2 Babington Terrace, Main St., Castlerock, Coleraine, Co.Londonderry

2 Babington Terrace is a two-bay, three-storey mid-terrace house built around 1860, constructed in uncoursed squared blackstone with a pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles. The building is located on the south side of Main Street in Castlerock, County Londonderry, and forms part of Babington Terrace, a group of four houses that contribute significantly to the historic character of the village.

The house has a square plan with a three-storey flat-roof return to the rear. The roof features a red-brick chimneystack with terracotta pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods are mounted on projecting eaves with a uPVC fascia, and cast-iron square downpipes with decorative fixings run down the facade. The north-facing main elevation has two window openings to each floor, with the ground floor window positioned left of centre. Original fenestration has been replaced with uPVC windows in painted brick surrounds with projecting painted sills. To the left of the windows is a round-headed doorcase containing a replacement panelled-and-glazed timber door surmounted by a radial timber fanlight with replacement glazing, all set within a painted brick surround. A painted brass bell-push is fixed to the wall to the right. The east elevation is abutted by the adjoining building (HB03/12/002A), while the west elevation is abutted by another neighbour (HB03/12/002C). The south elevation is partially concealed but contains a window to the second floor left and the flat-roof extension with a second-floor gable window to the right. The return elevation is rendered smooth.

The setting comprises the house set back from Main Street within a concrete forecourt, enclosed by an original rubblestone garden wall. A tarmacadamed alley to the east of the terrace provides access to a rear communal yard. The rear yard is enclosed by a single-storey flat-roof annexe with a modern panelled timber door and rectangular window. High modern metal fencing bounds the property to the south where the railway line runs.

The house was built in 1862–1863 by developer Richard Babington and first appears on the third edition Ordnance Survey map of 1904. Castlerock developed as a bathing resort following the opening of a railway halt in 1853. The terrace was constructed on estates owned by the Clothworkers' Company, and Frederick William Porter served as architect to the Company from 1860. Sir Henry Hervey Bruce, the local landlord, took an active interest in Castlerock's development and required all new building to meet standards of quality and size. The current terrace first entered valuation records as unfinished buildings in 1862, with numbers two, three, and four completed in 1863 and number one appearing shortly after. All houses were initially valued at £11. Richard Babington was the first listed occupier, but the houses were subsequently leased from Sir Henry Hervey Bruce, who purchased the Clothworkers' Company lands in the 1870s.

The first recorded occupier of this house was Catherine McIntyre in 1885, followed by William Hamilton in 1886. The house remained in the Hamilton family, with Henry S Hamilton listed as resident at the 1901 census, though only his Donegal-born domestic servant was present at enumeration. It was later occupied by the Craigs, James Craig and FA Craig, both doctors, followed by a succession of tenants. Valuation records from the 1930s describe the ground floor accommodation as two reception rooms and a kitchen, with four bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. The annual rent was £4. Contemporary plans show a return of one-and-a-half storeys and outbuildings in the rear yard. The terrace was listed in 1977. Renovations carried out in the 1990s included work to the chimney, windows, gutters, roof, and plasterwork.

Refurbishment has resulted in the loss of historic fabric, particularly the original fenestration, which degrades the character of the building. Despite this, as one of four houses within the terrace, the building retains group value, and together with the neighbouring Clifton Terrace (HB03/12/002E–G), makes a significant contribution to the historic quality and character of Castlerock. The rubblestone garden wall to the front adds to the quality of the setting.