrance front; 2-storey, with 3 bays of windows to right of a projecting rear return; windows are rectangular timber sliding sash, 6 over 6, with horns, with flat arch heads. Rear return comprises two blocks: first a 2-storey block 2 windows wide to east side and to rear: hipped roof slated as previous; red brick chimney with concrete coping and two old 19th century stoneware pots; moulded cast iron gutter and downpipe; walls are rendered roughcast (over a brick core) with smooth cement rendered plinth; rectangular timber ledged door with rectangular fanlight; windows are rectangular timber, sashed as previous to main rear elevation, set in plain reveals, with concrete cills.
South side of first rear return is blind, rendered as previous, with a second single-storey return projecting from it. Second return is gabled, with roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; white painted timber barges and eaves board; walling is rendered as previous; three windows, rectangular timber sliding sash, 6 over 6, with horns; concrete cills; one door, as previous to first return. Door approached by a flight of lateral concrete steps with plain steel railings.
South gable of second return is rendered as previous. One window as previous. Projecting from gable is a rendered wall dividing rear yard into two sections.

West elevation: of similar materials to entrance front; two windows to ground floor, segmental arched timber sashes, 6 over 6, with horns, and two similar to first floor, plus one sashed 4 over 4. Cast iron downpipes.
West elevation of rear return: first rear return, 2-storeys, with hipped roof slated as previous; walling rendered as previous; cast iron rainwater goods; four windows to ground floor, rectangular timber sliding sash, 4 over 4, with horns, concrete cills; two similar windows to first floor, one sashed 4 over 4, and one sashed 6 over 6.
Second rear return: single storey, of similar character and materials to previous elevations; 6 windows, similar to first return, with two sashed 4 over 4, and four sashed 6 over 6.

SETTING: The building stands within its own walled yard facing the main street and set back from it on a slightly downward sloping site. Yard surface is of tarmac. Boundary to north is formed by a wall with an arched gateway (HB20/08/006B); boundary to west is formed by a roughly coursed basalt rubble wall at the north end, extending to a lower height basalt rubble and fieldstone wall to the south end which is surmounted by modern concrete blocks to maintain the overall height.
Boundary to east is formed by a basalt rubble wall with concrete coping, at the north end, and a modern concrete block wall at the south.
Boundary to south is formed by a modern concrete block wall. The south end of the rear yard is occupied by a modern temporary timber framed building, on the east side, and a 2-storey rendered former police house on the west side, of no special interest.
Along the east boundary is a range of single storey outbuildings in poor condition, along with a 2-storey outbuilding. Two-storey outbuilding has a roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses with timber boarded dormer. Walling of blackstone rubble with red brick block quoins and dressings to openings, but dressings to ground floor opening are painted cram. Ground floor opening filled with a rectangular timber panelled door with glazed and panelled sidelights. Opening in upper floor contains a glazed and sheeted door. West side contains a former doorway and window now closed up with concrete blockwork.

Historical information

Built in 1852-6 as a police barracks and bridewell, reputedly to the designs of Charles Lanyon, who was County Surveyor at the time, whose responsibilities included the provision of gaols.
It stands in the area of an ancient monument, SMR no. ANT 163.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1857, Co Antrim 50.

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), p 8.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
V. Authorship

Evaluation

This is a mid-19th century building of plain character, attributable to an important Irish architect, which retains most of its original exterior features and some of its interior features. Together with its entrance gateway it forms an interesting group