Gill's Almhouses, 12A Governor's Place, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, BT38 7BP

Detached five-bay one-and-a-half-storey Jacobethan almshouse, dated 1842 and built to designs by Charles Lanyon, located at the north of Governor’s Place. Rectangular on plan, facing south; with one-and-a-half-storey gabled projecting end bays. Pitched natural slate roof, hipped at gable junctions; blue/black clay angled ridge tiles; two red brick two-stage chimneystacks at ridges (each second stage has two square chimneystacks set diagonally with red clay chimneypots); half-round cast-iron gutters. Walling is painted smooth render over splayed-and-moulded plinth with rendered quoins to projections and gables with verge coping (corbelled out to eaves); rendered masonry finials. Windows are square-headed with rendered architraves and splayed sills (unless otherwise stated). All windows are replacement uPVC casements. Principal (south) elevation has one-and-a-half-storey gabled projecting bays to either end and is centrally abutted by slightly projecting full-height storm porch. Exposed sections have a single window each. Porch has door with apex featuring shield date plaque (illegible) over marble date plaque inscribed: “ALDERMAN GILL’S / ALMSHOUSES / ERECTED 1842.” Door is square-headed painted timber with four moulded panels set in a four-centred-arched opening with two-panelled tympanum, splayed and rebated rendered architrave and hoodmould with foliated labels. Cheeks are blank. Projecting bay apexes have single lancet with hoodmould and foliated labels over ground floor tripartite mullioned window (with centre window heightened by an additional light) and stop-ended labelmould, inner cheeks are blank. West elevation has a single window inset to four-centred-arched former door opening with rendered tympanum. Rear (north) elevation is symmetrical with two windows flanking each side of square-headed replacement timber door with overlight, window are all without architraves. Left and right ends are abutted by lean-to coal sheds. East elevation is detailed as west. The almshouse is situated on Governor’s Place on the corner of Essex Street and faces the coast with parkland and the remains of the town walls (HB22/08/009) to west. It is in view of Carrickfergus Castle to southeast and within range of the spire of St. Nicholas Church of Ireland Church (HB22/08/001) to northeast. There is a modern freestanding stone in the parkland to west with a concrete panel inscribed: “TO THE MEMORY OF / THOMAS DELANEY / 1947-1979 / ARCHAEOLOGIST / WHOSE EXCAVATIONS 1972-1979 / DID MUCH TO SECURE / FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS / A KNOWLEDGE OF / THE BURIED HISTORY OF / CARRICKFERGUS.” Roof: Natural Slate Walling: Painted smooth render Windows: Timber casement Rainwater Goods: Half-round cast-iron gutters