9A Beach Road, Whitehead, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, BT38 9QS

9A Beach Road, Whitehead, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim BT38 9QS

An attached mid-terrace two-storey house, part of the former Coastguard station built in 1870, located on the west side of Beach Road. The building forms part of a terrace erected to accommodate a chief boatman and five coastguards, replacing an earlier group of Coastguard cottages at Marine Parade recorded on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1832. The terrace occupies a prominent elevated position above Beach Road with views across Belfast Lough, ideally suited to its original maritime function.

The coastguard service at Whitehead was established in 1820–1, originally listed as Black Head. According to historical records, the cottages cost £1,732 18s 2d to construct. The Coastguard was administered by the Admiralty and maintained to suppress smuggling, aid shipwrecked vessels, and serve as a naval reserve. Early photographs show that the cottages originally had no entrances on the east (shore) side, with these being added in the latter half of the twentieth century. Evidence suggests that a passage formerly ran the length of the terrace from the Captain's house (no 10) to a fortified watchtower, facilitating movement between cottages in event of attack. This defensive purpose is reinforced by the presence of gunports and musket loops visible throughout the building.

The structure is rectangular on plan with a single-storey kitchen extension to the west. The roof is pitched with natural slate and a brick corbelled chimney with concrete coping and replacement pots. Walls are constructed of English garden wall bonded red brick over a painted rendered plinth, with a corbelled sill course at first floor level. Windows are replacement segmental-headed uPVC casements set within stepped vermiculated sandstone surrounds, with painted masonry sills. The principal elevation faces east and comprises a square-headed replacement uPVC glazed entrance door in a stepped rendered surround with segmental head at the left, accessed via eight concrete steps with a rendered parapet shared with the adjacent building. A window occupies each floor at the right. The west elevation contains an abutted extension at ground floor with a single door and window, and an exposed wall with a single square-headed window. The north elevation is abutted by an adjoining building, and the south elevation is abutted by HB22/06/011H. Cast-iron ogee profiled gutters run around the building.

The building is set within its own grounds with access to the south-east through vermiculated square sandstone gate pillars. A car-park and modern garages are located to the north-west, with an enclosed yard to the west. The current Coastguard Station on Beach Road first appears on the third edition Ordnance Survey map of 1902.

Comprehensive renovation of the terrace, including replacement of windows, doors, and addition of kitchen extensions, was carried out in 1986–9. The building lies within a conservation area.