41-45 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three 3-storey houses in a terrace, nos 41 and 43 being 1-bay each, and no 45 being 2-bay.

Roofs are of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. Three chimneys, one in red brick, two in smooth cement render. Walls are smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with rusticated quoins to extremities of the pair at nos 41 and 43, and raised vertical strips to the extremities of nos 45 and 45A. Plain raised frieze to the top storey of each house, with shaped brackets to nos 45 and 45A; nos 45 and 45A contain a circular blind panel at first floor level between windows. Windows to upper floors of nos 41 and 43 are rectangular timber sliding sash, 1 over 1, without horns, set in plain reveals. Windows to upper floors of nos 45 and 45A are rectangular timber sliding sash, 1 over 1, with horns, set in moulded surrounds.

Ground floor of nos 41 and 43 contains a pair of large shop windows set between panelled pilasters which have moulded cornices to capitals, with plain block bases. Shop window to no 41 is 2-pane in timber frame, with timber box cill. Shop window to no 43 is 2-pane in timber with circular timber corner post; timber cill; recessed front doorway with 2-pane glazed end to main shop window to left and glazed window panel to right-hand side; door is glazed and panelled set below a plain rectangular fanlight. Across the top of the shop fronts of both nos 41 and 43 is a plain frieze now covered by modern shop signs, surmounted by a plain block cornice on plaster dentil course. Nos 41 and 43 have a downpipe of both cast iron and pvc, with a pvc gutter.
To left-hand extremity of no 41 is a doorway set on an angled corner with upper floors oversailing the doorway, with a coved face to the frieze. Doorway contains a metal roller shutter behind flanking panelled pilasters.

Ground floor of nos 45 and 45A consists of a panelled vehicular door set in plain plastered reveals, to the left of a central shop front with two doors to the right of it. Doors to right are modern rectangular timber panelled set between plain timber pilasters surmounted by shaped brackets; shop front is 4-pane in timber frame with timber cill. Moulded timber cornice across entire ground floor with modern recessed lights to soffits.

East elevation of no 41: 3-storey with attic storey. Wall smooth rendered, partly lined and blocked, with rusticated quoins to extremities; gable surmounted by a red brick chimney. Ground floor contains a doorway and two window openings; windows are blocked up with timber panels. Doorway contains a flush timber door set below a small-paned fanlight, now missing glazing and door not functioning, deeply recessed between panelled pilasters below a moulded cornice. Two windows to first floor, rectangular timber sliding sash, 1 over 1, without horns. Two windows to second floor, rectangular timber sliding sash, 6 over 1 and 6 over 6, without horns. Two windows to attic storey, semi-circular arched timber sliding sash, 2 over 2, without horns.
Rear elevation of no 41 is smooth cement rendered, with a lower gabled rear return of similar walling to the rear of no 43; prominent red brick chimney to rear return. Two windows in rear wall of main block of no 41: a small rectangular 4-pane window, and a rectangular timber sliding sash window, 2 over 2, without horns. Cast iron downpipes.

SETTING: The buildings form the end of a terrace of houses and shops which stands facing the main street of the town, with the rear plots facing onto the river. Attached to the rear return of nos 41 and 43 is a long lower block in basalt rubble with hipped slated roof, and modern steel shutters to window and door openings facing onto Bridge Street.

Historical information

Precise date of buildings not recorded; buildings appear on the site on the OS map of 1833 but the date and extent is indeterminate; stylistically the buildings have the appearance of dating from the mid-19th century.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1833, Co Antrim 50 (shows buildings on site but date indeterminate).
2. OS Map 1857, 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 group of houses with shops to the ground floor, which retains some original features including an entrance on the front corner of no 41 and a circular timber frame to the corner of the shop window at no 43 but otherwise appears to be of no special interest.