Former Police Station, 5 Main Street, Broughshane, Co Antrim, BT42 4JW

Former Police Station, 5 Main Street, Broughshane

A symmetrical detached two-storey five-bay rendered former police station, built in 1939-40 to a standard design by T F O Rippingham, architect to the Ministry of Finance from 1922 to 1956/7. The building replaced an earlier police barracks that stood at the eastern end of the north side of Main Street. Proposals for the new building were formulated in 1929, but the present site was not settled upon until 1937. The tender was advertised in January 1939, and construction work was completed either later that year or the following year. The station ceased to be operational at midnight on 31st August 2013 following an estates review published in March 2012, and policing for the area is now delivered from Ballymena. The property is currently vacant.

The building reflects the neo-Georgian style favoured for public buildings of this era, with recessed arches and a diminished first floor. It is located to the south side of Main Street within Broughshane town centre, set behind a roughcast rendered wall with tall modern steel security fencing, situated in a large securely enclosed plot which rises steeply to the south. A pitched roofed single-storey roughcast rendered garage is located to the rear with a temporary single-storey building beyond. A telephone kiosk is located to the west of the site on the public footpath.

The building has a hipped natural slate roof with mitred hips and oversailing eaves, supported by timber soffit and fascia. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods with cast-iron downpipes and hoppers are present. Large three-stage wall-headed rendered chimneysstacks with three buff coloured clay pots are located to the north-east and south-west, with a further rendered chimneystack having three buff coloured clay pots centrally positioned on the ridge. Two two-pane metal rooflights are located on the rear roof slope.

The walling is painted roughcast render with a continuous moulded sill course to the diminished first floor and chamfered plinth course. All windows are square-headed timber sliding sash, except for a single metal window to a cell, and are mainly 6/6 and 6/9 pane windows with horns. Ground floor windows have projecting painted masonry sills.

The principal elevation faces north-west and is symmetrically arranged with three 6/6 pane windows to the centre at first floor. A shallow breakfront to the centre at ground floor comprises three shallow recessed arches containing six-panelled square-headed doors to left and right and a 6/9 pane window to the centre. The three arches are connected by a platband at impost level. The far left and right bays have a single 6/9 pane window to ground floor only.

The north-east side elevation comprises a 6/9 pane square-headed window to ground floor at the far right set within an arched recess and surmounted by a 6/6 pane window to first floor. A centrally positioned wall-headed chimney breaks the continuous oversailing eaves line.

The rear south-east elevation has irregular fenestration with five window openings to first floor comprising three 6/6 pane windows and two 2/2 pane windows. Ground floor has a modern flush timber door off centre to the left with modern square-headed overlight and side lights, flanked to the left by a 2/2 pane window and to the right by a 6/6 pane window. To the far right is a high level diminutive six-pane metal window with integral metal ventilation panel. To the left of the metal window is a 6/6 pane window and a diminutive 2/2 pane window at low level.

The south-west side elevation has a 6/9 pane square-headed window to ground floor at the far left and right set within arched recesses, that to the left being surmounted by a 6/6 pane window to first floor. A centrally positioned wall-headed chimney breaks the continuous oversailing eaves line.

Much of the original fenestration and detailing remains intact, as does the functional interior layout. Of social importance and historic interest, the building retains much of its original character and is one of a decreasing number of former police barracks that have survived relatively unaltered. The Royal Irish Constabulary was formed in 1867, and the early constabulary barracks were initially housed in existing buildings. It was not until after partition that purpose-built RUC barracks incorporating married quarters for the sergeant in charge began to be constructed across the province.