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

Overview and Principal Elevation

This is a large two-storey building in Classical style, faced in painted stucco. Its most striking feature is the extensive symmetrical north-facing entrance front, dominated by a six-columned Corinthian portico. The main elevation extends ten bays to each side of this central feature. The second and third bays on each side are set back slightly from the first and fourth, with each bay containing one window on each floor. The end bays project forward and are wider, containing tripartite windows on both floors. Giant rusticated pilasters with plain capitals divide the bays, except at the projecting ends where the pilasters have smooth shafts with Corinthian capitals.

The walls are rusticated at ground floor level between the pilasters, but smooth rendered and lined at first floor. A deep moulded stringcourse runs across the elevation, panelled at regular intervals to align with the windows but with blind balustrading at the wider end bays. The building has a moulded projecting plinth and a moulded entablature with dentil frieze and projecting moulded modillion cornice, finished with a plain blocking course. Some dentils are missing from each wing, and the cornice of the west wing has suffered considerable damage. The roofs are hidden behind parapets. Each wing has one cast iron downpipe positioned at the second bay from the portico; gutters are concealed behind the parapet.

The first-floor windows in the regular bays are rectangular timber sliding sashes, vertically hung, one over one pane, with horns. They sit in elaborate raised and moulded surrounds with bracketed segmental pediments. The ground-floor windows are segmental-headed timber sliding sashes, also one over one, set in segmental arched openings with moulded recessed surrounds and rusticated keystones. The windows in the end bays have similar sashes arranged in triplets with narrow outer lights. Those on the first floor are set in Venetian window surrounds incorporating two central Corinthian pilasters. In front of the west wing, projecting from the plinth, is a raised manhole with a moulded stucco surround.

The Central Portico

The central portico projects forward by two columns on each side, with the rear wall recessed slightly behind the wings. The unfluted columns have Corinthian capitals, though the outer acanthus scrolls at the front of all the portico columns are broken off or damaged. The entablature and cornice around the front and sides of the portico match those of the wings and are continuous with them. The triangular pediment contains well-modelled Royal Arms in high relief, and the apex is surmounted by a sculpted female figure representing Justice—the scales are now missing.

The portico is approached on three sides by a flight of eight concrete steps. A modern ramped access has been added to the eastern side, bounded by cast iron railings. Two sets of cast iron handrails serve the front flight (now damaged) and one set 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 high and eight bays wide, divided by giant pilasters with smooth shafts and Corinthian capitals. The three central bays at ground floor have recessed rectangular openings set in semi-circular arches with moulded extrados and a sculpted head at the keystone of each. The soffits and tympana are panelled and the piers rusticated. The two outer bays at ground floor are rusticated and each contains a segmental arched window, sashed and detailed as previously described for the ground floor 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. These are timber sliding sashes, vertically hung, one over one, with horns, in continuous moulded arched surrounds with plain keystones. The cill takes the form of a moulded stringcourse above a frieze, all set between the pilasters. The frieze is ornamented with running acanthus scrolls and floral paterae.

Vestibule

The three central openings 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; a Post Office letterbox is set in the east wall. The rear wall of the vestibule is three-bay, single-storey, with three recessed rectangular doorways surmounted by blind rectangular panels, set in plain pilastered and rusticated piers. Three sets of timber double doors are present: the central pair each have three panels with the top two glazed; the flanking doors are sheeted over below the glazed panels.

East Elevation

The east elevation comprises several elements in recessed stages. To the right is the east end of the front block or east wing, one bay wide. Set back to the left is the east side of the main central block, seven windows wide. A single-storey block projects from it in the angle with the east wing. To the extreme left, set well back from the main central block, is a rear return block.

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

The main central block is two storeys in Classical style, its walls finished in stucco—rusticated at ground floor, smooth rendered and lined at first floor. The entablature, cornice and blocking course are continuous from the east wing and front elevation. There is a projecting moulded plinth and deep moulded stringcourse relieved by rectangular panels aligned 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 in the main recessed wall are arranged as a group of five with one alone to the right. All are rectangular timber sliding sashes, vertically hung, six over six panes, 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 window. The ground-floor window below the dummy window is a very small rectangular unmoulded opening cut into the rustications—a timber two-pane fixed light with top-hung vent. The first-floor window of the projecting end bay is rectangular, sashed as the previous first-floor windows but surmounted by a bracketed cornice. The ground-floor window below is segmental-headed, timber sliding sash, three over three, without horns, set in a segmental arch with rusticated and elongated voussoirs and recessed and moulded reveals.

