Coastguard Cottages

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Attached single-bay two-storey terraced former coastguard cottage, built c.1864, located to the south of Belfast Road, Carrickfergus. Fourth from left (east) in a row of seven. Rectangular-on-plan with single-storey pitched return to rear.

Roof is pitched natural slate; blue/black clay ridge tiles, cogged brick eaves with few cast-iron downpipes remaining and square profile replacement uPVC rainwater goods. Roughcast rendered corbelled chimneystack to west party wall; decorative clay pots. Walls are roughcast rendered; cogged brick string course and smooth rendered platband over, (north elevation only); smooth rendered plinth. Windows are 6/6 replacement uPVC casements (mimicking 6/6 timber sliding sashes) with painted masonry cills (unless otherwise stated.)

Principal (south) elevation is abutted by single-storey pitched return to right (shared with No.8 HB22/07/021C); exposed section to left has window at each floor.

West gable is abutted by No.14 (HB22/07/021E.)

North (road-facing) elevation has a single window to each floor, (first floor contains dipartite 4/4 uPVC casements.)

East gable is abutted by No.10 (HB22/07/021C.)

South return is detailed as main block; two windows to south gable (shared with HB22/07/021C); replacement uPVC door to left cheek.

Set parallel to the Belfast Road, Carrickfergus, the coastguard cottages are accessed from the east with parking to north and garden to south. Bound to road-edge by roughcast rendered wall with saddleback coping.

Roof covering: Natural slate.
Walling: Roughcast render.
Windows: Windows are 6/6 replacement uPVC casements (mimicking 6/6 timber sliding sashes) with painted masonry cills.
Rainwater goods: Few cast-iron downpipes remaining; also square profile replacement uPVC.

Historical information

The Coastguard Station is first recorded in the Valuation Revision book of 1861-94, and is leased from J. Bowie, with a ground rent of £36. It succeeds an earlier station at Governor’s Place, Carrickfergus. The town plan for Carrickfergus of 1860 shows the buildings added in pencil at a later stage (date of addition not given).

The houses are shown on the third edition OS map of 1902 captioned ‘Coastguard Station’.

Hamond’s survey of 1991 states, “The station remained in use until at least 1945. It is now in private ownership and has recently been refurbished as dwellings...The coastguard housing comprises a two-storey terrace of six houses, with a larger house set at right angles to them at the west end. Various additions have been made to the rear (south) wall in the recent refurbishment...The terrace is now harled, and it is unclear from cursory inspection whether it was of brick or basalt construction. It is ornamented with stone and diagonally-set brick stringing below first floor window sill level, with further decorative brickwork along the eaves and chimney corbels”.

References

Primary Sources:

1. PRONI OS/6/1/52/2 – Second Edition OS Map (1857)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/52/3 - Third Edition OS Map (1902)
3. PRONI VAL/2/D/1/14A - Town plan of Carrickfergus (1860)
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/7/5A-F – Valuation Revisions (1861-1894)

Secondary Sources:

1. Hamond, F. First Survey Information. (1991)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A group of mid-nineteenth century coastguard cottages, built c.1864, and located to the south of Belfast Road, Carrickfergus. Set parallel to the road, with small gardens to rear. Appealing characteristics of the façade include cogged brick eaves and string course. This group has historic interest in terms of the maritime association it has within Carrickfergus but has been altered and does not have sufficient architectural interest to warrant listing.