Rampart and Bastion, Castle Street/Market Square, Antrim, Co Antrim

A range of rampart walling with an angled bastion at the north end in the centre of Antim town. It runs approximately north-east to south-west, with its main front facing south-east. Main face of rampart walling is of blackstone rubble with a moulded corbel course supporting a crenellated parapet; crenellations are smooth cement rendered. Behind the parapet is a wall walk. At the southern end the rampart walling including corbel course and parapet returns forward to abut a later gatehouse of 1818 (HB20/08/005). At the northern end the rampart walling abuts a projecting angled bastion of different quality rubble stonework: plain walling without corbel course; wall topped by modern metal railings. Bastion walling returns to the north-east in similar fashion and then to the north-west where it steps up and forms a battered face with three vertical recesses at the top which looks like crenellations later filled in: at the base of the 'crenellated' top is a row of small openings which look like musket loops, with a similar row above near the head of the wall. The bastion walling returns at the rear to the south-west, of similarly plain rubble: battered top, containing a segmental brick arched opening; buttress to right, behind which is a flight of granite steps with modern metal railings leading up to a platform at wall-walk level. Inner side of north-west and north-east faces of bastion consist of base or plinth of basalt rubble, with brick facing above, in same plane. Brick flat arches or segmental arches to deep recessed openings. The rear face of the rampart walling at the wall-walk is of exposed rubble as previous; concrete path; ramped grassy banks, containing plantings, to the rear of that. Setting The rampart walling and bastion stand at the western end of Market Square within the built-up area of the town. It is adjoined at the southern end by the 'barbican' gatehouse (HB20/08/005). At the northern end it is adjoined by what appear to be 19th century walls of basalt rubble, crenellated, with a square pier and a four-centred arched doorway dressed in blue engineering brick, leading into a small open courtyard, paved with concrete bricks and laid out with rectangular flower beds containing saplings; low basalt plinth wall along north-east side; north-west side is of basalt rubble walling terminating at the north end in a new basalt rubble pier, and containing a two-centred red brick arched and dressed doorway alongside a granite coupled window, now missing its mullion. Rear face of north-west wall is of rubble partly smooth cement rendered. Across the main front of the rampart walling and bastion is a grassed strip incorporating flower beds each side of a modern memorial slab or pier. Across the rear of the rampart walling and bastion is a grassed area with a modern by-pass road in front of it.