Gateway

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An arched vehicular gateway built of granite and basalt flanked by low plinth walls to each side surmounted by iron railings. Main front faces north.

North face: piers are of granite with chamfered jambs, rising to a granite archway of 4-centred Tudor shape, with recessed spandrel panels, and moulded cornice, surmounted by a snecked basalt parapet which has granite quoins to extremities, and moulded granite coping which rises in the centre to incorporate a rectangular granite panel containing a plain shield surrounded by cusping. Piers have shallow buttresses projecting forward, of ashlar granite with projecting plinth and weatherings; and buttresses extending to each side, of smooth cement render, rising from flanking basalt walls.
Extending to each side are walls of roughly coursed basalt rubble, with moulded granite copings.
Wall to left terminates in a square pier of snecked basalt with granite quoins, granite plinth, and granite weatherings to cap (bottom weathering fractured and partly dislodged).
Wall to right has been crudely repaired with cement render. It rises in stages with a ramped and stepped coping to extend beyond the west boundary of the property to incorporate an open Tudor archway and screen wall which terminates in the side wall of the gatehouse to Antrim Castle grounds; open archway is dressed in granite with stop-chamfered jambs; no gates.

Main walls surmounted by later iron railings of plain design with square section posts, bolted to coping stones.
Central gateway fitted with a pair of original wrought iron gates with spear-head finials. Left-hand gate bears maker's plaque which is difficult to read but contains address as 'York Road, Belfast'.

South or rear face: similar to north or front except jambs of central archway not chamfered; no spandrel panels; parapet is of basalt rubble, and there is no panel within it.

SETTING: These structures stand to the north of the former police station at 22 Market Square, facing directly onto the pavement.

Historical information

Built as the main gateway and front boundary wall to the former police barracks and bridewell of 1852-6, reputedly to the designs of Charles Lanyon, who was County Surveyor at the time, whose responsibilities included the provision of gaols.
It stands within 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
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 gateway with flanking walls, and pier, attributable to an important Irish architect, which, together with the former police station and bridewell to which it leads, forms an interesting group with the adjacent castle gatehouse.