21 Joymount, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, BT38 7DN

An attached two-bay two-storey mid-Victorian terraced house overlooking Belfast Lough, built as one of a pair around 1870. The house has been altered, which detracts from its architectural interest. Whilst not of listable quality, these two houses contribute positively to the Conservation Area.

The terraced street-fronted house faces southeast and is built as one of a pair with its neighbour at number 22. It features a two-bay two-storey rendered facade with an attic storey, a two-bay two-storey return shared with the adjoining house to the south, and a lean-to extension. The pitched concrete tiled roof is shared with number 22 and incorporates a large rendered chimneystack rising from the south gable with clay pots. The eaves feature an overhanging roof with cavetto moulded detail and a rendered plat-band, with original cast-iron rainwater goods to the front. Replacement plastic rainwater goods serve the rear return and extension.

The front and rear elevations are painted rendered, whilst the return and extension have cement wet-dash render. Square-headed window openings with moulded architrave surrounds are fitted with original 6/6 timber sash windows with convex horns, with painted masonry sills. Timber casement windows light the south gable at attic-storey level. The return has a horizontally-glazed 2/2 timber sash window, and the extension a timber casement window. The main entrance is a round-headed door opening with moulded architrave surround and replacement timber panelled door, flanked by slender moulded pilasters on plinth blocks with a lintel cornice and original iron spoked fanlight, opening onto a sandstone step. A further round-headed door opening to the right provides shared access to the rear, exiting within the shared return with moulded architrave surround and replacement timber panelled door. A small rear concrete yard opens into a raised garden enclosed by a concrete block wall to the south and timber fence to the north, with a timber vehicular gate to the rear.

The buildings are shown on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1857 and the Town Plan of Carrickfergus of 1860 along Joymount Bank, and are identical in plan. Griffith's Valuation of 1860 records both properties as a house, office, yard and small garden, each valued at £13 10 shillings. Number 21 was occupied by William Larmour, who owned the freehold, whilst number 22 was occupied by Andrew Monroe and leased from William Larmour. The wall to the rear of number 22 is significant as an isolated upstanding portion of the original seventeenth-century town wall. Boyle's Ordnance Survey Memoirs state that in the sixteenth century a town wall was demanded by the people of Carrickfergus for protection. This request was not initially granted due to delays caused by Sir Henry Sidney's resignation as Lord Deputy. The Memoirs continue that in 1607 a letter was addressed to Sir Arthur Chichester, the lord deputy, requesting aid for walling the town, and in 1608 Chichester announced that His Majesty had consented to furnish 100 men to assist in the work. Boyle notes that until recent years the walls were pulled down and mutilated with impunity, but in 1815 a complaint resulted in one individual being obliged to rebuild a portion he had taken down, and since then they have remained unmolested.