Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB19/03/049

Address :
Moira Station Station Road Moira Craigavon Co Armagh BT67 0NE

Townland:
Magheramisk

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
26/08/1988 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:
164/14

IG Ref:
J1575 6187

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Owner Category

Central Govt

Exterior Description And Setting

A single-storey over semi-basement, double-pile station building in Italianate style aligned E/W on the 'up' platform (to Dublin). The pile fronting the platform comprises five structural bays and the shorter rear pile has two bays. There is a single-bay toilet flat-roofed return at the west end of the rear pile, accessed by passage around the east end of both piles. Both piles have hipped natural slate roofs with oversailing boxed eaves. Ogee cast-metal gutters and down pipes. Two rendered chimneys with bracketed copings rise from between the two piles. Rendered random rubble walls with shallow pilasters at all corners and to the platform (N) elevation. The render is block-lined to all elevation except along the platform. The front (N) pile faces onto the platform and has alternate doors and windows. Save for the left-hand end, the façade is symmetrical with two string courses across its façade at window level. There was probably a projecting canopy across the platform frontage, now removed. The two doorways to the internal; rooms contain double-leaf two-panel doors with semicircular overlights (now sheeted over) and smooth-rendered stucco architraves. The windows are 1x4-paned (the second one down opens) with semicircular heads (the second one down opens) and have similar surrounds (including cills); all are now fitted with metal security grilles. The middle windows of this façade are paired. Just left of the window nearest to west is a Victorian letter box recessed within the wall (still in use). Only the upper parts of the other elevations are now visible owing to the ground having been raised, thus obscuring the semi-basement from view. Two string courses run along the lower part of the section level with the platform, with round-ended rectangular stucco panels between them (except on the east elevation where there are only the two string courses). The east elevation of the front pile is blank, and the paired windows on the rear pile have been rendered over. An open balcony runs in front of the rear (S) pile. At the base of the right-hand end, a portion of the wall has been deliberately left unrendered to show the underlying random rubble stonework. There are no openings to the south elevation except for a narrow slit vent, now infilled, to the ladies’ toilet at left. Originally, there were semicircular openings at basement level into the station master’s accommodation. On the west elevation, there are paired windows to the gables of both piles; detailed as the front façade. There is also a small slit vent to the toilet at right. Immediately in front of the public entrance to the building is a modern signal light gantry on the platform. On the opposite, 'down' platform (to Belfast) is a small timber mono-pitched cabin-like waiting room. In the car park to the east of the station building is a relocated signal cabin, supported on a concrete plinth. Beyond it is a brick-arched field accommodation bridge and drainage culvert under the railway line. In the depot on the opposite side of the line is a metal-clad goods shed and job crane. A short distance NW is the later 19th century station master's house, HB19.03.051 (which is not considered to be of special interest) and a basalt railway bridge (HB19.03.013) is located due west and crossed the Lagan canal. Materials - main station Windows: 1x4-pane timber frames Doors: Panelled timber Rainwater goods: Ogee metal Roof: Natural slate

Architects

Godwin, John

Historical Information

This station lies on the Lisburn-Lurgan section of the Belfast-Dublin railway. The Belfast-Lisburn section was opened by the Ulster Railway Company in August 1839 and reached Lurgan in November 1841. The line was constructed by William Dargan under the direction of the company’s Resident Engineer John Godwin (to whom the station is attributed). This station was built between 1839 and 1842. It originally contained the station master’s accommodation in its semi-basement. The station is captioned as Moira Railway Station on the 1858 Ordnance Survey six-inch map and subsequent editions. The 1862 Griffith Valuation describes the premises as ‘Station house and offices’, all rated at £10. The station master was originally accommodated in the basement but he moved to a purpose-built house designed by the GNR’s Chief Engineer W.H. Mills on the other side of the track in the 1880s. In 1876, the Ulster Railway Company became part of the Great Northern Railway Company (Ireland). The Ulster Transport Authority took over operations in 1958, and the Northern Ireland Railway Co in 1968. Translink is now responsible for the line’s operation whilst the NIEA maintain the station building from its nearby Works Depot. In the relatively recent past the ground to the south of the station was raised to form a car park. This entailed burying the visible basement walls and openings therein. Drawings and photographs by W.A. McCutcheon in the 1960s shows the station’s external appearance prior to this work (included in the submitted images). The station eventually became superfluous to the railway company's requirements and was taken over by Environment & Heritage Service (now NIEA); however, the platforms remain in use for communter traffic. The station building is open to the public on request and on European Heritage Open Days. When the adjoining level crossing was automated in 1984, the brick and timber signal cabin of c.1890 which adjoined the crossing was relocated to just outside the east end of the up platform where it now sits on a concrete-block base. On the opposite side of the track were the goods siding, goods shed, crane and cattle siding. This area is now occupied by the NIEA Works Depot. The shed and crane both survive but the actual sidings have been lifted. References – Primary sources: 1. PRONI OS/6/1/67/2, Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 67 (1858). 2. Griffith Valuation: Lisburn Poor Law Union, Co Antrim, p.57 (1862). References - Secondary sources: 1. Green, E.E.R. The Industrial Archaeology of County Down, p.80 (Belfast: HMSO, 1963). 2. McCutcheon, A. Railway History in Pictures: Ireland, volume 1, p.28 (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1969). 3. McCutcheon, W.A. The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland, pp 104-107, 159 (Belfast: HMSO, 1980). 4. Meek, M. Moira Station, County Antrim (Belfast: Historic Monuments & Buildings Branch, 1991). 5. NIEA Monuments & Buildings Record, picture no.43999 (W.A. McCutcheon, 1960s).

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

Historic Interest

T. Historic Importance U. Historic Associations V. Authorship Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance W. Northern Ireland/International Interest R. Age S. Authenticity

Evaluation

Single storey (over basement) station building designed in an understated Italianate style by John Godwin, in 1839-42 and located on the south platform of the Belfast to Dublin railway line at Moira. It contrasts with the High Victorian idiom of the original Ulster Railway terminus at Great Victoria Street, Belfast (now demolished) and also with the late 19th century brick rebuild at Lisburn Station. Rectilinear on plan, the largely symmetrical principal facade has painted smooth rendered walling, round-arched windows and double pile, natural slate roof from which two tall chimneys with bracketed copings rise. Internally, the building retains its original room configuration, with separate public and official spaces on the ground floor and station master’s accommodation in the basement; a good amount of historic detailing survives. The building's character is diminished somewhat by the raising of the external ground to the south thus obscuring the basement on three sides. Notwithstanding, its interest is enhanced by its contextual association with the still-operational station platforms, underbridge, and goods yard, complete with crane. The signal cabin, although not in its original location, adds further character to its setting. The waiting room/cabin is also of special interest. It is a unique collection of buildings. Historically, this building and associated structures are of national importance. Not only is this is the only surviving station building to have been built by the Ulster Railway Company but is also the earliest station building to survive in the Province.

General Comments

Date of Survey

10 December 2010