Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB21/05/004

Address :
Ballyclare Town Hall Market Square Ballyclare BT39 9BB

Townland:
Ballyclare

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
04/03/2010 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Town Hall

Former Use
Town Hall

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
97-7NE

IG Ref:
J2873 9118

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Owner Category

Local Govt

Exterior Description And Setting

Detached multi-bay two-storey rendered town hall with stucco detailing, built 1877, located to centre of Market Square, Ballyclare on a sloping site. Rectangular on plan, facing east, with two-storey flat-roofed projections to north and south gables, and entrance contained in tower to east elevation which breaks forward slightly and rises above eaves. Roof is pitched slated with round ridge tiles; walling is painted smooth rendered. Stucco detailing includes V-jointed quoins, platbands to first floor sill and springing arch levels, keyblocked architraves. Windows are round-headed, unless otherwise stated. Those to first floor windows have replacement painted timber Y-tracery casements, those to ground floor are paired replacement 1/1 sashes (with obscured glass) set in round-headed recesses with architraves. East elevation has five openings to each floor arranged about a central gabled breakfront, with tower as fourth bay and north flat roofed extension as fifth (right) bay. All first floor windows are detailed as above, with the exception of that to tower, which is a French door leading to a balustraded balcony on corbels. The ground floor comprises (from left) a recessed door opening with triangular-headed canopy to left (replacement door), an enlarged window set in an elliptical headed recess with blocked architrave to breakfront, a paired window (as described above); tower has painted timber raised and fielded three-panel double-leaf entrance door with triangular pedimented Gibbsian; right bay has a single round-headed 1/1 sash window. South gable is abutted by projecting flat roofed extension. Exposed section is one window wide to ground floor; gable apex has central oculus with keystones at cardinal points. Extension has lead-capped parapet to (raised to middle and end sections), first floor has central tripartite stained glass casement; ground floor has single off-centre casement. Right cheek is one window wide: ground floor has painted timber 2/1 sash window with horns, obscured glass, and rendered surround. Left cheek has round-headed diagonally sheeted painted timber double-leaf door with frosted glass tympanum, accessed by three steps; small window to first floor. West elevation is six openings wide to each floor (incorporating north extension), all are single round-headed windows, Y-traceried to first floor, 1/1 sashes to ground floor (paired to right of centre). North gable is abutted by north addition, with only apex exposed (detailed as south). North extension is symmetrical three windows wide with triplet of stained glass round-headed windows to first floor centre, Y-tracery windows to either side. Ground floor has paired windows to either side and modern square casements to centre. Tower has third stage rising above eaves; all elevations have circular clock faces with moulded stucco surrounds. Tower roof is bellcast slated with copper louvered lucarnes. Roof Natural Slate Walls Smooth render Windows timber framed Rainwater goods Cast iron

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

The first edition Ordnance Survey Map shows a pump marked on what appears to be a market square at the centre of the Ballyclare settlement. The Townland Fieldbook (1836) records ‘gardens of the town of Ballyclare’ and also ‘water for houses’ (a pump is marked on the map). The second edition OS map (1857) shows the site as vacant and is captioned ‘Fair Green’. The OS map of 1905 is the first edition to show the market house, however there appears to be an abutment to the west elevation which does not appear on the current map. The Valuation Revision from 1864 records a market house on the site, occupied by James Valentine and valued at £2. In 1875 the entry is revised to ‘Ballyclare Market House’ and a revaluation to £5 is added at the same time. James Valentine is recorded in the Ulster Street Directory of 1874 as a shoe maker and seller of leather goods. The next revision (dated 1880 to 1886) records that the building was raised to two storeys in 1881; thereafter all entries show that a market house (valued at £5) at lower level and a Town Hall/Reading room to upper level valued separately at £10. From this time, the owner of the market house is recorded as 'Ballyclare market house" and the owner of the reading rooms and town hall as James Kilpatrick. The Belfast & Ulster Street Directory (1902) describes Ballyclare as follows; ‘it has a fine market square containing two statute acres in the centre of which is the Meeting House and Town Hall and a beautiful monument erected by inhabitants to the memory of the late Dr. Cunningham. References: Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/45/1 - First Edition OS Map (1833) 2. PRONI OS/6/1/45/1 - Second Edition OS Map 3. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/45 - Townland Valuation Map (1834) 4. PRONI VAL/1/B/17A - Townland Valuation Fieldbook (1834) 5. PRONI VAL/2/A/1/45 - Griffith's Valuation Map (1857) 6. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/7A - Griffith's Valuation Fieldbook (1857) 7. PRONI VAL/12/B/1/4A-E - Valuation Revisions (1864-1904) 8. PRONI VAL/12/D/1/45A -Valuation Maps (1864) Secondary Sources 1. Belfast & Ulster Street Directory (1874)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

This multi-bay two-storey market and town hall is located to Market Square in the centre of Ballyclare. This prominent location identifies the building as a social centre to the town. Constructed on the site of a previous market house, it exhibits robust character fitted to its function, and its importance is enhanced by the later addition of a clock tower. Original detailing remains to the façade, including oculus windows and balcony above the main entrance and the original plan form is legible. It is a good example of a Victorian civic building in a small market town only slightly marred by replacement windows and loss of some internal features.

General Comments

Date of Survey

14 October 2008