Gatescreen at Charles Shiels Institution, 48 Larne Road, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim BT38 7EA

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Freestanding alcoved entrance gatescreen to Charles Shiels Institute, located to the west side of Larne Road.

Gatescreen is constructed in stretcher-bonded red brick and consists of two pairs of square pillars connected by alcoved walling. Pillars consist of chamfered square shaft with broach stops and diapered blue brick; blue brick string course and angled course surmounted by stepped coping and splayed headers. Connecting walls each contain six chamfered recessed panels; surmounted by splayed header course with corbelled coping. Central pillars support pair of decorative wrought iron gates.

Gatescreen marks east entrance to Charles Shiels Institute, otherwise bounded by wire fencing to Larne Road. A central avenue leads through private garden directly to the tower house, the central dwelling in the complex.

Roof: N/A
Walling: Stretcher-bonded red brick
Windows: N/A
RWG: N/A

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’. According to the Irish Architectural Archive, these houses designed by R M Close cost approximately £3,600.

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
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A detached entrance gatescreen to Charles Shiels Institute, located to the west side of Larne Road. The gatescreen is a fine example of Victorian brickwork detailing, remaining in good repair and displaying original signage. The gatescreen marks the entrance to a striking complex of Gothic Revival former almshouses, giving it a fitting presence on the public road. It has group value with the listed almshouse blocks.

General comments

This record has been renumbered as part of a group - previously HB22/14/002.