Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB01/09/002CC

Address :
Building 117 Ebrington Barracks Limavady Road Londonderry BT47 6HH

Townland:
Clooney

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
29/12/2006 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Barracks

Former Use
Barracks

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
34/6 SW

IG Ref:
C4438 1720

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Owner Category

Central Govt

Exterior Description And Setting

Two storey brick barrack block with hipped man-made slate roof and two storey colonnade of cast iron columns and beams aligned east west along the northern boundary of Ebrington Barracks. 15 columns equally spaced along, the south facing front facade. Simple ‘Doric’ derived detail to heads with larger head plate (or ‘abacus’) to ground floor than first. Painted stone upstand to base of each column with granite kerbstone in between and concrete footpath. Footpath 600mm above ground level at western end. 100mm above ground to east. Dog leg staircase to each end of the colonnade rising to first floor. Simple flat steel handrail to stair, enclosed string, with roll moulding at end. Similar balustrade detail continues between columns at first floor with asphalt detail to footpath. 5 no boot scrapers at ground level contained within semicircular head brick recesses. Entrance doors align at ground and first floors each flush with a 3 pane segmental fanlight over. That on the top taller. Doors not centrally placed. 4 bays of windows with segmental heads over (9 over 9 pane) Upvc windows to east. 5 bays to west with one bay containing two narrower (6 over 6 pane) windows. There appear to have been two doors bricked up to the west, one to the east. Cills are flush ‘u’ shaped granite and painted. At each end of the façade a hipped return sits out from the end wall. To the west this is now rendered. To the east in brick, each has two aligning flush doors. The east end of the block is a rendered return off centre with two windows. The stair described above is to the south of this extension while to the rear (north) is a square plan out shot with two windows . There is an unusual concrete topped triangular pod in the corner. A central 3 brick deep string course returns to the rear. The rear north elevation has 3 flat roofed (concrete topped) brick returns. The central one is twice the width or the others. They have the same fenestration, two windows to each side, one to the rear at each floor. The central return doubles this. The return to the east is not symmetrical about the centre with that to the west. There are 3 bays of windows between it and the corner to the end. One bay of windows to the return. In contrast, the western return is close to the corner. The East elevation is almost identical to the west with the exception that the main return has not been rendered. The two unusual triangular projections in the near corner are present here also. Each has a ventilator top and bottom. Rainwater goods on the building remain cast iron, one hopper on the west has a castlellated detail. The elegance of the columns on the colonnade of this building and those supporting to end staircases are of note. The slight thickening of the metal balusters at the corners and the columned base and head to the baluster of the base of the stair are also of interest. At first floor, 3 No boot scrapers survive.

Architects

Historical Information

Purpose built accommodation for married soldiers and their families based on a standard plan used at the time in barracks constructed by the Ordnance Board. Located as far from normal barracks as possible with a school between (No 115: HB01/09/002BB). Separate self contained flats were accessed from the external walkway at ground and first floors. Accommodation consisted of two bedrooms, a living room and kitchen and toilet facilities in the return. Storage for bins etc was in the return at each gable. Building’s external appearance is little altered from the time of construction (though it is likely that chimneys have been removed). The internal plan because of its loadbearing construction has been little altered though an off centre corridor has been opened up to allow remaining rooms to become single bedrooms. Former external doors have been bricked up with the exception of one near the centre and on each end. References- Primary sources Ordnance Survey Maps, 1873, 1904, 1933, 1955 Secondary sources History of Ebrington Barracks (Anonymous, circa 1970’s) EHS files Site Officer 2003. Douet, James: British Barracks 1600-1914. Their Architecture and role in Society. English Heritage 1998

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Two storey brick colonnaded former married quarters building well proportioned and elegantly designed aligned east west along the northern boundary of Ebrington Barracks. The building contributes greatly to views east along the boundary road of the site. Of unusual construction for this area, it is of historical interest in the development of barracks to accommodate married quarters. Ironwork details are of particular note.

General Comments

Date of Survey

28 May 2003