Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB20/09/016

Address :
Antrim Railway Station 38 Station Road Antrim Co Antrim BT41 4AE

Townland:
Town Parks

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
01/03/2005 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Railway Station Structures

Former Use
Railway Station Structures

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
Yes

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
96/14 SW

IG Ref:
J1527 8705

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Owner Category

Transport

Exterior Description And Setting

A single storey red brick building with half-timbered gables and an open porch leading to an interior concourse which leads on through to the main railway station platforms. Main entrance faces north-west. Associated with the main station building is a covered main platform shelter, a separate platform shelter on the east side of the track. MAIN STATION BUILDING Entrance elevation, facing north-west, is symmetrical: comprises a gabled bay to each side of a large central opening contained within an open porch. A rectangular bay window with hipped roof projects from each gabled bay. Roofs of red tiles with perforated terracotta tiles to the ridges; terracotta finial to the two gables. Two chimneys, equidistantly positioned in the front pitch of the main roof: red brick with moulded cornice of egg and dart motif; modern red pots. Walling of red brick with half-timbering to the two gables, carried on floriated terracotta corbels; timber barge boards. Bay windows, each with battered base containing two rectangular panels of moulded terracotta tiles depicting flowers and leaves; moulded frame to panels; moulded terracotta cornice of egg and dart pattern. Each bay has a pair of coupled windows: rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 18 over 1, with horns; exposed sash boxes; stop-chamfered brick reveals; stop-chamfered red sandstone lintels; projecting red sandstone cills with swept corners; moulded cornice to stepped brick aprons. Moulded cast iron gutters returning back along sides of bay windows; circular cast iron downpipes in inner corners with main wall. Side wall of each bay facing in towards porch has a metal bracket mounted on it supporting a tubular steel framed modern station entrance sign which extends across front of porch roof just above eaves line. Main wall has a pair of segmental arched openings, stop-chamfered, with the main roof swept down over them to form an open veranda-like porch with a segmental timber arch supported on a pair of tapering timber columns with moulded capitals and bases. Sprocketed roof to porch, with tongued and grooved sheeting. The twin openings each contain a large ledged and braced timber door with diagonal sheeting to a rectangular panel, surmounted by a ramped top rail on slatted supports; doors set in a segmental arched timber frame. Columns or posts of porch carried on low boundary walls to steps: red brick with wavy moulded sandstone copings, terminating in square sandstone piers with battered faces and moulded panels; ogee moulded sandstone caps to piers. Eight concrete steps up to concrete concourse beyond double doorway. Projecting forward from east side of front elevation is a red brick screen wall with projecting moulded stringcourse, and brick dentil cornice, both now chipped; flat concrete coping. The front edge of the brick projection is abutted by a ramped brick retaining wall to the tarmac pathway up to the platform. Rounded brick copings in poor condition at top of retaining wall replaced by concrete copings, now in poor condition, to main run of wall. East side of projecting brick wall is plain red brick with similar stringcourses but plainer chamfered brick cornice; yellow brick pilaster to each extremity. Extending to east of main entrance elevation and set back from it, is a screen wall to the platform shelter: red brick with a projecting plinth and projecting moulded stringcourses; contains a rectangular timber 9-pane fixed light with a 12-pane fanlight above a wooden dentil course; stop-chamfered brick reveals and red sandstone lintel; projecting red sandstone cill with small moulded terracotta apron below; one stringcourse steps up over lintel to form a continuous drip moulding. Beyond the screen wall is the eastern side of the main front block: red brick with projecting plinth, brick dentil cornice and yellow brick pilasters to extremities; contains a rectangular opening, formerly a doorway, now a steel shuttered hatch with red brick blocking the opening below; stop chamfered reveals, with projecting moulded stringcourse stepping up over red sandstone lintel. Rear wall of eastern portion of main front block, within the internal concourse, is of red brickwork; contains a steel shuttered rectangular full width opening comprising a doorway with hatch and counter to its right; rectangular door, modern flush timber. Western side elevation of main front block is of plain red brick; sprocketed eaves to roof; roof of red tiles with perforated terracotta ridge tiles terminating in terracotta finials; moulded gutter looks like PVC on timber eaves board; PVC downpipe. Lower part of wall covered by later projecting concrete brick plinth wall. Rear wall of western portion of main front block is gabled: red brick; oversailing eaves, with timber barge boards on shaped timber brackets. Gable contains one window to left of a doorway. Window rectangular timber 6-pane fixed light with fanlight now closed over with painted wooden panel; wire mesh protective grille affixed over window; plain reveals with flat brick arched head and projecting sandstone cill. Door is modern rectangular flush timber, with modern moulded timber frame with 10-pane fanlight above. The inner walls of the covered concourse, to which the main entrance of the station building and a doorway at the rear of the main front block both lead, are of red brick with moulded brick projecting plinth and stringcourses. The wall of the eastern portion is blank; the wall of the western portion contains three doorways. Two lead into the western portion originally, but now not used: original rectangular timber 6-panel doors with small-paned fanlights, now sheeted over, the third leads out to the rear return exterior terrace, with small-paned fanlight still intact. Ceiling of covered concourse is flat, tongued and grooved sheeted, arranged in lozenge shaped panels of Jacobean inspiration divided into two main portions by a shallow transverse brick arch; rear portion has a rectangular rooflight opening with panelled reveals and hipped form. REAR RETURN BLOCK North end elevation, at the rear of the interior concourse, and facing the main entrance to the main station building, is a blank brick wall of similar character to other walls within the concourse, set in a canted plane. West elevation of rear return block: hipped roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; terracotta ridge tiles with terracotta finials. Moulded PVC gutter, with PVC downpipes; timber eaves board. Walling of plain red brickwork. Two chimneys, of red brick with moulded cornice; two modern red pots to each stack. Openings from left to right are as follows: rectangular timber window, 12-pane, with 16-pane fanlight, plain reveals, and projecting sandstone cill; rectangular doorway with flush timber door, incorporating a 6-pane sidelight, and 16-pane fanlight; rectangular timber window, 6-pane, with 12-pane fanlight; rectangular doorway with flush timber door, incorporating a 3-pane sidelight and 12-pane fanlight; a rectangular timber window 9-pane, with 12-pane fanlight; and another flush timber door with 3-pane sidelight and 12-pane fanlight. Projecting end bay has a small rectangular metal fixed light