The Court-House, Crumlin Road, Belfast, BT14 6AL

The Court-House, Crumlin Road, Belfast

This is a large, two-storey Classical courthouse built between 1848 and 1850, designed by the prominent Irish architect Charles Lanyon and constructed by builder James Carlisle, with W.H. Lynn serving as clerk of works. It was subsequently enlarged in 1905–06 by the architectural firm Young and Mackenzie, with McLaughlin and Harvey as builders. The building was constructed to serve the transfer of assize business from Carrickfergus to Belfast, following Belfast's proclamation as the county town of Antrim. It was known as the County Antrim Court House and was formally opened at the Summer Assizes in 1850. It closed as a functioning courthouse in June 1998. The 1905–06 enlargement added complexity to the original plan form and spatial organisation while leaving the most important original interior spaces and ornamental elements largely intact, despite some more recent alterations. The building stands as one of the grandest examples of its type in Northern Ireland.

The listing covers the courthouse itself, including the steps to the portico; the piers, plinth walls and steps to the east and west entrances; the plinth walls and railings to the basement areas around the rear return block; and the boundary piers, gates, railings and walls.

ARCHITECTURAL OVERVIEW

The building is stuccoed and painted throughout, finished in a Classical style. The main entrance faces north, and the north elevation is the principal façade: two storeys, symmetrical, with ten bays to each side of a large central projecting portico. The second and third bays to each side of the portico are set back slightly from the first and fourth bays, each one window wide on each floor, while the end bays project forward and are wider, containing tripartite windows on each floor. The bays are divided by giant rusticated pilasters with plain capitals, except for those of the end bays, which have smooth shafts with Corinthian capitals. The ground floor walls between pilasters are rusticated; the first floor is smooth rendered and lined. A deep moulded stringcourse runs across the full elevation, panelled to regular bays in line with the window openings, and blind-balustraded in line with the wider end bays. There is a moulded projecting plinth, a moulded entablature with dentil frieze, and a projecting moulded modillion cornice with a plain blocking course; some dentils are missing to each wing, and there is considerable damage to the cornice of the west wing. The roofs of the wings are hidden behind the parapets. Two cast iron downpipes are located one to each wing, at the second bay from the portico, with gutters concealed behind the parapet.

First floor windows in the regular bays are rectangular timber, vertically hung, sliding sash, one over one, with horns, set in elaborated raised and moulded surrounds with bracketed segmental pediments. Ground floor windows in the regular bays are segmental headed timber sashes of the same type, set in segmental arched openings with moulded recessed surrounds and rusticated keystones. Windows in the end bays are arranged in triplets with narrow outer lights; those on the first floor are set in a Venetian window surround incorporating two central Corinthian pilasters. Projecting from the plinth in front of the west wing is a raised manhole with a moulded stucco surround, and a matching manhole is located in front of the west end wall of the west wing on the west elevation.

THE PORTICO

The central hexastyle Corinthian portico projects forward by two columns to each side, with its rear wall recessed slightly behind the wings. The columns are unfluted and have Corinthian capitals; the outer acanthus scrolls to the fronts of the columns are all broken off or damaged. The entablature and cornice around the front and sides of the portico are similar to and continuous with those of the wings. The triangular pediment contains a well-modelled Royal Arms in high relief, and the apex is surmounted by a sculpted female figure representing Justice, with the scales now missing. This figure was sculpted by William Boyton Kirk A.R.H.A. of Dublin. The portico is approached on three sides by a flight of eight concrete steps; modern ramped access is provided to the eastern side, bounded by cast iron railings. There are two sets of cast iron handrails to the front flight, now damaged, and one set to the western flight. The floor surface of the portico is concrete flagged, with two original sandstone flags remaining between the columns on the west side. The ceiling is plain plastered.

The rear wall of the portico is two storeys of eight bays, divided by giant pilasters with smooth shafts and Corinthian capitals. The three central bays to the ground floor have recessed rectangular openings set in semi-circular arches, with moulded extrados, a sculpted head to the keystone of each, panelled soffits and tympana, and rusticated piers. The two outer bays on the ground floor are rusticated, each containing a segmental arched window, sashed and detailed as the ground floor windows of the wings, with a deep stringcourse above returning from the wings. The first floor is smooth rendered, with a semi-circular arched window in each bay; windows are timber sliding sash, vertically hung, one over one, with horns, and set in continuous moulded arched surrounds with plain keystones; the cill takes the form of a moulded string course above a frieze, all set between the pilasters; the frieze is ornamented with running acanthus scrolls and floral paterae.

