Magheramorne Orange Hall, 19 Ballypollard Road, Magheramorne, Larne, Co Antrim, BT40 3HN

Magheramorne Orange Hall

A single-storey gabled hall of rubble blackstone walls, partly built to courses, with painted brick dressings. Built in 1878, as recorded by an inscription plaque set flush between two windows on the main elevation.

The main entrance faces east. The east elevation contains five regularly spaced openings comprising a main entrance to the left with four windows to the right. All openings are segmental arched with stop-chamfered reveals to brick block surrounds; the brickwork is later painted red brick colour. Rectangular flush timber double doors are set in a deep recessed porch with grey-painted reveals and ceiling, and a modern chromium handle. Three granolithic steps with curved outer edges lead to the porch. The windows are timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 2 over 2, with horns, painted white; the lower sashes have translucent glazing. Projecting stone cills are painted grey. The walling is of random rubble except for roughly coursed work to the main area of front below cill level, with reticulated pointing.

The roof is of Bangor Blue slates in regular courses with overhanging verges and eaves; dark-toned ridge tiles finish the apex. The eaves are later closed off with wire mesh. PVC gutters and downpipes are fitted to each end. Two chimneys, one on each gable, are constructed of red brick with stop chamfers; the southern chimney is of solid brickwork and was never functional. Each stack carries a short cream earthenware pot.

The south elevation comprises a south gable with a lower later extension to the left. The main gable walling is of roughly coursed rubble and contains a pair of coupled window openings, segmental arched and dressed in brick as on the front, but unpainted; both openings are blocked with red brickwork. Projecting sandstone cills remain unpainted. Wooden timber barge boards with plywood sheeting to the soffits finish the gable. A flat-roofed extension to the left has cement-rendered walls keyed for dash but not finished. The extension has an asphalt roof, timber fascia, and one rectangular window with metal fixed lights and top-hung vents set in plain rendered reveals with a projecting concrete cill.

The rear elevation consists of a single-storey flat-roofed rear extension projecting forward, with the slated roof of the main hall visible behind. Two modern rooflights are set in the roof of the main hall. The rear extension wall is cement-rendered and dry-dashed with marble chippings. Five rectangular windows with metal fixed lights, side-hung casements, and top-hung top lights containing wired glass are fitted with projecting concrete cills.

The north elevation comprises a plain wall of the north gable, similar to the south but without openings, with a later flat-roofed rear extension to the right. The stonework has modern reticulated pointing. The extension wall is cement-rendered and keyed as on the south side, with rectangular flush timber double doors set in plain rendered reveals. The roof is flat as on the other extensions.

The building stands facing the main road, set back from it with a small concrete area in front. This area is bounded to the front by a low cement-rendered wall with concrete copings surmounted by iron railings. A centrally positioned pedestrian gate of ironwork stands between square rendered piers with weathered concrete caps; a similar small pier stands at the south corner. A steel flagpole on concrete posts is positioned to the right in the concrete area. The concrete area is bounded to the south by a rubble stone retaining wall to a raised garden, to the north by concrete posts and wire fencing, across each gable end by concrete paths, and to the rear by a concrete retaining wall and basalt rock face of elevated ground beyond. The hall stands in a rural location in open countryside with a few houses in close proximity.