Castle Bawn, 17 Maghereagh Road, Randalstown, Co Antrim

Castle Bawn is a two-storey gabled house of asymmetrical plan, situated in rural farmland near Randalstown. Built with rendered walls, it features a prominent Tudor-arched porch and distinctive octagonal stone chimneys, with the main entrance facing west.

The west elevation is composed of three distinct sections: a two-storey, three-bay block to the right; a lower 1½ storey single-bay wing set back slightly to the left; and a single storey wing set back further to the left. The roofs are covered in Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses, with red terracotta ridge cresting and finials. Moulded timber barge boards overhang the eaves above plain wooden soffits. The walls are finished with smooth cement render, lined and blocked, with raised quoins at the extremities and a projecting plinth, all painted white. Moulded PVC gutters and downpipes provide rainwater drainage.

Four rectangular chimney stacks rise from the building: two face the front and two to the rear, all visible from the front elevation. Each front stack carries two tall octagonal stone chimneys with original octagonal pots, painted white. The rear stacks each carry three similar octagonal stone chimneys.

Windows throughout are rectangular timber sliding sashes set in plain reveals with moulded rectangular labels above and projecting stone cills painted green. The two-storey block features a slightly projecting two-storey gable to the right of the porch, with a large gabled dormer to the left. The gable to the right contains a tripartite ground-floor window with 4 over 4 central sashes with horns, flanked by narrower side lights of 2 over 2 without horns. The first-floor window in this gable is 2 over 2 with horns. To the left of the porch on the ground floor is an 8 over 8 sash without horns. The large dormer above contains a tripartite window of 6 over 6 central sashes without horns, flanked by 2 over 2 side lights without horns.

The porch is entered via a Tudor arched chamfered doorway with an original arched timber Gothic panelled door, approached by three sandstone steps with a sandstone doorstep. Each side wall of the porch contains a Tudor arched timber window, a 2-pane fixed light with margins incorporating Gothic heads to the glazing bars.

The 1½ storey wing has similar roofing and rendering. Its ground floor contains one 2 over 2 sash with horns, while a gabled dormer in the roof above contains a smaller 2 over 2 sash without horns. The dormer cheeks and front are rendered, lined and blocked. PVC rainwater goods, a cast iron soil pipe, and PVC waste pipes serve this section.

The single storey wing to the left has similar roofing and walling, with a PVC gutter and short outlet into a cast iron hopper and downpipe. Two windows of rectangular timber 4-pane fixed lights in exposed frames light this wing.

The south elevation features roofs and walling similar to the west front, with PVC rainwater goods. It comprises a slightly projecting two-storey gable to the right and a wall-head dormer to the left. Windows are all rectangular timber sashes with moulded rectangular labels. The gable contains similar window details to those on the entrance front.

The rear elevation is similar in character but contains an inappropriate large modern replacement window with rectangular fixed lights and vents. The north elevation is multi-gabled and of similar character to previous elevations, but includes a later flat-roofed porch with a later rectangular fixed light of decorative leaded glass and an inappropriate recent modern door incorporating a radially glazed panel.

The rear yard is enclosed by single storey white-painted outbuildings. A larger yard to the north is surrounded by basalt rubble outbuildings raised a storey by concrete brickwork.

The building stands within its own farmland, approached from the west by a main driveway marked by rendered gate piers and screen walls of no special interest. A modern two-storey house within the grounds, adjacent to the gateway, replaces an earlier cottage or lodge. A secondary rear driveway or lane serves the property to the north.