22 Market Square, Antrim, Co Antrim, BT41 4AW

22 Market Square, Antrim

This is a mid-19th century building of plain character, attributable to the important Irish architect Charles Lanyon, which retains most of its original exterior features and some of its interior features. Together with its entrance gateway it forms an interesting group.

The building was constructed between 1852 and 1856 as a police barracks and bridewell. Lanyon, who served as County Surveyor at the time with responsibilities including the provision of gaols, is credited with its design. The site lies within an area of ancient monument significance (SMR no. ANT 163).

The main building is a 2-storey, 5-bay stone construction with a lower 2-storey rear rendered return; both feature hipped roofs. The main entrance faces north.

The north elevation displays a hipped roof of Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses, with a moulded metal gutter and two red brick chimneys without pots. The walling consists of coursed blackstone rubble with granite quoins at the extremities and red brick block dressings to openings. One window to the left of the entrance features granite block dressings to its upper half with plain reveals below. The windows are segmental arched timber sliding sashes, vertically hung, 6 over 6 with horns, except the window left of the entrance which is a rectangular timber fixed light of 9 panes. Windows have projecting cills except for the fixed light which has a concrete cill. The entrance contains a modern rectangular timber ledged door with one similar side panel and a plain fanlight, approached by concrete steps flush with the front yard surface.

Projecting forward at the left extremity is a screen wall rising to first storey height, constructed of roughly coursed basalt rubble with brick block quoins and granite coping. This returns eastward to form a vehicular gateway to the rear yard, with a concrete lintel surmounted by a course of basalt and granite coping. The left-hand pier of basalt rubble with brick block quoins abuts a 2-storey gabled outbuilding.

The east elevation has similar roofing, walling and window treatments to the north front, except for a buttress extending from the left-hand end. One first-floor window matches the entrance front style but is 8 over 8 without horns and has iron bars affixed. A similar window appears at ground floor. To its left is a small rectangular timber sliding sash window, 1 over 2 without horns, with a flat arched head. Further left is a small high-level window with a segmental arch and cast iron frame containing lozenge glazing. A doorway with flat arched head contains a rectangular timber ledged door with a granite step.

The rear elevation is of similar materials to the entrance front. It is 2-storey with 3 bays of windows to the right of a projecting rear return. These windows are rectangular timber sliding sashes, 6 over 6 with horns, under flat arch heads.

The rear return comprises two blocks. The first is a 2-storey block, 2 windows wide on its east and rear sides, with a hipped roof slated as the main building. A red brick chimney with concrete coping and two 19th-century stoneware pots is present, along with moulded cast iron gutter and downpipe. The walls are rendered roughcast over a brick core with a smooth cement rendered plinth. A rectangular timber ledged door with a rectangular fanlight is set in the elevation. Windows are rectangular timber sashes as found on the main rear elevation, set in plain reveals with concrete cills. The south side of this return is blind, rendered as the main elevation, with a second single-storey return projecting from it.

The second rear return is gabled with a roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, white painted timber barges and eaves board, and roughcast rendered walls. It contains three rectangular timber sliding sash windows, 6 over 6 with horns, with concrete cills, and one door of the type used elsewhere on the rear return. The door is approached by a flight of lateral concrete steps with plain steel railings. The south gable is rendered similarly and contains one window. A rendered wall projects from the gable, dividing the rear yard into two sections.

The west elevation is of materials similar to the entrance front, with two segmental arched timber sash windows at ground floor (6 over 6 with horns) and two similar windows at first floor, plus one 4 over 4 sash. Cast iron downpipes are present.

The west elevation of the rear return shows the first block as 2-storey with a hipped roof slated as the main building and roughcast rendered walls. Four rectangular timber sliding sash windows, 4 over 4 with horns and concrete cills, appear at ground floor, with two similar windows at first floor—one 4 over 4 and one 6 over 6. The second rear return is single-storey of similar character and materials, containing six windows: two 4 over 4 and four 6 over 6 sashes.

The building stands within its own walled yard, set back from the main street on a slightly downward sloping site with a tarmac surface. The north boundary is formed by a wall with an arched gateway. The west boundary comprises a roughly coursed basalt rubble wall at its north end, extending to a lower basalt rubble and fieldstone wall at the south end, surmounted by modern concrete blocks. The east boundary is formed by basalt rubble wall with concrete coping at the north end and a modern concrete block wall at the south. The south boundary comprises a modern concrete block wall.

The south end of the rear yard contains a modern temporary timber-framed building on the east side and a 2-storey rendered former police house on the west side, of no special interest. Along the east boundary is a range of single-storey outbuildings in poor condition and a 2-storey outbuilding. The 2-storey outbuilding has a roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses with a timber boarded dormer. Its walling is blackstone rubble with red brick block quoins and dressings to openings, though dressings to the ground floor opening are painted cram. The ground floor opening is filled with a rectangular timber panelled door with glazed and panelled sidelights. An upper-floor opening contains a glazed and sheeted door. A former doorway and window on the west side have been closed with concrete blockwork.