with bottom-hung vent. Concrete terrace in front of wall, sheltered by a later corrugated perspex awning on steel brackets. South end of rear return block is of plain red brick on a base course of basalt rubble. Projecting from it is a lower single storey red brick block on a basalt rubble base, with hipped slated roof with lead covering to ridges; PVC rainwater goods. To the south of the rear return block is the east elevation of the main platform shelter. East elevation of rear return block, facing the main platform, to the south of the wide concourse archway: walling of red brick with 5 bays marked by yellow brick pilasters; projecting plinths, and dentil cornice as previous to side of main front block. Bays contain following, from right to left as follows. First bay: rectangular timber door, 5 panel, with rectangular fanlight now blocked with wooden panel; dentil course to doorhead; to right of door is a rectangular window opening now blocked with brickwork. Second bay contains a full width canted bay window with red brick base wall carrying a projecting stone cill; timber framed window 3 light, with woodwork painted cream, and openings closed up; timber dentil cornice; red tiled hipped roof. Pilaster to right of bay window contains a recessed rectangular cast iron downpipe. Third bay contains one rectangular doorway with original door, 5-panel with dentil course to doorhead and blocked off fanlight above; modern metal handle to door. Fourth bay contains two doorways: one to left is semi-circular arched with rounded jambs, and now bricked up; one to right is rectangular containing a modern flush rectangular door with rectangular fanlight, now closed up, and incorporating a narrow rectangular sidelight; later red brick nib wall projects from reveal to form cill to sidelight. Fifth bay contains a later rectangular doorway in plain reveals, with modern flush timber door; a modern yellow brick single storey flat topped block projects from fifth bay to occupy corner with a projecting end block. End block is original, of yellow brick, with corner piers, and projecting red brick stringcourse and dentil cornice. Later projecting block has a rectangular doorway and two rectangular steel louvred openings in side wall, and one steel louvred opening in wall facing platform. Original projecting block has a rectangular flush door with small fanlight set in a segmental arched opening in side wall. To left of original projecting block is a blank set-back end bay of recessed red brick between yellow brick pilasters. MAIN PLATFORM SHELTER Projecting from the east or platform side of the main front block and the rear return is an 11 bay roof over the main platform: roof carried on a series of iron beams forming the valleys between pitches, which are cantilevered over iron beams supported on a series of cast iron pillars. First four bays of roof from right are formed of small timber King post trusses, covered by corrugated asbestos sheets. The remaining seven bays of roof are comprised of glazed roof lights. Cast iron pillars are cylindrical with fluted pedestals and composite capitals, with leafy scroll work to brackets supporting main girders. Extreme right-hand pillar is inscribed 'W. MacFarlane & Co. Glasgow'. At the left-hand end the rhythm of pillars changes to accommodate a cast iron footbridge over the track, supported on pairs of smaller cast iron pillars. At rear of the platform shelter glazed rooflights are of hipped form for 3 bays, and of gabled form for last 4 bays; gables filled with timber framing clad on outside with vertical tongued and grooved sheeting. At front of platform, all bays of roof are gabled, filled with timber framing clad on outside with vertical tongued and grooved sheeting to a shaped profile at bottom edge. The tongued and grooved sheeting returns back along the right-hand or north end of the platform roof; at the left-hand or south end it abuts the iron footbridge over the track. West elevation of main platform shelter where it extends to the south of the rear return block: walling of red brick on a basalt rubble base, with a yellow brick pilaster to right-hand extremity; two rectangular window openings, with brick flat arches; projecting sandstone cills, openings now blocked with smooth cement render. One chimney, of yellow brick, with projecting brick stringcourse and cornice. Wall surmounted by tongued and grooved sheeting closing gables of roof bays. Two PVC downpipes and one cast iron downpipe. DETACHED PLATFORM SHELTER An open fronted single storey building standing on the platform on the eastern side of the railway track. It comprises a 5-bay front with the 2 end bays enclosed as rooms. Gabled roof carried on 6 timber trusses of unusual form comprising corner posts of end rooms, with two free-standing posts between them, which support pairs of angled struts; posts are stop chamfered, with panelled and moulded pedestals to the two central free-standing ones. Back wall within shelter is of red brick with projecting red brick pilasters; projecting plinth, stringcourse, and dentil cornice. The 3 bays of the back wall have rectangular window openings now filled with tongued and grooved sheeting; moulded wooden head. End bays have red brick base walls, with projecting plinth and cill, damaged in places, surmounted by timber framed walls, also in poor condition in places; vertical tongued and grooved sheeted diagonally braced panels surmounted by top panels containing diagonal bracing and 4-lobed sunken motifs; dentil cornice in timber to top of end rooms, with timber mouldings lining up with terracotta mouldings of back wall. Each end room entered by a rectangular door in side facing into shelter: rectangular timber door, panelled, but upper portion clad with later tongued and grooved sheeting. Roof of shelter has a tongued and grooved sheeted ceiling; wide overhang to front, in poor condition in places, with tongued and grooved fascia, flush finished on front face; asphalt covering on top. Overhanging gables with shaped tongued and grooved sheeting recessed behind ornamental timber barge boards which have fretted shamrock motifs. Ornamented timber finial and timber pendants to barge boards. Cast iron downpipe, from hidden gutter, runs back from front to rear at south end of roof behind tongued and grooved sheeting and discharges into vertical downpipe on rear elevation. Rear elevation of platform shelter: walling of plain red brick, with 5 window openings, flat arched; projecting concrete cills; all openings blocked with tongued and grooved sheeting. Later asphalt roof; timber eaves board; PVC gutter with short PVC downpipe section discharging into original cast iron downpipes. SETTING: The main station building is set back from the main road, overlooking a tarmac area in front of it. The area is bounded on the right by a modern brick wall containing a wide opening, with modern steel gate, leading into the bus depot. The area is bounded to the left by the red brick walling of the platform and the red brick retaining wall of the path to the platform. The platform wall on left abuts a later rustic brick signal box with shallow gabled roof. Platforms are laid with tarmac and modern concrete brick pavings, with concrete flags to the edges; retaining walls of platforms are of basalt rubble with level of area in front of platform shelters later raised by two courses of modern brickwork. A red brick wall bounds the platform on the eastern side of the track: rear face of wall has brick buttresses in poor condition; contains two small pedestrian gateways with square piers, sandstone caps, concrete flagged steps, and timber slated gates. Wall ramps down toward main road and curves round to terminate in a red brick pier, linked to level crossing pier by a timber slatted gate.

