10-14 West Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A four-bay three-storey terrace, built c.1810, and located to the south side of West Street, Carrickfergus. Rectangular-on-plan with three ground floor commercial units divided by segmental-headed coach arch. Two pitched roof two-storey returns to rear, (one to either side of coach arch.)

Roof is pitched natural slate with blue/black clay ridge tiles and corbelled eaves; half-round cast-iron rainwater goods supported on square cast-iron brackets; three smooth rendered corbelled gable chimneystacks with terracotta pots. Walls are ruled-and-lined rendered with raised stepped chamfered quoins. Windows are 6/6 timber sliding sashes (replacement timber casements to rear) with painted masonry cills (unless otherwise stated.)

Principal elevation faces north and contains off-centre segmental-headed coach-arch with single shop front to left; double shop front to right. Seven equally spaced windows at first and second floor, those at second floor diminished in height. Coach arch has straight quoin surround with keyblock detail and cast-iron gate. All traditional timber shop fronts have a similar arrangement of leaded timber fascias, three glazed timber windows to right and principal entrance to left (each with transom light.) Right shop entrance is recessed with cast-iron gate to street front. Both shop fronts to right have tiled plinth below window level.

Left gable is abutted by No.8 West Street.

Rear elevation is smooth rendered and abutted to right of coach arch by two-storey return with pitched slated roof; abutted to left by two-storey return with pitched slated roof; exposed section has single window at first floor (directly above coach-arch) and three windows at second floor, mid-level window to left (to stairs). Segmental-headed coach-arch is smooth rendered with no surround detail.

Right gable is abutted by No.16 West Street.

Returns are smooth rendered and of no interest; with replacement windows and doors throughout (many windows boarded.)

Opening directly onto street front and enclosed to rear by further series of additions, all of little interest.

Roof : Natural slate
Walling: Ruled-and-lined render with raised stepped chamfered quoins
Windows: 6/6 timber sliding sashes (replacement timber casements to rear)
with painted masonry cills unless otherwise stated.
RWG: Half-round cast-iron

Historical information

Buildings and an archway are shown on the site in the first edition OS map of 1832. The town plan of Carrickfergus from 1860 also shows the buildings and archway, although behind the street line, the layout of the yard spaces differs from the current layout.
Number 14 is recorded in Griffith’s Valuation as a ‘house, office and yard’ occupied by Fanny Allen and leased from James Stanus. The building valuation is £8. In subsequent Valuation Revisions the occupiers are William Adamson and James Logan but there is no change to the property valuation. In the 1890’s the occupier is James Logan.

Number 12 is recorded as a ‘house, office and yard’, which is vacant. The building is valued at £10.10s. Valuation Revisions from the mid 1860’s show the occupier as Daniel McIntosh and the lessor as James Stanus. Thomas Lockart is recorded as the occupier in the 1890’s.

Number 10 is recorded as a ‘house, office and yard’, and the occupier as John Thom. The building is leased from Thomas Poag and valued at £9. Valuation Revisions record the occupier as [?] Gillespie in 1869 and John Conway in the 1890’s.

Boyle’s OS Memoirs describe West Street as being ‘…one of the original streets but seems in 1550 to have been occupied by huts’.

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 (1902)
4. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/22D-Griffith’s Valuation (1859)
5. PRONI VAL/2/D/1/14 A+B -Town Plan of Carrickfergus (1860)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/7/5A-F -Valuation Revisions (1861-1894)
7. Boyle, J. OS Memoirs, Parishes of Co. Antrim XIV, Vol 37 (1832, 1839-40)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A plainly detailed but attractive four-bay three-storey Georgian terrace, built c.1810, and located to the west side of West Street, Carrickfergus. Containing three ground floor shop fronts and segmental-headed coach arch the original proportions of the street front façade have been largely retained, with original material finishes and timber sliding sash windows this is an important group that represents the early commercial development of the town and contributes positively to the historic character of the Conservation Area. Unfortunately behind the front façade they have been substantially altered which detracts from their overall architectural interest.