Bell's Newsagency

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached two-bay three-storey house with shop, built c.1800, located on the north of High Street at the corner of North Street. L-plan, facing south; full-height return to rear.

Hipped natural slate roof, blue/black angled ridge and hip tiles, half-round cast-iron gutters. Walling is painted smooth rendered over plinth, with V-jointed quoins, banded cornice and moulded stringcourses between floors. Windows are square-headed painted timber 1/1 sashes with painted smooth rendered reveals, architraves and sills.

Principal (south) elevation is two windows wide to each bay; stringcourses are removed, platband between first and second floor, modern glazed shopfront and fascia occupy entire ground floor.

West elevation has three bays (rear two are those of return). All windows are blocked. Right two bays have two windows per bay, except where otherwise stated: ground floor is blank with framed panel to right bay. Left bay ground floor has square-headed painted timber double doors with blind overlight; first floor occupied entirely by one framed panel; second floor left end has one framed panel, right end has two blocked bipartite windows (with painted timber upper sashes partially exposed).

Rear (north) elevation is abutted to right end by return. Exposed section is roughcast; left end has single square-headed painted timber casement window on each floor. Return north elevation is entirely abutted by neighbouring property.

East gable is entirely abutted by the Dobbins Inn Hotel (HB22/08/009). East elevation of return is four windows wide and roughcast. All windows are blocked with concrete blocks.

The shop is situated in the centre of the old town of Carrickfergus on High Street and is visible from the harbour. It abuts the Dobbins Inn Hotel (HB22/08/009) to the east and is located across the street from the old Market House (HB22/08/005).

Roof: Hipped natural slate
Walling: Painted smooth render
Windows: Square-headed painted timber 1/1 sashes
Rainwater Goods: Half-round cast-iron gutters

Historical information

Information from the current tenants states that the Bell Family has owned the shop for over 150 years, and that it served as a printing press in the early part last century. Tradition has it that the building occupies the site of a former tower house, however, at the time of writing there is no evidence to support this. Dobbins Hotel (HB22/08/007), which incorporates medieval fabric, is in close proximity.

The building is recorded on the first edition OS map of 1832. The corresponding town plan for the Griffith’s Valuation of 1860 records two properties on the plot, the first (No.2) extends into North Street and is detailed as a house, office and yard, occupied by Robert Alexander, leased from the representatives of Peter [Kirk]. Details include a loft, stair, [priory?], coal house, back yard. The building is valued at £28. No.4 is detailed as a house, office and yard occupied by Dr David Taggart (surgeon), leased from James Alexander for the sum of £20 a year. The valuation is £16.

At the turn of the century the Valuations revisions record one property occupied by James Bell, leased from the Urban District Council of Carrickfergus, and valued is £28. The second is an office and yard, also occupied by James Bell, leased from George Kirk in 1900, valued at £5.

In 1928 the occupier of the house changes to David Bell, whilst the second property is described in 1925 as a printing works leased Matthew Bros. The lessor changes from George Kirk to David Bell in 1925. The building valuation is revised to £6 at the same time.

References

Primary Sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/1/52/1 - First Edition OS Map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/52/2 - Second Edition OS Map (1857)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/52/3 - Third Edition OS Map (1901-2)
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/22C - Griffiths Valuation Fieldbook (1860)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/7/7 A-C -Valuation Revisions (1894-1929)
6. PRONI VAL/12/E/20/2/1 & 2 -Town Maps (1898-1908)
7. PRONI VAL/12/E/20/1/1 & 2 -Town Maps (1872-1898)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A late-eighteenth or early-nineteenth-century two-bay three-storey rendered Georgian former house now used as a shop. The building has been much altered during the twentieth century with a subsequent loss of historic detail to both the interior and exterior and to the ground floor in particular. These alterations have substantially degraded its interest as a late Georgian building. Thus it is a Conservation Area building only.