Carnlough Harbour, Harbour Road, Carnlough, Ballymena, Co Antrim

Carnlough Harbour is a mid-19th century harbour of sound construction and attractive appearance occupying a pleasant coastal setting. It is of considerable local historical interest due to its role in the 19th century industrial development of the village and of considerable social importance as a local amenity.

The harbour was built between 1853 and 1855 by the Marquis and Marchioness of Londonderry to the designs of engineers from Seaham in Durham as part of their scheme to transform Carnlough from an insignificant fishing village into a more prosperous locality through the export of limestone quarried inland from the village. The stone was transported on a mineral railway running along the harbour wall and discharged into waiting boats. A brass plate commemorating the Marchioness of Londonderry's landing at the harbour on 20 August 1855 was formerly fixed to the harbour wall but has been moved to the foyer of the Londonderry Arms hotel. Prior to the present harbour, a small stone-built pier or quay was constructed in the late 18th century by Philip Gibbons, which was absorbed into the present north pier.

The harbour comprises an inner basin and an outer basin lined by substantial quays, constructed mainly of limestone rubble with some basalt rubble also used. A concrete slipway stands at the north end, and a crescent-shaped landing station with steps constructed in limestone occupies the main quay. The quays have been surfaced with concrete containing basalt chips.

The north pier is in two stepped tiers, with an inner facing of large roughly squared limestone blocks with intermittent large basalt blocks. A set of limestone steps stands at the southern end of the quay, and the upper tier is ramped near the northern end. An extensive mass of loose basalt rocks lies on the outer or seaward side. The main pier operates on one level only, apart from the ramped and stepped landing station, and is faced with limestone rubble. It curves round at the south end to enclose the inner basin and contains a series of large old timber blocks or buffers projecting at the south end just below quay level.

Along the eastern side of the inner basin is a high-level terrace with a limestone rubble retaining wall, later surmounted by new snecked limestone piers and modern iron railings and approached by steps at each end. The terrace and steps are a new creation dating from 1993. Beyond the terrace, the outer face of the quay along the eastern side of the inner basin, next to the sea, is formed by a substantial sea bastion constructed of snecked limestone rubble. Along the northern side of the inner basin is the south pier, on one level only, projecting toward the west to form the opening into the inner basin. Its original limestone facing is mostly resurfaced in concrete and the top is grassed over. Marking the entrance to the outer basin is a pair of cylindrical metal pillars surmounted by beacon lights and painted with black and white banding.

The harbour is located at the north end of the village and approached by land from the main street through a number of entrances leading on to the main quay. It is overlooked by a terrace of houses and other properties on the other side of the road. The main quay is bounded by a low basalt rubble wall with basalt rock copings. Four main gateways provide access from the main road: at the extreme north end is a wide ill-formed opening in the boundary wall where the walling has been crudely breached, leading on to the slipway; to the south of that is a narrow vehicular opening also crudely formed; further south is a third narrow vehicular opening also of crude formation; to the south of that is a vehicular opening marked by a short limestone pier with a concrete cap and a later pier of concrete brickwork with a concrete cap; and at the extreme south end is a modern vehicular opening formed by the angled extremity of the front boundary wall and a snecked limestone rubble planter inscribed 'Carnlough Harbour'.

Standing near the north end of the main pier is a rectangular single-storey boat house of rubble basalt and limestone with a segmental corrugated iron roof, formerly used as a store for kelp. Other limestone rubble buildings are located at the east end of the south pier. The terrace to the east overlooking the inner basin has been largely surfaced in grass and leads on to the former railway embankment, now a pedestrian walkway, running inland across the village over two former railway bridges spanning Harbour Road and High Street.

The harbour was refurbished as a recreational amenity in 1993 to the designs of Paddy Byrne, Architects.