Market Square, New Street, Randalstown, Antrim, Co Antrim

A rectangular courtyard surrounded on three sides by one and two-storey buildings forming a large tarmac yard behind the former market house (now a public library). The entrance to the yard is by a pair of gateways from the street to the west, to each end of the former market house. North and south sides of yard bounded by an L-shaped building in red brick with roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. Main elevations comprise a series of wide elliptical brick arches to the ground floor. Arches contain timber sheeted double doors, or are partly blocked in red brick and contain smaller segmental arched windows or doors; moulded brick string courses to piers but much damaged, either broken off or crudely patched with cement. First floor contains alternating doorways and smaller windows in each bay, all segmental headed except one rectangular door and one rectangular window: timber sheeted double doors but some later replaced with flush timber. Some original small paned windows retained, but most altered. Moulded gutter, looks like PVC or light metal, with what looks like tin downpipes. Gable at west end of north wing has a tall upstand or parapet; gable at south end of east wing has flush verges. Projecting from the west gable of the north wing is a single storey outbuilding of basalt rubble painted, with synthetic slates to roof, and PVC rainwater goods. Rectangular window and door openings, some blocked up. Rear elevation, facing east: basalt rubble walling to the basement storey, with red brick to the upper storey; slated roof as previous to front. Rectangular metal framed windows. Bounding the yard on the south side is a low range of sheds or garages in two blocks. One block is of six garages, with original circular cast iron posts and shaped timber brackets now embedded in later brick piers; double doors, timber sheeted; roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. A lower block of three garages is built of basalt rubble with concrete lintels, slated roof as previous. PVC gutters to both blocks, with PVC downpipe. Gateways are linked to the front boundary railings of the former market house, on the west side of the yard, and to adjacent buildings beyond; piers are square, of coursed rhyolite but caps missing from all except extreme north one which is embodied in the single storey buildings on that side. Gateway at south end is open with gates missing from a pair of rhyolite piers. Gateway at north end still retains a pair of original cast iron gates but in damaged condition. SETTING: The market yard stands within the built-up area of the town, set back from a main street behind the former market house (now the public library). Central part of yard occupied by a pair of later large semi-circular roofed corrugated iron sheds with rendered gables to the north, containing entrances.