41-45 High Street, Antrim, BT41 4AY

A terrace of three 3-storey houses with shops to the ground floor, located on the main street in Antrim. Nos 41 and 43 are single-bay houses, while no 45 is two-bay. The buildings date from the mid-19th century, appearing on the Ordnance Survey map of 1833, though their precise construction date remains unrecorded; they are stylistically consistent with the 1840s–1850s period.

The walls are smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked. Nos 41 and 43 have rusticated quoins to their extremities, whilst nos 45 and 45A are finished with raised vertical strips. Roofs are laid with Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with three chimneys: one in red brick and two in smooth cement render.

Upper-floor windows to nos 41 and 43 are rectangular timber sliding sash, 1 over 1, without horns, set in plain reveals. Windows to nos 45 and 45A are rectangular timber sliding sash, 1 over 1, with horns, set in moulded surrounds. Each house features a plain raised frieze to the top storey; nos 45 and 45A additionally contain shaped brackets and circular blind panels at first-floor level.

The ground floor of nos 41 and 43 contains large shop windows set between panelled pilasters with moulded cornices and plain block bases. The shop window at no 41 is 2-pane timber-framed with timber box cill. The shop window at no 43 features a distinctive circular timber corner post, timber cill, and a recessed front doorway with a glazed and panelled door below a plain rectangular fanlight. A plain frieze runs across both shop fronts, now obscured by modern signage, surmounted by a plain block cornice on a plaster dentil course. Downpipes are of cast iron and PVC with PVC guttering.

At the left-hand extremity of no 41 is a corner doorway with upper floors oversailing, accessed beneath a coved frieze face. The doorway contains a metal roller shutter behind flanking panelled pilasters. Nos 45 and 45A have a panelled vehicular door to the left of a central shop front with two modern rectangular timber panelled doors to the right, set between plain timber pilasters with shaped brackets above. The shop front is 4-pane timber-framed with timber cill. A moulded timber cornice runs across the entire ground floor with modern recessed lights to the soffits.

The east elevation of no 41 rises three storeys with an attic storey, its smooth rendered wall partly lined and blocked with rusticated quoins. A red brick chimney surmounts the gable. The ground floor contains a recessed doorway with a flush timber door below a small-paned fanlight (now missing glazing), and two blocked window openings. Two windows to the first floor are rectangular timber sliding sash, 1 over 1, without horns. Two windows to the second floor are rectangular timber sliding sash, one 6 over 1 and one 6 over 6, without horns. Two windows to the attic storey are semi-circular arched timber sliding sash, 2 over 2, without horns.

The rear elevation of no 41 is smooth cement rendered with a lower gabled rear return extending behind no 43, similarly walled with a prominent red brick chimney to the rear return. Two windows occupy the rear wall of the main block: a small rectangular 4-pane window and a rectangular timber sliding sash, 2 over 2, without horns. Cast iron downpipes serve this elevation.

Attached to the rear return of nos 41 and 43 is a long lower block constructed in basalt rubble with a hipped slated roof. This rear block, facing onto Bridge Street, is fitted with modern steel shutters to window and door openings.

The buildings form the end of a terrace of houses and shops facing the main street of the town, with rear plots facing onto the river. The group lies within a conservation area. The buildings retain some original features of interest, particularly the entrance at the front corner of no 41 and the circular timber frame to the corner of the shop window at no 43, though otherwise present limited special architectural or historical significance.