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

Former Police Station

A symmetrical detached two-storey five-bay rendered former police station facing north-west, located on the south side of Main Street within Broughshane town centre. The building is set behind a roughcast rendered wall with tall modern steel security fencing and situated in a large securely enclosed plot that rises steeply to the south. A pitched roofed single-storey roughcast rendered garage is located to the south with a temporary single-storey building beyond. A telephone kiosk stands to the west of the site on the public footpath.

The roof is hipped natural slate with mitred hips and oversailing eaves supported by timber soffit and fascia. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods with cast-iron downpipes and hoppers are fitted throughout. Large three-stage wall-headed rendered chimneysstacks with three buff-coloured clay pots are positioned at the north-east and south-west, with a further rendered chimneystack bearing three buff-coloured clay pots centrally located 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 a chamfered plinth course. All windows are square-headed timber sliding sash, except for a single metal window to a cell. The majority are 6/6 and 6/9 pane windows with horns; those to the ground floor have projecting painted masonry sills.

The principal elevation faces north-west in symmetrical arrangement 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 with 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 the ground floor at far right set within an arched recess, 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. The first floor contains five window openings comprising three 6/6 pane windows and two 2/2 pane windows. The 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 this metal window are a 6/6 pane window and a diminutive 2/2 pane window at low level.

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

The walls are rendered, the roof is natural slate, windows are timber sliding sash or metal, and rainwater goods are cast iron.