Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/51/025

Address :
Bandstand at Belfast Zoo Antrim Road Newtownabbey Co. Antrim BT36 7PN

Townland:
Drumnadrough

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Survey 2:
Record Only

Date of Listing:

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Band Stand

Former Use
Band Stand

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
Yes

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OS Map No:
114/13

IG Ref:
J3285 8092

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Owner Category

Local Govt

Exterior Description And Setting

Freestanding Edwardian bandstand on octagonal plan, built in 1920-21 as part of the Bellevue Pleasure Gardens and relocated in the 1930's within the former Bellevue Zoo. The bandstand is located within the current Belfast Zoo site and overlooks Antrim Road to the east. Conical metal sheet roof with overhanding eaves. Eight cast iron columns have moulded bases, Corinthian capitals and support a chamfered post having decorative scrolled and floriated brackets to each side, in turn supporting the timber roof structure. Remains of metal animal cage set within the bandstand and metal balustrade between posts. Setting: The bandstand is located on a hill within the Belfast Zoo site, overlooking the Antrim Road. The site is largely overgrown with pathways to the north and south. Materials: Roof: Metal RWG : None Walling : Metal posts Windows: N/A

Architects

Historical Information

The bandstand at Belfast Zoo, an octagonal cast-iron structure located on the hill overlooking the Antrim Road, was constructed in 1921 as part of the Bellevue Pleasure Gardens. Scott states that Bellevue Park was originally founded as a result of the development of Belfast Corporation’s Tramway Committee. From the 1880s a plot of land off the Antrim Road known as ‘Drumnagrough’ was used as the main depot of the Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway Company, an independent firm. In 1911 Belfast Corporation acquired the company and its 32 acre plot at Drumnagrough for £64,500. Andrew Nance, the manager of the Belfast City Tramways, proposed that the depot site be converted into gardens and playgrounds in order to encourage the use of the tram system for leisure. In 1913 Cheal & Sons Ltd. of Crawley, landscape gardeners, were contracted to transform the former depot into gardens. Scott states that this endeavour involved the ‘grading the rugged slopes, putting in a system of zigzag pathways, planting trees and shrubs, levelling and tarmacking the upper plateau, building a castellated wall around the perimeter of the plateau and – the piéce de rèsistance – constructing a grand floral staircase. This stone staircase was divided into several flights and adorned with pillars and floral vases. It connected the Antrim Road to the upper plateau’ (Scott). Due to the outbreak of the First World War, and acts of vandalism that were attributed to the Suffragette movement, the pleasure gardens at Bellevue were not opened until 1920. The gardens were officially opened on 10th July 1920 by the Lord Mayor and dedicated to the memory of Andrew Nance who had died in 1916. Scott states that ‘Belfast had never seen anything quite like Bellevue Pleasure Gardens. They made such an impression on visitors that they were described as a ‘unique possession amongst the municipal corporations of the British Isles. The gardens were also compared favourably with the famous Hanging gardens of Babylon’ (Scott). Bellevue was first depicted on the fourth edition Ordnance Survey Map (1921), which recorded features such as the floral staircase and the garden paths but the bandstand was not recorded. In the months following the opening of the gardens, a programme of music and open air concerts was arranged. Scott states that ‘all performers were required to maintain a high standard of excellence with regard to moral values [and] anything of a cheap and questionable nature was not tolerated.’ In the first season a number of famous bands were invited to perform at Bellevue. The bands performed in a temporary wooden bandstand that did not possess a roof. As a result of the large crowds that attended the bands in 1920, Belfast Corporation decided to erect a permanent bandstand at Bellevue. The current octagonal cast-iron bandstand was constructed between 1920 and 1921. Scott states that the bandstand was built by W. McFarlane & Co., a foundry based in Glasgow. The stand possessed a revolving glass screen, surrounding seating for upwards of 500 people and cost a total of £1,080. The bandstand was originally located further up the hill providing a picturesque view of Belfast Lough and the city below (Scott). The bandstand remained at its former location higher up the plateau until the development of the first zoo at the site. In 1934 Belfast Corporation set aside 12 acres of land (to the south-east side of the floral staircase) which became Bellevue Zoo. In its first year 284,713 people visited the attraction and it was around that time that the bandstand was relocated to its current site within the zoo. Scott suggests that the bandstand fell out of use from the 1930s onwards (in 1936 the Art Deco dance hall known as the Floral Hall was opened to the south of the zoo – see HB26/51/024) as the structure was subsequently utilised to house the zoo’s racoons. The bandstand remained a central feature the zoo until after the construction of the modern animal facilities to the south of Bellevue between 1979 and the 1980s. Throughout this period the Bellevue site continued to be utilised but was gradually phased out as the new animal paddocks were completed. Scott states that the Bellevue site was finally closed to the public in June 1989. Since that time the Bellevue site has remained vacant and field inspection of the site finds that the bandstand has fallen into an advanced state of disrepair. The original glass screen has been lost and has been replaced with a mesh cage used to contain the zoo’s animals. The cage remains suggesting that the bandstand continued to be utilised as an animal enclosure until Bellevue’s closure in 1989 (Scott; Belfast Telegraph). References Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/57/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1921) 2. Ulster Town Directories (1932-1943) 3. Belfast Telegraph (28 Feb 2012) Secondary Sources 1. Scott, R., ‘A breath of fresh air: The story of Belfast’s parks’ Belfast: Blackstaff Press, 2000.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Not listed

Historic Interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This Edwardian bandstand is of architectural and social significance due to its association with Bellevue Pleasure Gardens and, later, Bellevue Zoo. Although in a poor state of repair, the artefact retains some architectural features including the cast iron columns and scrolled brackets supporting the eaves and the metal sheet roof. Originally higher up the plateau, it was relocated to its current position close to the former entrance of Bellevue Zoo when the zoo was opened c.1934. Although of some interest it is not considered to meet the criteria for listing.

General Comments

Date of Survey

24 June 2014