The single-storey projecting block has three single windows and one triplet, all segmental arched, sashed one over one with horns, detailed as on the north elevation. The wall is rusticated, with a frieze continuous with the stringcourse of the east wing, surmounted by a stone balustraded parapet. Three small basement windows are cut into the plinth, original, aligned with the windows above. One PVC downpipe and a modern square section flue are present. The south end wall of this single-storey block has one window and two PVC downpipes. A basement light-well behind the enclosing plinth walls is 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—the return face of the projecting end bay of the main east elevation. One window appears in each floor of the projecting end bay, as previously described, but the one on the first floor is without brackets to the cornice, and the one at ground floor is a six-paned timber fixed light. The recessed bay to the left has similar walling as the east elevation but without the architrave to the entablature. The first-floor and ground-floor windows are as previously described for the main central block, with the addition of two small rectangular openings to each side of the ground-floor window—the opening to the left is blind, the one to the right sashed one over one without horns. One cast iron downpipe is present.

The east elevation of the rear return block is two storeys, four windows wide, with the two to the left in a slightly projecting bay marked by rusticated quoins at its extremities. The walling is otherwise as previously described, without an architrave to the entablature. One PVC downpipe is present. The first-floor windows are rectangular timber sliding sashes, 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 for the east elevation.

The second opening from the right is a segmental arched doorway—the east entrance—detailed as the segmental arched windows. It has segmental-headed double doors of timber, modern replacements, each leaf three-panel with a glazed top panel. The doorway is approached by seven concrete steps, with rendered and moulded plinth walls arched over a basement well. Square end piers are surmounted by ornate cast iron lamp standards, now missing their lamps.

A basement well across the entire east face of the return block has 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, with 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. 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 is an original rectangular timber ledged door with louvres. Beside it stands 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 was later closed over by steel mesh grilles.

South Elevation of Rear Return

The south elevation of the rear return block is two storeys high and five windows wide. The walling is as previously described for the rear return, with rusticated quoins at the extremities. Two cast iron downpipes and one PVC downpipe are present. Two chimneys sit on the blocking course, symmetrically disposed, smooth cement rendered with shaped haunches at the base and plain modern pots.

The first-floor windows are as previously described for the rear return. The ground-floor windows are semi-circular headed timber sliding sashes, six over six, without horns, set in semi-circular arched openings with moulded reveals recessed in rusticated surrounds, with a moulded keystone and a recessed rectangular-panelled apron.

An open basement well runs across the face of the south elevation, continuing round from the east side. It is 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, with bounding walls as previously described. It is overlooked by five windows, including one original timber sashed window, three over three, without horns—the others altered. Two doorways are present: 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. The tunnel is stone walled and brick vaulted, with an iron barred gate near the south end and a doorway beyond leading onto the pavement. The well was 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 on into a basement well on the west side.

West Elevation of Rear Return

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 entrance, except the doors are rectangular, three-panel to each leaf, with a segmental-headed two-pane fanlight. It is 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 on the piers. The basement well is stone flagged, with bounding walls as previously described. It is overlooked by two rectangular timber windows, sliding sashed, three over three, without horns. The well at the south end has a low semi-circular arched opening from the narrow vaulted passage around the south-west corner of the rear return.

South or Rear Elevation of Main Central Block (West Side)

The south or rear elevation of the main central block to the west side of the rear return is similar to the corresponding elevation to the east side, except for an additional small rectangular window at first floor of the recessed wall—a two-pane fixed light with top-hung vent—and a small later flight of steps attached.

West Elevation Overall

The west elevation of the building overall is similar in style and parts to the east elevation, except the single-storey projecting block is smaller than on the east, being only three windows wide, with the two to the right in a recessed plane. Three small rectangular basement windows are cut into the plinth, original, aligned with the windows above. Two cast iron downpipes are present. In front of the west end wall of the west wing, projecting from the plinth, is a raised manhole with moulded stucco surround.

The south end wall of the single-storey block has one small rectangular window at ground floor—timber fixed light with top-hung vent—one cast iron downpipe and one PVC downpipe. An open basement well is bounded by a low plinth wall. The smooth rendered basement has 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.

Boundary Railings, Gates, Piers and Walls

Surrounding the grounds on the north, east and west boundaries, and part of the south boundary, are original iron railings with spear-shaped heads mounted on low plinth walls of snecked basalt with sandstone copings. Scrolling ornamented cast iron stays appear at intervals on the rear face, marked by taller spike-headed posts. One stay is missing on the north boundary.

Four large gateways are present on the north or front boundary: original iron double gates of similar style to the railings, with later iron plating fixed to the exterior face. The piers are formed by a cluster of iron posts of Roman fasces design with axe-head finials. An axe-head finial sits at the centre of each gate. The piers to the two inner gateways have taller lamp standards, now missing their lamps.

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 a weathered cap. A similar pier at the south-east corner is 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 the 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 the main road, within the built-up area of the city, and directly faces the prison on the opposite side of the road. Their main entrances are axially aligned and their front boundary railings are identical in design. The Court-House and prison are also connected physically by an underground passage. The building is surrounded by tarmac immediately around its perimeter within the boundary railings, with a sloping grassed area to the east served by later modern concrete steps. It occupies an island site with clear views all around, unobstructed except for later modern metal security screens.