13-15 Market Square

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 3-storey, 4-bay building shopped on the ground floor. Main entrance faces north.

North elevation: roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, dark toned ridge tiles. Two chimneys, one to front of ridge, one to rear of it: smooth cement rendered. Walling to two upper storeys is snecked basalt; vertical strip of smooth plasterwork, painted, to right-hand extremity. Windows to two upper storeys are rectangular timber sliding sash, 3 over 3, with horns, in exposed sash boxes, smaller height to top floor; smooth rendered reveals; flat arched heads to 1st floor; stones laid flat to 2nd floor heads; projecting stone cills painted white. Metal gutter with cast iron downpipe to right-hand extremity.
Ground floor has a shop front of white painted timber comprising a broad frieze with fluted brackets to the ends and a shaped timber cornice, supported on three panelled piers. Central pier is free-standing, with an open fronted recessed porch area behind and to each side of it. Flat ceiling to porch, with recessed ceiling lights.
Recessed shop windows to each side comprise rectangular timber fixed lights with moulded frames on stone or concrete cills, painted, on smooth cement rendered plinth walls. Recessed porch has modern white tiled flooring. Entrance in rear of porch comprises two sets of double doors side by side, modern rectangular timber, glazed, with plain fanlights; modern tubular metal handles.

Rear elevation: 2-storey; roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; two chimneys, smooth cement rendered; wall of main front block, of which only the top portion is visible, is smooth cement rendered; looks like pvc gutter.
Projecting forward is a long modern rear return: gabled, of two storeys, walls of smooth cement render; cast iron gutter and downpipes; first floor windows are modern timber sliding sash, 1 over 1, with horns; doorways and ground floor shop-front windows are set in panelled pilaster surrounds. Doors are modern flush timber and panelled timber.

SETTING: The building stands within a terrace of houses and shops facing the main street of the town. Along the east side of the building is an alleyway leading from the pavement at the front, along the side of the rear return, and terminating at a pedestrian bridge over the river at the rear.

Historical information

Precise date of original building not recorded but a building appears on the site on the OS map of 1832.

The building stands within the area of an ancient monument, SMR no. ANT182.

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

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), p 9.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is a building of probable early 19th century date that has an atttractive upper front façade but is otherwise of little architectural or historic interest.