Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB22/05/005 C

Address :
Former Superintendent's House 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:
J4875 9347

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Owner Category

Public Body

Exterior Description And Setting

A detached single-storey, three-bay former Lighthouse Superintendent’s house of 1902 in the middle of the complex; now rented out by the Commissioners of Irish Lights. The house is aligned north-south with its principal elevation facing east towards the sea. It has a hipped natural slate roof with rendered chimney to each gable. The rainwater goods comprise cast-iron ogee gutters and downpipes. The walls are painted and rendered and embellished with plain/dentillated yellow-brick eaves courses. The façade is symmetrical. The ground floor middle bay is abutted by a single-storey entrance porch (detailed below). This is flanked to each side by a square-headed 6/6 timber sliding sash window, each with a painted shouldered granite cill. There are three identical windows to the first floor, in line with the ground floor openings. The porch has a pitched natural slate roof with raised verge. Its rainwater goods and walls are detailed as the main building. There is a tongue-and-groove door on its right and left cheeks (only the latter is now in use) and a 6/6 timber sliding sash window to its gable (with painted shouldered cill). The north elevation has no openings. There are also no openings to the west (back) elevation except for a window to the middle of the first floor, detailed as at front. A wall forms a yard at the back of the house. The inside face of this wall is abutted by single-storey lean-to outbuildings; its wall is raised to accommodate their roofs. One of these buildings abuts the north end of the house's back elevation and contains an entrance door thereto. There is an access door into the yard on its south side and two sash windows (1/1 and 6/6) along the wall's west side. The south gable is abutted by a single-storey lean-to. The exposed section of gable has no openings. The lean-to has a monopitched natural slate roof with raised verges, and rainwater goods and walls detailed as the main block (including yellow brick eaves courses). There is a door on its right cheek and 6/6 sash window on its south 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 building was built for the Lighthouse Superintendent as 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. It opened on 1 April 1902. After automation of the light in 1975, the house was vacated by lighthouse staff and is now rented out to the public by the Commissioners. 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 H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior K. Group value

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

This house was built for the Lighthouse Superintendent as part of the Blackhead lighthouse complex built between 1899 and 1902 by the Commissioners of Irish Lights under the direction of their Chief Engineer, William Douglass. It is well proportioned and carefully executed, albeit with a minimum of embellishment. As with the adjoining lighthouse keeper's houses, the high yard wall provides shelter at the back for outbuildings. Much of its internal character appears to have survived. The house also has group value in the context of the overall site and scarcity value as an intact complex.

General Comments

Blackhed Lighthouse Notes c1999 from John Connell, Lighthouse keeper. In his 63rd year in Irish Lights (retired at 60, now aged about 82) 'Opn lighthouses ye'd always get lots of bitrds 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 hasd to watch them for they'd fall to pieces, they're so small, amnd not muich eating on them, but betterb flavour that a moy Park. Thye'd make lovely soup , and you'd have cold birds for yir tea at night.' The watyer in lighthouses was unfiltered rainwater. All lighthouses hacve a notivce 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 waskhed ogff it, salt,gull dung etc, and check the taste till it was running cleqar. Non smoker's were good for testing it. Two kepers were necessary to run a light in watches, and a third keeper was needed if theree wasa forlight (someone to fire the maroons every five monutes). There#s a spring down beloww, 'comes bubbling up above a limestone crack and itrs like lemonade, heavily dosed with lime, like liquid gold it is'. First radar station was at Bloackhead, next at Cpelands but rrmoved because of effect on birds. Usd to kep meat and pigs feet on the shelf above the earth closet. Undeerground tank in front of houses stored rainwater for washing. Irrigation channels on gd floor front room cill forrain blowing in. Built in presses as on plans, also dressers all in yellow pine. Cvats iron foreplaces in bedrooms generally, but mopdern in gropund floor fires. Wistle pipes partly present (if you wwere't on watch you put in a a stopper).

Date of Survey

26 February 2009