Former workhouse, 30 Station Road, Antrim, BT41 4AB

This is a two-storey, five-bay building in a plain Tudor Revival style, with a single-storey, single-bay extension to one end. Originally built as the front block of a workhouse complex, it now stands alone. The main entrance faces north-west.

The north-west elevation of the main block comprises a three-bay central recess with gabled dormers and a central doorway, flanked by slightly projecting gabled end bays, one window wide to the first floor. The roofs are covered in Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses, with modern flush rooflights to the inner pitch of each end bay roof. There are two chimneys, smooth cement rendered, each with four diagonally set square stacks linked at the top and carrying four tall dark-toned original pots. PVC gutters and downpipes are fitted, with projecting rafter ends between the gables.

The walls are of coursed basalt rubble with painted granite quoins to the extremities of the end bays, painted granite dressings to openings, to the weathering of the plinth, to the gable copings, and to a projecting stringcourse which steps up over the central entrance. The central entrance comprises a four-centred chamfered arch with projecting drip mould and shaped label stops, containing a pair of arched panelled timber doors with a modern metal handle. Above it is a small sandstone shield inscribed with the date '1842'. The central entrance is flanked on each side by modern replacement rectangular timber windows—fixed lights with side-hung casements—set in block surrounds with projecting cills and square drip mouldings with shaped stops as previously described.

The first floor windows in the end bays are similar, except they also have top lights. The first floor windows in the central recess are similar to those in the end bays but without drip mouldings; their heads rise above the eaves line and are surmounted by small gablets with shaped kneelers. The central gablets and end bay gables each have a narrow arched ventilating lancet in the apex, with block surrounds.

The ground floor of the right-hand end bay has a Tudor-arched doorway with chamfered surround, containing a rectangular timber panelled door with a modern handle and a plain arched fanlight. The single-storey extension to the right-hand end is of similar roofing and walling: a Tudor-arched doorway with drip moulding and label stops contains an arched timber panelled door with a modern handle.

The north-east elevation is two-storey, of similar roofing and walling as previously described but without a stringcourse. It has PVC rainwater goods and exposed rafter ends. There are two windows to the ground floor—small rectangular timber casements set in painted red brick block surrounds—with iron security grilles affixed.

The rear elevation is two-storey and five-bay, comprised of a three-bay central recess flanked by deep projecting gabled end bays. The roofs are slated as previously described, with a central gabled dormer flanked by modern flush rooflights to the central recess, and similar rooflights to the inner pitches of the end bays: one to the left end and two to the right. The dormer has shaped timber barge boards and contains a two-light rectangular timber casement window. The walling is as previously described for the entrance front except without a stringcourse or plinth. The windows are similar to those on the entrance front, set in painted brick block surrounds. There is a doorway to the left-hand side of the central recess containing a rectangular flush timber door with a modern metal handle.

The end bay gables each contain one timber mullioned and transomed window to each floor, with an arched lancet in each apex. The inner facing side wall of the right-hand wing is blind; the corresponding wall to the left has a first floor doorway containing a rectangular flush timber door leading onto a metal fire escape stair.

Extending to the rear of the building, projecting from the north wing, is a range of single-storey outbuildings with lean-to roofs, and a screen wall projecting from the south wing, both of which return back with angled corners to form a wide opening to a partly enclosed rear courtyard. The outer faces of the single-storey wings are blind, of coursed basalt rubble with a sandstone coping. The inner faces of the screen wall and single-storey wing are also of basalt rubble, with red brick and painted brick dressings to openings in the latter. The roofs are slated as previously described.

The south-west elevation is two-storey, of similar roofing and walling to the rear elevation, with one small flush rooflight. There is one window to the first floor, mullioned and transomed as previously described, in a similar granite block surround as before but without drip moulding. Two similar windows to the ground floor are in painted brick block dressings. A single-storey gabled projection to the left has similar walling as previously described, with similar quoins to the extremities, and shaped kneelers. It has one small window—a rectangular timber casement in granite block surrounds. The back wall of the projection is blind.

The building stands in its own grounds facing the main road but set back from it, surrounded by lawns which contain mature trees and shrubs. A paved pathway crosses the front of the building. The front boundary is formed by a low basalt rubble wall with a vehicular entrance at each end. The gateway to the left has a pair of low piers without gates; the gateway to the right has one pier to the left, but currently knocked over, without gates. A tarmac driveway circumscribes the site. The rear courtyard has modern landscaping treatment of pavings and plantings, with modern metal fencing closing the rear approach opening. To the rear of the site, beyond modern timber palisading, is a modern shopping centre which has replaced the main workhouse buildings of the original complex.