Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB22/05/005 B

Address :
Former Lighthouse Keepers Houses at Blackhead Lighthouse McCrea's Brae Whitehead Co Antrim BT38 9NZ

Townland:
Castletown

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
22/06/2010 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House

Former Use
House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
Yes

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
84-15

IG Ref:
J4876 9345

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Owner Category

Charity

Exterior Description And Setting

These semi-detached two-storey (+ semi-basement) former lighthouse keepers’ houses of 1902 are aligned north-south immediately west of the lighthouse, to which they are connected by a single-storey passage. They form an H-plan and each house is an identically detailed mirror image of the other. The roofs are of hipped profile and clad with natural slates. There are rendered chimneys at each end (four yellow clay pots) and at centre (two pots). The rainwater goods are of cast-iron and the gutters of ogee profile. The walls are painted and rendered (probably over stone). A projecting course of yellow brick runs along the eaves, with a dentillated course underneath. All openings have square heads and those to the windows have painted shouldered granite cills. The houses’ principal elevations face east towards the sea. A veranda is formed by a monopitched natural slate roof between their projecting ends. There is an beaded tongue-and-groove entrance door into each house on the inside cheeks of the veranda. In front of the veranda is a balcony over the basement, accessed by a flight of steps up each side. The balcony also continues as a walkway along the roof of the linking passage to the lighthouse. Most of the windows to this elevation are 6/6 sliding sashes. The exceptions are small 2/2 sashes at each end of the veranda and 4/4 sashes to the basement. The latter also has an emergency escape door (probably a recent insertion). Both the north and south elevations have single 6/6 sliding sash windows to the ground and first floors. The west (rear) elevation has a single-storey section between its end returns, containing a back door (beaded tongue-and-groove) and small 6/6 sash to each house. The exposed first floor wall above has a 2/2 sash to each house. Abutting the middle of the single-storey section are two single-storey outbuildings (one to each house). A high wall encloses a yard at the back of each house, with doorways to outside on its west elevation. Roof: Natural slate. Walling: Probably rubble stone. Windows: Mainly 6/6 timber sliding sashes RWG: Ogee cast-iron gutters.

Architects

Douglass, William

Historical Information

This pair of lighthouse keepers' houses forms part of the lighthouse complex built between 1899 and 1902 by the Commissioners of Irish Lights under the direction of their Chief Engineer, William Douglass. The complex opened on 1 April 1902. The lighthouse was manned until 31 July 1975 and the houses used to accommodate the lighthouse keepers. The houses have since been vacated and leased to the Irish Landmark Trust who have restored them as short-term holiday lets. References: Primary sources 1. Commissioners of Irish Lights webpage . Secondary sources: 1. F. Pelly (2005), ‘William Douglass - Designer of Fastnet Lighthouse’ in Beam, Journal of the Irish Lighthouse Service, vol. 33 (2004-05).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest Z. Rarity V. Authorship

Evaluation

Pair of well detailed symetrical stone built 2 storey lighthouse keepers houses built between 1899 and 1902 by the Commissioners of Irish Lights under the direction of their Chief Engineer, William Douglass. The interiors have been sensitively restored and retain much of their original character. The houses contribute to the setting of the lighthouse and have group value in context of the site as a whole and scarcity value as an intact complex. They are also of local historical interest.

General Comments

Notes c1999 from John Connell, Lighthouse keeper. In his 63rd year in Irish Lights (retired at 60, now aged about 82) 'On lighthouses ye'd always get lots of birds to eat, blackbirds and thrushes wad always be killed against the light, not starlings, they're too intelligent, members of the crow family, they'd stick their undercarriages out and skid past the light, but every morning the first thing the keeper on watch wud do was to go round and pick up all the dead bitrds, and throw them in a pot with a piece of old onion. But ye has to watch them for they'd fall to pieces, they're so small, and not muich eating on them, but better flavour that a Moy Park. Thye'd make lovely soup , and you'd have cold birds for yir tea at night.' The water in lighthouses was unfiltered rainwater. All lighthouses have a noti ce up.'Tank open/tank closed'. The tank was up on the roof and before ye'd run water into it ye had to get all the gash washed off it, salt, gull dung etc, and check the taste till it was running cleqar. Non smoker's were good for testing it. Two keepers were necessary to run a light in watches, and a third keeper was needed if there was a foglight (someone to fire the maroons every five minutes). There's a spring down beloww, 'comes bubbling up above a limestone crack and its like lemonade, heavily dosed with lime, like liquid gold it is'. First radar station was at Blackhead, next at Copelands but removed because of effect on birds. Used to keep meat and pigs feet on the shelf above the earth closet. Underground tank in front of houses stored rainwater for washing. Irrigation channels on ground floor front room cill for rain blowing in. Built-in presses as on plans, also dressers all in yellow pine. Cast iron fireplaces in bedrooms generally, but modern in ground floor fires. Wistle pipes partly present (if you were't on watch you put in a a stopper)." No First Survey photograph. "Submission 9. Entered by LF 03/06/2009. Amendments entered by LD 08-07-09 Same address as HB22/05/005 A" Database amended prior to HBC meeting. AT 01.12.2009 26/02/2009 26/02/2009 Yes Yes Not Required Awaiting Consultations No Fred Hamond Ward Survey 6.10 0 03/06/2009 UC No 0 5 4 0 1 0 Not_Listed B+ B+ 01/07/2009 Yes Not Required Not Required -1 0 Yes "Blackhead Lighthouse Former Superintendent's house McCrea's Brae Whitehead Co Antrim BT38 9NZ" Not_Listed B+ 4 Awaiting Consultations 26/02/2009

Date of Survey

26 February 2009