Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB23/15/039 A

Address :
The Station Station Square Helen's Bay Bangor Co Down BT19 1TN

Townland:
Ballygrot

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Survey 2:
A

Date of Listing:
27/01/1975 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:
115/10 SE

IG Ref:
J4579 8218

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Owner Category

Transport

Exterior Description And Setting

This single-storey with basement, four-bay station building, built c.1862 in Scottish baronial style is located on the north (‘down’) side of the Belfast-Bangor railway and is aligned E-W. Pitched natural slate roof with raised and stepped gables copped with cut sandstone blocks. Three chimneys along ridge, all copped with moulded inward tapering ashlar sandstone. The gutters are integral with the advanced moulded sandstone eaves course. Walls of quarried rock-faced blackstone, squared to south elevation. The principal elevation faces south to the platform. A three-arch colonnade formerly led into a passage from which the internal rooms were accessed. The left and middle arches are round headed; the right-hand one is smaller and has a two-centred head. All are trimmed in ashlar sandstone with a moulded intrados. These openings have been infilled with windows on rendered dwarf walls. At the extreme left is a small lancet window, also trimmed in sandstone. The right-hand bay of this elevation is slightly advanced and embellished with a crow-stepped gable. It contains a pair of lancet windows with shared chamfered cill, stepped sandstone jambs and shouldered pedimented sandstone lintel. One of the windows is a fixed pane, the other a 1/1 sliding sash, both with timber frames. In the apex of the gable is a square recessed panel timed in sandstone. It bears the inter-twined letters D and A (Dufferin and Ava) under a coronet, all in bass relief. The eaves course continues across the base of the apex. The east elevation faces on to The Square. This wall has a slightly advanced base course delineated by a chamfered sandstone top course. At left is a pair of window openings detailed as the S elevation. At right is a pedestrian entrance with stone steps rising thereto. This opening has a semicircular head and is trimmed with ashlar sandstone; the jambs are chamfered. Vertical metal handrails to each side of steps and electric light above doorway. A yard wall continues right of this elevation with two square gate pillars at the right-hand end. The wall is of quarried blackstone delineated with a chamfered sandstone string course along its base and similar copings. The sandstone trim has been painted and continues around the gate pillars. The latter have projecting pyramidal sandstone caps. There was no access to the north elevation, and only a cursory inspection from a distance was possible. Advanced base course as E elevation. The left-hand bay is slightly advanced and detail as the corresponding end of the platform side, complete with Dufferin/Ava insignia on the gable apex. A later brick shed has been built across the remainder of this elevation, but inspection from the platform side suggests that the original window openings probably survive intact. At the NW corner of the building is a two-stage circular tower with natural slate conical spire, now heavily overgrown with ivy. This was the private entrance for the Dufferin family. The moulded cornice around the main building continues as a string course around the tower between the ground and first floor stages and the latter also has a moulded eaves course. There is a lancet window to the upper stage of the tower, trimmed in sandstone. A doorway to the ground floor stage was accessed by a flight of stone steps from the courtyard below (HB23/15/039E). Judging by measured drawings, the staircase was contained between quarried rubble blackstone walls coped with sandstone. The fabric of the west elevation is detailed as the east elevation (but no base course). The eaves cornice continues across the base of the gable apex (which is without the D A insignia). This elevation contains three lancet windows trimmed with sandstone. A fourth one at the north end has been broken out to form a doorway. A modern lean-to in concrete blockwork now partially abuts this gable. Setting: Located off Station Square in Helen's Bay close to the Clandeboye Avenue to the north of the listed station platforms (HB23/15/039B) and east of the associated coach yard (HB23/15/039E) and railway bridge (HB23/15/039D). The former station master's house (HB23/15/039C) is adjacent to the north with the related road bridge (HB23/15/039F) further to the north. Tall basalt stone walling and piers with painted masonry plinth and copings divides the former yard from Station Square. Roof: Natural slate Walling: Stone Windows: Timber RWG: Cast-iron

Architects

Benjamin Ferrey

Historical Information

The land on which this bridge and adjoining station are located was owned by Frederick, 1st Marquis of Dufferin and Ava. As a condition of allowing the railway to pass through his estate, he dictated the design of the entire station complex, including its associated bridges. His wishes were carried out by the English architect Benjamin Ferrey, the cost being met by the railway company. Although this section of the railway is now doubled, it was originally single so there was no need for a waiting room on the other side of the line. The railway had arrived in Holywood in 1848, but it was not until 1862 that the Belfast, Holywood & Bangor Railway Company (BHBR) began construction of the Holywood-Bangor section. Because of land access difficulties and extensive rock blasting, it took three years to complete, opening on 19 May 1865. When it opened, the Belfast & County Down Railway Co (BCDR) sold its Belfast-Holywood section to the BHBR. In 1873, the line was leased to the BCDR and transferred outright in 1884. The following year the station took its present name; it was originally known as Clandeboye. In 1948, the line was taken over by the Ulster Transport Authority and then by Northern Ireland Railways in 1968. It is now operated by Translink. The conical roof of the tower was removed c.1960 but has since been rebuilt. In the 1990s, the station building was used as a restaurant by Michael Deane. He has since relocated and the building is currently vacant. The platforms remain in use as a halt. References – Primary Sources: 1. PRONI T3020/145/1 – Architectural drawings of Helen’s Bay Station by Benjamin Ferrey. These are copies of originals in the Clandeboye Estate Archive which are dated 1862. References – Secondary sources: 1. Patterson, E.M. The Belfast and County Down Railway, p.8 (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1958). 2. Green, E.R.R. The Industrial Archaeology of County Down, p.80 (Belfast: HMSO, 1963). 3. McCutcheon, A. Railway History in Pictures: Ireland, vol.1, p.34 (Newtown Abbot: David & Charles, 1969). 4. McCutcheon, W.A. The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland, pp 144, 178 and 218 (Belfast: HMSO, 1980). 5. Johnson, S. Johnson’s Atlas & Gazetteer of the Railways of Ireland, p.109 (Leicester: Midland Publishing, 1997)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Z. Rarity V. Authorship

Evaluation

A single-storey with basement, four-bay Scottish Baronial style railway station, built c.1862 on the estate of the 1st Marquis of Dufferin and Ava to designs by Benjamin Ferrey as part of the Belfast, Holywood & Bangor Railway. It is of note as an unusual example of mid 19th century railway architecture owing to the fact that its design and plan form, which reflects the social distinction between the Marquis and the general public, was dictated by the Marquis and not the railway company. Its style, coupled with the quality of its sandstone ornamentation, make it one of the most distinctive, if atypical, of the Province's railway stations. The yard walling, piers and the stone steps descending to the coach yard are also of interest. It has group value with the related railway structures in the vicinity (HB23/15/039A-F).

General Comments

Included in Helen's Bay Area of Village Character. This was formerly HB23/15/034. This record was then incorporated in the record HB23/15/039. HB23/15/039 formerly incorporated the station building, platforms, railway bridge and coach yard. These are now recorded as HB23/15/039A, HB23/15/039B HB23/15/039D and HB23/15/039 E respectively.

Date of Survey

09 June 2010