19 Vennel Street (The Vennel), Glenarm, Ballymena, Co Antrim, BT44 0AS

A small, plain, two-storey rendered terrace house, built approximately 1910-15 and located on the south side of Vennel Street in Glenarm. It forms part of a stepped terrace and is of townscape importance.

The front elevation, facing roughly north, is asymmetrical. On the ground floor to the right is a panelled and glazed door with a plain rectangular fanlight. To the left is a sash window with horizontal astragals (2/2). The first floor has two evenly spaced windows of similar design but smaller in size, positioned close to the eaves. The front façade is rendered in painted rough cast with simple moulded surrounds to the openings. The east gable is blank and also finished in rough cast.

The rear elevation contains a partly glazed door on the right side, and to the left a large window. The first floor has two windows. Recent frames have been installed to these rear windows. The rear façade is finished in painted rough cast. The gabled roof is slated, with PVC rainwater goods and a rendered chimneystack to the east gable.

Historically, Vennel Street (a name derived from the archaic Scots term for a narrow winding lane) was the main road to Glenarm from Larne prior to the construction of the Coast Road in the 1830s. Its sloping topography made it the least attractive of the village's four main streets, reflected in early lease documents from 1743 onwards referring to it as the 'Stinking Vennel'. John O'Hara's map of 1779 shows many small densely packed dwellings along both sides of the street. During the following century and a half, most of this housing was replaced. The 1832 Ordnance Survey map shows a large gap on the south side, whilst the second valuation records and photographs of circa 1910 indicate that most of the present south side is early 20th century construction. On the 1859 valuation map, a group of eight small dwellings occupied this location. By 1903 six properties were recorded, and photographs from circa 1910 show ruined single-storey dwellings on this site. Based on its design, this house and number 17 (which match) were likely built shortly after circa 1910-15. The property is situated within a conservation area.