7-27 Shiels Houses, Larne Road, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, BT38 7EA

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached multi-bay one-and-a-half storey complex of twenty-one Gothic Revival almshouses, built 1868, to designs by Sir Charles Lanyon, located to the west side of Larne Road. U-shaped plan layout with single-storey shared returns to rear of dwellings.

Roofs are pitched and natural slated with deep overhanging eaves; clay ridge tiles, round-arched-headed fretted bargeboards supported on decorative timber brackets; red brick corbelled chimneys; original clay pots. Walls are smooth rendered over projecting plinth. Windows are segmental-headed timber-framed 2/2 sliding sash in chamfered reveals (square-headed timber casements to rear elevation); painted masonry sills, unless otherwise stated.

South elevation is symmetrical and consists of four bays; gabled outer bays each contain pair of windows at ground floor and single window at first floor; oculus to apex; to centre, pair of segmental-headed chamfered entrances in shared pointed-arched-headed recess with hood moulding; diagonally sheeted timber doors with transom lights; flanked at left and right by single window at ground floor and half-dormer containing round-arched-headed window at first floor. Abutted at left by single-storey porch containing single small window; diagonally sheeted timber door with transom light to west.

South-east elevation consists of two bays; at centre, two bays each have single window at ground floor and half-dormer containing round-arched-headed window at first floor; at left, two segmental-headed chamfered entrances containing diagonally sheeted timber doors with transom lights, each surmounted by oculus; at right, door (as before) and window, each surmounted by oculus.

East elevation consists of nine bays; at left, two-storey gabled bay containing two windows at each floor, oculus to apex, abutted at right by engaged three-stage gabled tower; pointed-arched-headed opening containing cusped pointed-arched-headed entrance; square-headed diagonally sheeted timber door with decorative iron strap hinges and handle; pointed-arched-headed fanlight flanked by composite order colonettes and surmounted by hood moulding and signage, ‘Charles Shiels Institute’; second stage (first floor) contains small window and oculus, surmounted by string course to final stage; pair of fixed pointed-arched-headed windows separated by colonette (as entrance); surmounted by clock-face at centre. Bay two contains segmental-headed chamfered entrance containing diagonally sheeted timber door with transom light at left, window at right. Bay three and four have paired entrances (detailed as south elevation) flanked at left and right by single window. This is repeated at bay five and six, and seven and eight. Bay nine is gabled consisting of pair of windows at ground floor and single window at first floor. Abutted at right by entrance door (as before) surmounted by oculus.

North-east elevation consists of two bays; at centre, two bays each have single window at ground floor and half-dormer containing round-arched-headed window at first floor; at left, entrance containing diagonally sheeted timber door with transom light surmounted by oculus; at right, door surmounted by pair of oculi.

North elevation is as south. Abutted at left by entrance door (as before) surmounted by oculus. Abutted at right by single-storey porch containing single small window; diagonally sheeted timber door with transom light to west.

West elevation of north and south blocks abutted by single-storey mono-pitched porch (see north elevation). Exposed wall is blank.

Interior of court

Enclosed yards to all dwellings, each accessed through square-headed vertically sheeted timber entrance gate.

South elevation (north block) consists of gabled bay at left containing two windows and recessed gabled bay at right containing single window at first floor; central section contains three windows at first floor; ground floor abutted at centre by gabled return and at right by mono-pitched return. Typical ground floor consists of central timber vertically sheeted entrance door flanked at each side by square-headed window.

South-west elevation (north-east block) contains two windows at first floor, ground floor abutted at centre by gabled return.

West elevation (east block) contains seven windows at first floor (single window at each dwelling), ground floor abutted by lean-to return; further abutted at left and centre by gabled return, at right by mono-pitched return. At right, west elevation of tower house consists of single window at left and gabled bay at right containing two windows.

North-west elevation (south-east block) contains two windows at first floor, ground floor abutted at centre by gabled return.

North elevation (south block) consists of recessed gabled bay at left containing single window at first floor; abutted at ground floor by mono-pitched return; at centre, four windows at first floor, abutted at ground floor by central gabled return; gabled bay at right contains two windows at first floor. Mono-pitched shed at right within enclosed yard.

Building set within private grounds with shared garden to east. Recent housing development to west. To north and south, further almshouses (HB22/14/001B-C). Site accessed from Larne Road to east through brick gate screen (HB22/14/001D).

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Smooth render
Windows: Segmental-headed timber framed 2/2 sliding sash
RWG: Cast-iron ogee gutters and round downpipes

Historical information

The Almshouses are first shown on the third edition OS map of 1902 and no early valuation information exists.

Brett notes that “The original twenty one houses, No’s 7 to 27 were built in 1868 to designs by Lynn and Lanyon; No’s 28 to 31 in 1901 to a complementary design by Young & Mackenzie; and the final blocks, No.s 1 to 6, in 1915, to a slightly different design by R M Close’. The Lanyon designed houses cost £3,500 (Irish Architectural Archive).

He describes the benefactor to the houses, Charles Shiels as ‘a philanthropist much in advance of most of his contemporaries. He left £90,000 to provide housing for the needy in Armagh, Dungannon, Killough, Stillorgan and Carrickfergus’. Ahead of his time, Shiels stipulated that ‘…each group of houses was to be managed by a local committee of four members of the church of Ireland, four of the Roman Catholic Church, and four of the Presbyterian Church; the rules stated that ‘no religious disputes of any description will be tolerated’.

The Tower House has over its archway the following inscription; ‘Charles Sheil’s Institution 1868’.

The Tower house; number 2, has the original timepiece working in the clock tower. Four other Shiel’s houses were built, and are located in Killough, Armagh, Dungannon and Stillorgan. (Pamplet information)

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)

Secondary Sources

1. Charles Sheils Houses Pamplet, Carrickfergus.
2. Brett, C[harles] E. B. “Buildings of County Antrim.” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1996.
3. Campbell, Gordon and Susan Crowther. “In the Town of Carrickfergus.” Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance Series. Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1980.
4. Irish Architectural Archive. “Dictionary of Irish Architects” [Internet source] < http://www.dia.ie/works/view/47939/building> Accessed 08/05/09

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A detached multi-bay one-and-a-half storey complex of twenty-one Gothic Revival almshouses, built 1868, to designs by architect Sir Charles Lanyon, located to the west side of Larne Road. The complex, although partially altered in recent years, still displays original ornate Victorian Gothic detailing including timberwork. One of five such complexes in Ireland built following the Almshouses Charity Act of 1864, the almshouses had some innovatory qualities, still evident by the well in the grounds; rainwater was collected from the roof to allow water for irrigation and livestock. The building has been well-conceived in design and layout, with U-shaped plan form. It is a well preserved working example of its type and makes a large contribution to the architecture of the local area.

General comments

This record has been renumbered - previously HB22/14/001.