THE VESTIBULE AND ENTRANCE DOORS

The three central arched openings in the rear wall of the portico lead into an open three-bay vestibule with a plastered ceiling divided into three compartments. The floor is continuous with the main portico area. The side walls are plain plastered and painted, with a Post Office letterbox set in the east wall. The rear wall of the vestibule is three bays wide and single storey, with three recessed rectangular doorways surmounted by blind rectangular panels, set in plain pilastered and rusticated piers. There are three sets of timber double doors: the central set has each leaf with three panels, the top two glazed; the flanking doors are sheeted over below glazed panels.

EAST ELEVATION

The east elevation, of two storeys in recessed stages, comprises: to the right, the east end of the front block or east wing, one bay wide; set back to the left, the east side of the main central block, seven windows wide; in the angle between them, a single-storey block projecting forward; and, to the extreme left, a rear return block set well back from the main central block.

The end of the east wing is of similar style and detailing to the end bays of the north elevation, with a tripartite window to the ground floor but a single window to the first floor, in the form of the central light of the Venetian windows of the north front.

The main central block, recessed behind, is two storeys in Classical style. Its walls are stuccoed, rusticated to the ground floor and smooth rendered and lined to the first floor, with the entablature, cornice and blocking course running continuously from the east wing and north elevation. There is a projecting moulded plinth and a deep moulded stringcourse relieved by rectangular panels in line with the windows. Two cast iron downpipes are present. The end bay to the left projects slightly and is marked by giant corner pilasters with smooth shafts and Corinthian capitals. The first floor windows of the main recessed wall of the central block are arranged in a group of five with one set alone to the right; all are rectangular timber, vertically hung, sliding sash, six over six, without horns, set in raised rectangular surrounds surmounted by a frieze panel and cornice. The window next to the projecting end bay is a dummy. The ground floor window below the dummy is a very small rectangular unmoulded opening cut into the rustications, with a timber two-pane fixed light with a top-hung vent. The first floor window of the projecting end bay is rectangular, sashed as the other first floor windows but surmounted by a bracketed cornice; the ground floor window below it is a segmental headed timber sliding sash, three over three, without horns, set in a segmental arch with rusticated and elongated voussoirs, with recessed and moulded reveals.

The single-storey projecting block has three single windows and a triplet, all segmental arched, sashed one over one, with horns, and detailed as on the north elevation. Its wall is rusticated, with a frieze continuous with the stringcourse of the east wing, surmounted by a stone balustraded parapet. Three small basement windows, original, are cut into the plinth in line with the windows above; one PVC downpipe and a modern square-section flue are present. The south end wall of this block has one window and two PVC downpipes, with a basement light-well behind enclosing plinth walls, now covered over with steel mesh grilles.

The south or rear wall of the east wing is blank; the blocking course is surmounted by a smooth rendered chimney with shaped haunches at the base and five red pots.

The south or rear wall of the main central block, to the east side of the rear return, is two storeys high and two bays wide. The end bay to the right projects slightly and is marked by giant corner pilasters — it is the return face of the projecting end bay of the main east elevation. It contains one window on each floor, detailed as previously described, except that the first floor window is without brackets to its cornice and the ground floor window is a six-pane timber fixed light. The recessed bay to the left has similar walling to the east elevation but without the architrave to the entablature; first and ground floor windows are as previously described, with the addition of two small rectangular openings to each side of the ground floor window: the left-hand opening is blind, while the right-hand is sashed one over one, without horns. One cast iron downpipe is present.

THE REAR RETURN BLOCK — EAST ELEVATION

The east elevation of the rear return block is two storeys, four windows wide, with the two windows to the left in a slightly projecting bay with rusticated quoins to its extremities. Walling is otherwise as previously described, without architrave to the entablature; one PVC downpipe. First floor windows are rectangular timber sliding sash, six over six, without horns, set in raised and moulded surrounds surmounted by a frieze panel and cornice. Three ground floor windows are segmental arched and sashed, three over three, as previously described. The second opening from the right is a segmental arched doorway — the east entrance — detailed as the segmental arched windows, with segmental headed double timber doors (modern replacements), each leaf with three panels and a glazed top panel. The doorway is approached by seven concrete steps, with rendered and moulded plinth walls arched over the basement well; square end piers are surmounted by ornate cast iron lamp standards from which the lamps are now missing.

