Former Police Station, 10 Main Street, Mountfield, Omagh, Co Tyrone, BT79 7PP

Former Police Station, 10 Main Street, Mountfield

A detached seven-bay two-storey rendered building constructed around 1933 as a Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks, now converted to a private dwelling. The building is Grade B2 listed.

The structure is rectangular on plan, set back on the west side of Main Street on a compact landscaped site. It is roofed with natural slate and half-round black clay ridge tiles, with a single slender rendered chimneystack bearing black clay pots. Cast-iron rainwater goods with square hoppers featuring foliate motifs are fixed to the overhanging rendered eaves. The painted render walling sits above a projecting concrete plinth course, with a continuous moulded sill course marking the diminished first floor.

The asymmetrical front elevation is the building's most distinctive feature. It comprises a shallow breakfront to the right at ground level only, which contains three shallow recessed arches. These arches frame the front entrance flanked by two window openings and are connected by a blocking course at impost level. The square-headed door opening has a moulded architrave surround with an oversized keystone. Above the entrance, a moulded cement plaque displays a gilded four-leaf clover motif with a banner beneath. Double-leaf raised and fielded timber panelled doors open onto a tiled step. The building retains most of its original steel multi-pane casement windows, though the opening to the right of the front door has been replaced with uPVC.

The south side elevation is two windows wide and features a single shallow arched recess containing a square-headed door with moulded architrave, keystone and impost blocks, a blind tympanum, and raised and fielded timber panelled door. A screen wall extends westward with a square-headed door opening into an enclosed rear yard, adjoining a single-storey shed.

The rear elevation has a random arrangement of square-headed window openings. First floor windows retain their original steel casements resting on the continuous moulded sill course, while most other windows have been replaced with uPVC. A replacement vertically-sheeted hardwood door with rectangular overlight provides access. The north side elevation is two windows wide, with original steel casements to the first floor and uPVC replacements to the ground floor.

The architectural character expresses strong Neo-classical aspirations through recessed arches, understated mouldings and the diminished first floor, tempered by the asymmetrical composition and naïve clover motifs. The building is notable as one of a decreasing number of such barracks to remain relatively unaltered, and for its substantial size.

The site comprises concrete flagged paving surrounding the building and a large concrete flagged rear yard. To the south of the yard stands a single-storey shed with natural slate hipped roof, three square-headed door openings with timber sheeted doors and a pair of slender window openings with steel casement windows. The remainder of the site is laid out in landscaped gardens enclosed by a hedge with tall rendered piers to the north providing vehicular access via a pair of steel gates, and further piers to the south with a pedestrian steel gate.

Historical records first identify the property on the fourth edition Ordnance Survey map of 1936, captioned "RUC Barracks". Valuers' records from 1933 confirm it was owned and occupied by the Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland. A survey dated 19 July 1933 documented accommodation comprising two kitchens, guard room, two receptions, two pantries, store, office, cell, eight bedrooms and two bathrooms with water closets. An appeal against the valuation dated 16 April 1935 was unsuccessful, and the District Valuer confirmed in May 1935 that the property represented a "New Barracks" in the village of Mountfield.