Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached gabled red-brick hall in the gothic-style, built 1923 to designs by Robert Caldwell and located to the south side of Cliftonville Road in North Belfast. Rectangular on plan with projecting gabled porch to northeast.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and raised sandstone verges on kneeler stones. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on projecting red-brick eaves. Walling is English garden wall-bonded red-brick on a chamfered brick plinth with sandstone dressings; egg-and-dart frieze under eaves. Windows are pointed-headed multi-paned metal casements with chamfered sandstone sills; all openings in flush sandstone blocked surrounds with voussoirs and surmounted by hood moulds with decoratively carved stops.

North-east facing gabled front is abutted to centre by the gabled porch; flanked by a window at each side and with narrow loop window opening to apex of gable over. Porch is lit to each cheek and opens with a replacement double-leaf timber-sheeted door surmounted by pointed-headed transom light; accessed by two concrete steps enclosed by plinth walls.

The northwest elevation is five openings wide, including replacement metal door to far left surmounted by pointed-headed transom light and accessed by a concrete ramp, enclosed by plinth walls.

The southwest gable has a narrow window opening to apex of gable.

The southeast elevation is five windows wide.

Setting:

Situated to the rear of the Home for the Blind (HB26/43/002) and southeast of 34-36 Cliftonville Road HB26/43/003A&B), with tarmacadamed playground to north and west. Lawned area with mature trees and picnic benches to east side of hall, enclosed by low red-brick and concrete walls.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: English garden red-brick with sandstone dressings
Windows: Metal casements
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The present building was constructed as a recreation hall for the nearby Home for the Blind in 1923-4 . The designer was Robert Inkerman Calwell, architect of a number of clubs, unionist halls and domestic houses in the 1910s and 20s and is first shown on the sixth edition OS map of 1931 (www.dia.ie).

Numbers 26 to 30 Cliftonville Road were converted in 1901 for use as a ‘Home Mission for the Blind’ (HB26/43/002). A ‘Mrs R B Pim’ and a number of other wives and daughters of the well-to-do had joined together some years previously to carry on home mission work among the blind. The women found that many of the homes they visited were in a ‘wretched’ condition and accordingly they rented a small house to assist some of the most deserving cases. In 1891 they purchased premises in Great Victoria Street but additional space was needed and in 1901 they bought the houses in Cliftonville Road for about £3,000. The Street Directory of the time was effusive in its praise for the site, “No more suitable place could have been chosen. The houses stand some distance back from the roads surrounded by private grounds which can be used for recreation and exercise and by a few structural alterations they were converted into a complete residence with apartments for thirty females and twenty males”. The new home was opened on 22nd June 1901 by the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava. (Street Directory, 1903)

The recreation hall and a separate laundry to the left of the hall were built in 1923-4 and enter valuation records in 1925 increasing the valuation of the Home by £77. In 1952 the laundry and recreation hall were sold to Belfast Royal Academy who carried out a thorough renovation and added the buildings to their prep school. The recreation hall continues in the ownership of Belfast Royal Academy.

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6 – Sixth Edition OS Map 1931
2. PRONI VAL/12/A/7/C/38 Valuer’s Notes 1923
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/F/1-7 Annual Revisions (1905-1930)
4. PRONI VAL/3/D/3/1/A/167 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
5. Street Directory 1903
6. Irish Builder Vol 65, 8 Sep 1923, p692

Secondary Sources

1. www.dia.ie – Dictionary of Irish Architects online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A detached gabled red-brick hall in the gothic-style; built 1923 to designs by Robert Caldwell as a recreation hall for the nearby Home for the Blind(HB26/43/002A). Although the building has modest proportions and much of original fabric, including brick and stonework detailing, the historic setting is compromised buy modern changes. It is of a late date and not among the best examples of the type.

General comments

Look @ renumbering with HB26/43/002 - JL/20-11-13