1 Charlemont Square East, Bessbrook, Co.Armagh

A two-and-a-half-storey mid-Victorian end terrace corner shop and former temperance hotel, built between 1862 and 1866 to designs by an unknown architect. The building has an irregular plan form consisting of an L-shaped three-bay block facing southwest, five bays deep and orientated southwest to northeast, with a shop front to the southwest. A canted corner bay with a clock faces south. A single-storey five-bay triangular-plan flat-roofed block is attached to the southeast, extending east along Fountain Street and now housing Bessbrook Post Office.

The building is the largest of five similar two-and-a-half-storey buildings that originally had ground-floor shop fronts with dwellings above. These commercial buildings, together with twenty-seven smaller terrace 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 generally random-coursed rock-faced local Newry Granodiorite with red brick dressings. Brick quoins, stone cills, and stepped red brick surrounds frame the shop front, door openings, and gauged-brick cambered window openings. The upper floors have typically double hung sliding timber sash windows with horizontal glazing bars and window horns. The ground floor features arched fixed light shop windows in square-headed openings, now fitted with modern security shutters. The pitched roof is covered with fibre cement tiles with roll top and angled terracotta clay ridge tiles. Two half dormer windows to the southwest elevation have plain replacement bargeboards; two similar half dormers to the southeast retain original lobed painted timber bargeboards. A replacement rectangular-section red brick chimney to the northwest has five buff clay pots. The eaves project with painted timber fascia and soffit. Rainwater goods are generally uPVC with half-round guttering discharging to circular-section downpipes.

The principal southwest elevation faces Charlemont Square with two half dormers at roof level, three wider timber sash windows to the first floor, and two separate four-part shop windows at ground floor with painted timber segmental arcading. A continuous painted timber signboard sits above with a two-stage dentilated cornice and modern signage reading "Perfections" (beauty clinic). The facade has near-symmetrical fenestration. The canted corner bay to the right (southeast) faces south and has a double-leaf planked square-headed timber door at ground floor level opening onto two granite steps. A sandstone plaque above the door has no legible inscription. A circular clock face by "Smith's" of London to the first-floor level has a sandstone surround composed of a circular moulding set in a square field.

The northwest elevation is attached to No. 2 Charlemont Square East.

The northeast rear elevation features a large two-and-a-half-storey gabled block at the southeast end extending to the rear access route with no openings to its northeast-facing wall. Two windows at first-floor level face northwest. The gabled block is abutted to the southeast by the single-storey flat-roofed triangular-plan block, which extends to the northeast rear access route and has a single window opening to its northeast elevation. Some cast iron rainwater goods remain, comprising a circular-section downpipe and polygonal hopper. A single-storey monopitched extension with a skylight is abutted to the northwest of the two-and-a-half-storey block, extending from the northeast elevation to the rear site boundary and fitted with a painted steel plate door. A single sliding timber sash window to the first floor above the monopitched block has exposed sash boxes and window horns. The northeast elevation generally retains original random-coursed rock-faced stone walling with stone quoins and modern galvanized metal grills fitted to windows.

The southeast elevation forms the southeastern end of Charlemont Square East and abuts the public footpath. It features a projecting single-storey triangular-plan block at ground floor facing south with a parapet to the flat roof. The two-and-a-half-storey block behind faces southeast with five sash windows to the first floor, two dormers at roof level, and a skylight to the roof centre. The triangular block has two doorways to the south-facing facade. One at the eastern end now leads to Bessbrook Post Office and features a panelled painted timber door with two glazed upper panels, panelled and glazed side lights, and a square-headed fanlight above. The door opens onto three granite steps and is flanked by two-part arcaded fixed light shop windows in square-headed openings, with a "GR" post box to the east. The second doorway at the western end has a four-panelled painted timber door with a half-moon-shaped light to the top section and a semi-circular-arched fanlight above with red and buff brick dressings to the head. This door opens onto a single granite step and has a single three-part arcaded shop window to the west on a slightly canted section of walling.

The building forms part of Charlemont Square, a planned arrangement of 66 mill workers' dwellings and shops comprising a formal square with 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 East and West terraces are stepped in groups of two dwellings respecting the subtle relief of the site. Larger rear yards to each dwelling are 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. Front facades are nearly uniform along the East and West terraces, with five larger buildings to the southeast of Charlemont Square East forming part of a distinctive group, and one to the southeast of Charlemont Square West generally having traditional shop fronts at ground-floor level with dwellings above. The northern terrace consists of only eight houses in width but comprises distinctly larger two-and-a-half-storey paired buildings. The central area of the square is laid to lawn and enclosed by hooped galvanized metal railings with 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.