2 Charlemont Square East, Bessbrook, Co.Armagh

Two-and-a-half-storey two-bay mid-Victorian terraced shop and dwelling at Bessbrook, built between 1862 and 1866 to designs by an unknown architect. The building is Grade B1 listed.

The rectangular plan faces southwest with a two-storey pitched-roofed rear return constructed around 2002. Number 2 Charlemont Square East is one of five similar buildings, each originally having ground-floor shop fronts with dwellings above. These commercial buildings, together with twenty-seven smaller terraced dwellings to the northwest, form the eastern terrace of Charlemont Square, a formally designed mid-Victorian square consisting of 66 buildings in total arranged on three sides around a central green, primarily accessed from Fountain Street to the southeast.

The walling is constructed of generally random-coursed rock-faced local Newry Granodiorite with red brick dressings. Stone cills and stepped red brick surrounds frame the shop front, door openings, and gauged-brick cambered window openings. The pitched fibre cement roof features roll-top terracotta clay ridge tiles, a half-dormer window to the southwest elevation, and a replacement rectangular-section red brick chimney to the northwest with four buff clay pots. Projecting eaves have painted timber fascia and soffit, and generally cast iron rainwater gutters with half-round guttering discharge to circular-section downpipes (the guttering to the rear return is uPVC).

The principal southwest elevation abuts the public footpath. At ground floor, the southeast end has a panelled painted timber door with glazed upper half opening onto a single stone step, leading to the entrance hall of the private dwelling. The door features a modern galvanised metal grill and a semi-circular arched fanlight above with plain glazing. To the northwest at ground floor is the painted timber shop front with a separate entrance to the northeast end of the facade, a panelled painted timber door with glazed upper half and square-headed fanlight. Modern painted metal safety shutters are now fitted to the shop front.

A narrowly projecting painted moulded timber signboard with a two-stage dentilated cornice above the shop front displays "Bessbrook Pharmacy" with a large glazed panel below, set on stone dwarf walling. The entablature is supported by painted timber corbels and three pilasters with raised panels. The facade displays near-regular fenestration: two windows to first-floor level and a half-dormer window at attic level. The windows are generally double-hung sliding timber sash windows with horizontal glazing bars and window horns.

The northwest elevation is shared with Number 3 Charlemont Square East. The rear return's northwest elevation has a smooth cement render finish. The northeast rear elevation faces northeast with a large two-storey gabled rear return extending to rear yard boundaries. This return has random-coursed rock-faced stone walling with square-headed stepped red brick door and window openings with concrete cills. The fenestration is irregular, with two painted planked timber doors to the ground floor of the rear return and two windows above: one top-opening timber casement with six panes at first-floor level and one three-pane timber fixed light corresponding to the internal stairs, both fitted with galvanised metal grills. The return has generally uPVC rainwater gutters and painted timber soffit and fascia. The southeast elevation is attached to Number 1 Charlemont Square East, with the rear return abutting a monopitched extension of that building. A single window above first-floor level and smooth cement render finish complete the facade.

Number 2 forms part of Charlemont Square East, part of a planned arrangement of 66 mill workers' dwellings and shops. The formal square comprises east, north, and west terraces arranged around a central green. Each house is set back from the perimeter public road and footpath with a modest-sized front yard typically enclosed by dwarf walling topped by hooped metal railings. The terraces to the east and west are stepped in groups of two dwellings, respecting the subtle relief of the site. A larger rear yard to each dwelling is generally enclosed by random-coursed rubble stone walling with a square-headed door opening onto a wide rear access route. Rear facades are much altered with various extensions of different shapes and sizes. Front facades are nearly uniform along the east and west terraces, with five larger buildings at the southeast of Charlemont Square East (including this building) and one at the southeast of Charlemont Square West generally having traditional shop fronts at ground-floor level with dwellings above. The northern terrace consists of eight paired two-and-a-half-storey buildings, distinctly larger than the others. The central area of the square is now laid to lawn and enclosed by hooped galvanised metal railings with some established trees at its boundary. A children's playground is located to the southeast and includes a monument to the installation of electric lighting in 1911. Bessbrook's War Memorial is centrally located to the southeast of the playground.