Architects

Wise, Berkley D

Historical Information

Built in 1901-2 under the direction of B.D. Wise the engineer to the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Company. Cast iron columns of the platform shelters and cast iron structure of the pedestrian bridge were manufactured by Walter MacFarlane's 'Saracen Foundry' of Glasgow. The railway line here was originally opened in 1848 by the Belfast and Ballymena Company under the direction of its engineer Charles Lanyon, but the original station was replaced by this present one leaving no original Belfast and Ballymena company buildings on this side of the track; a small office to the former goods yard (HB20/09/017) still stands on the other side of the track, no longer in railway use or ownership. References – Primary Sources 1. OS Map 1902, Co Antrim 50. Secondary Sources 1. W.A. McCutcheon, The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland (HMSO, Belfast, 1980), p 167. 2. J.R.L. Currie, The Northern Counties Railway, Vol 1 (Newton Abbot, 1973), p 227, 266. 3. IHR 7204:1 and 1339:183.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form F. Structural System G. Innovatory Qualities H-. Alterations detracting from building

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance Z. Rarity

Evaluation

This is a pleasant and attractive Edwardian building in a distinctive English Domestic Revivalist style of red brick with half-timbered gables, which retains many of its original features, including ornamental terracotta panels and ornate cast iron columns. It exhibits an interesting spatial organisation in the layout of the various parts of the main building, while its detached station shelter exhibits an unusual structural system in its roof trusses. Built under the direction of a well known railway engineer this is a building of some national interest, as well as considerable local interest as a public amenity, and together with its associated buildings and structures it forms an interesting and rare architectural group. Despite some inappropriate alterations it retains its original overall character and appearance.

General Comments

Date of Survey

09 October 1999