A basement well runs across the entire east face of the rear return block, with original cast iron railings on low rendered and moulded plinth walls. A small gateway to the left of the piers leads down narrow original stone steps to the basement via plain iron balustrading. The basement well area is stone flagged; the retaining wall to the outside is of rubble stone, roughly rendered; the basement walls of the building are smooth rendered. The area is overlooked by three basement windows in the east wall — rectangular timber, one sashed three over three without horns, the other two altered — and a modern rectangular timber door opens out to the area below the vaulting of the steps to the east entrance. In the end wall to the north stands an original rectangular timber ledged door with louvres, and beside it a small iron safe inscribed 'Milners Patent Fire Resisting'. The basement well is stone flagged. The plinth and railings terminate at the left-hand extremity in a short square pier. The basement well has subsequently been closed over with steel mesh grilles.

THE REAR RETURN BLOCK — SOUTH ELEVATION

The south elevation of the rear return block is two storeys high and five windows wide, with rusticated quoins to the extremities. Walling is as previously described for the rear return. Two cast iron downpipes and one PVC downpipe are present. Two chimneys on the blocking course are symmetrically disposed, smooth cement rendered with shaped haunches at the base and plain modern pots. First floor windows are as previously described for the rear return. Ground floor windows are semi-circular headed, timber sliding sash, six over six, without horns, set in semi-circular arched openings with moulded reveals recessed in rusticated surrounds, with moulded keystones and recessed rectangular-panelled aprons. An open basement well runs across the face of the south elevation, continuing around from the east side, bounded by original cast iron railings on a low plinth, curved at each end, abutting a square pier at the right-hand extremity and returning into the main face of the wall at the left-hand extremity just short of the end of the wall. The basement well area is stone flagged; the bounding walls are as previously described. The well is overlooked by five basement windows, including one original timber sashed window three over three without horns, the others altered, and two doorways: one a modern rectangular flush timber door, the other a rectangular timber door, original, from which five steps lead down to a segmental arched opening in the retaining wall opposite, leading into a tunnel to the street to the south. This tunnel is stone walled and brick vaulted, with an iron barred gate near its south end and a doorway beyond leading onto the pavement. The well has been closed over by later steel mesh grilles. At the west end is a low semi-circular arched opening leading through a narrow vaulted passage around the south-west corner of the rear return and into a basement well on the west side.

THE REAR RETURN BLOCK — WEST ELEVATION

The west elevation of the rear return block is similar to its east elevation, except that the two ground floor windows to the right, in the projecting end bay, are tall and semi-circular arched as previously described for the south elevation. The west entrance doorway is similar in character to the east, except that the doors are rectangular, with three panels to each leaf and a segmental headed two-pane fanlight; approached by four steps. A basement well runs across the face, with similar cast iron railings on a moulded plinth wall and similar cast iron lamp standards to the piers. The basement well is stone flagged; the bounding walls are as previously described; the well is overlooked by two rectangular timber windows, sliding sash, three over three, without horns. At the south end the well has a low semi-circular arched opening from the narrow vaulted passage around the south-west corner of the rear return.

WEST ELEVATION

The west elevation of the building overall is similar in style and in its component parts to the east elevation, except that the single-storey projecting block is smaller, being only three windows wide, with the two to the right in a recessed plane. Three small rectangular basement windows, original, are cut into the plinth in line with the windows above; two cast iron downpipes are present. The south end wall of this block has one small rectangular ground floor window, a timber fixed light with top-hung vent; one cast iron downpipe and one PVC downpipe; and an open basement well bounded by a low plinth wall, with smooth rendered basement walls and rectangular bottom-hung windows overlooking the well. The south or rear elevation of the west wing is a blank wall, as previously described for the east wing, but without a chimney. The south or rear wall of the main central block to the west side of the rear return is similar to the corresponding elevation on the east side, except for an additional small rectangular first floor window — a two-pane fixed light with top-hung vent — and a small later flight of steps attached.

ORIGINAL AND ENLARGED FABRIC

First designs were produced in 1847 but revised as too costly to proceed; the building was constructed in its revised form in 1848–50.

Lanyon's original building of 1850 comprises: the portico and steps; the Main Hall, with the Record Court to the east and the Crown Court to the west; and all of the building to the south of those three main spaces, except the single-storey wings to the side of the Record Court and Crown Court, and the minor insertion of toilet facilities in the open areas or light wells. Lanyon's original building also includes the tunnel from the dock in the Crown Court passing underneath the main road to link with the prison opposite, and the tunnel from the rear basement area to the street to the south. The boundary railings and piers were also part of the original building, erected in 1850, when similar railings and piers were also erected in front of the prison.

Young and Mackenzie's remodelling of 1905–06 comprises: the front face of the building to each side of the portico, brought forward to create front offices to approximately two-thirds of the depth of Lanyon's original portico, and extended at each extremity beyond the line of the Record and Crown Courts to form wings; single-storey blocks returning to the rear of the wings to flank the courts on the east and west sides; the insertion of a pair of staircases, one in each wing to each side of the Main Hall at the front of the building, with new arched windows on a raking line to each staircase; the replacement of Lanyon's twin staircases to the rear of the portico by the present Post Office and Switch Room to each side of the triple-arched open entrance vestibule; the removal of Lanyon's raking first floor gallery to the front of the Main Hall and its replacement by a transverse first floor corridor with four rooms overlooking the covered area within the portico; and the insertion of five new first floor windows for these new rooms in the rear wall of the portico immediately above the triple-arched entrance.

As the building stands now, the front façade to each side of the portico is by Young and Mackenzie (1905–06); the portico itself is by Lanyon (1850), apart from the windows in its rear wall, which were all inserted by Young and Mackenzie. The entire mid-portion or main block, from the east wall of the Record Court to the west wall of the Crown Court, together with the broad central rear return, is all by Lanyon and is largely intact. It contains a number of important original interior spaces: the Main Hall; the Record Court; the Crown Court; the central arcaded corridor; the western back stairhall; the former Sheriff's Room and former Grand Jury Room in the ground floor of the rear return; and the arcaded landings and the former Grand Jury Dining Room on the first floor of the rear return. The two-storey elevations to the south of the long front block or wings are essentially all by Lanyon, except for the first bay at the north end on each side; the projecting single-storey blocks are by Young and Mackenzie.

BOUNDARY RAILINGS, GATES, PIERS AND WALLS

The grounds are surrounded on the north, east, and west boundaries, and part of the south boundary, by original iron railings with spear-shaped heads mounted on low plinth walls of snecked basalt with sandstone copings. Scrolling ornamented cast iron stays are fixed at intervals to the rear face, marked by taller spike-headed posts; one stay is missing on the north boundary. There are four large gateways to the north or front boundary: original iron double gates of similar style to the railings, with later iron plating fixed to their exterior faces; piers formed by a cluster of iron posts of Roman fasces design with axe-head finials; axe-head finials also to the centre of each gate. The piers to the two inner gateways have taller lamp standards from which the lamps are now missing. One small pedestrian gate, original, is set into the third section of the north boundary railings from the eastern extremity, and a similar original gate is situated immediately to the east of the third large gateway from the east. One modern steel-barred pedestrian gate is cut into the east boundary railings and a similar modern gate appears on the west boundary.

At the north-west and north-east corners are square stone boundary piers of rusticated and vermiculated sandstone with weathered caps. A similar pier stands at the south-east corner, but without vermiculation. At the south-west corner, the railings and plinth wall of the west boundary curve round to form the south boundary for a portion of its extent before the railings abut a square basalt pier, where the rear boundary becomes a tall retaining wall of roughly coursed basalt rubble surmounted by a plain sandstone coping. A segmental arched doorway in this retaining wall contains a pair of iron-plated doors set in a rectangular sandstone surround. To the east is another short square end pier, where the wall drops in height and continues, with rough-hewn basalt copings, to the eastern extremity, where it abuts the south-east pier with a curved return.

SETTING

The building stands on the south side of Crumlin Road, within the built-up area of the city, directly facing the prison on the opposite side of the road. The main entrances of the two buildings are axially aligned, their front boundary railings are identical in design, and the two buildings are physically connected by an underground passage. Immediately within the boundary railings the building is surrounded by tarmac, with a sloping grassed area to the east with later modern concrete steps leading down the slope. It stands on an island site with clear views all around, unobstructed except for later modern metal security screens.