Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/13/016

Address :
Stables Annex Stormont Castle Stormont Estate Upper Newtownards Road Belfast County Antrim BT4 3XX

Townland:
Ballymiscaw

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
13/03/1987 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Police Station

Former Use
Office

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
130-16

IG Ref:
J4031 7485

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Owner Category

Central Govt

Exterior Description And Setting

Attached range of single-storey rubblestone former stables, built c.1860, with a turreted carriage arch entrance. U-shaped on plan with the principal crenellated elevation facing east and arranged around a bitmac courtyard. Pitched natural slate roofs with glazed black clay ridge tiles and red brick chimneystacks with octagonal clay pots. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Painted ruled-and-lined lime rendered walling. Some exposed rubblestone walling. Square-headed window openings with timber sash windows and painted masonry sills. Principal east elevation to east range is four windows wide with an advanced curvilinear gable to the north and a carriage arch to the south framed by a pair of square-plan towers. Replacement timber casement window to the gable with 2/2 timber sash windows to the main section, all having hood mouldings. The carriage arch is constructed in vermiculated and voussoired sandstone ashlar with a crenellated parapet and central urn. The towers rise to form octagonal turrets with roundel panels embellished with horse heads and surmounted by lead-lined onion domes. The inner facing west elevation has depressed and louvred lunettes below the eaves with various timber sash and timber casement windows. The north elevation to the north range has a gabled projection, built c.2000. Largely single-pane timber sash windows to this elevation with some multi-pane timber casement windows. The inner facing south elevation has some elliptical-headed window openings with multi-pane timber casement windows. The west elevation to the west range is largely obscured by a modern wing to Stormont Castle. The inner facing east elevation has exposed rubblestone walling with red brick linings and concrete lintels to window openings with concrete sills and replacement multi-pane timber casement windows. Depressed and louvred lunettes openings sit below eaves level. The southern section of this range is rendered and forms part of Stormont Castle. Roof Natural slate RWG Cast-iron Walling Painted lime render over rubblestone Windows Timber sash / timber casement Setting: This range of former stables forms part of the Stormont Castle estate and is located to the northeast of the castle. Arranged around a concrete paved yard with bitmac driveways to the north and east.

Architects

Turner, Richard Turner, Thomas

Historical Information

The former stables to Stormont Castle were constructed c.1858, arranged around a courtyard with an arched entrance gate to the northeast of Stormont Castle (HB26/13/014). Stormont Castle, a three-storey former gentleman’s mansion located within the Stormont Estate, was constructed around 1830 for the Rev. John Cleland (1755-1834). The contemporary Ordnance Survey Memoirs (c. 1830) described Cleland’s dwelling as a ‘large plain house with very little planting around it’ whilst the map shows that the adjoining outbuildings (HB26/13/016), as well as the gothic conservatory (HB26/13/015), had not been erected by 1834. Prior to the 1850s a number of smaller outbuildings were located to the north of the mansion (demolished by 1860). Cleland’s son Samuel Cleland took over the Stormont Estate following his father’s death in 1834 but was killed whilst supervising the demolition of a wall in the grounds in 1842. Samuel Cleland’s widow, Elizabeth, took over the Stormont Estate following her husband’s death and continued to reside there until c. 1860. Elizabeth Cleland was responsible for the decision to redesign Stormont House. The former Georgian house was redressed in locally-quarried Scrabo sandstone with extensions added to the north and east sides of the building. The extension of the building was carried out by Thomas Turner but the DOE Archaeological Survey suggest that the courtyard was the work of his father Richard Turner who had designed the Palm House at Kew and submitted an unsuccessful entry for the design of Crystal Palace in London in 1851 (DIA; NIEA HB Records). The second edition Ordnance Survey map (1860) records that the layout of the outbuildings to north-east side of Stormont Castle has not been discernibly changed since the mid-19th century. In 1860-61 the total rateable value of the courtyard was combined with the adjoining mansion and set at £350. The outbuildings were not valued separately until after Stormont Castle was acquired by the newly-formed Northern Ireland Government. Formerly utilised as a gentleman’s mansion, Stormont Castle was purchased by the Commissioners of Public Works in 1921 and was utilised as the official residence of the Northern Ireland Prime Minister and also functioned as the headquarters for the Cabinet Secretariat and the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (Gallagher; UAHS, p. 14). The adjoining outbuildings were subsequently converted into a local branch of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland (1935) set the value of the police station at £110, noting that the building was owned by the Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland. The value of the station was increased to £128 by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72). The courtyard continued to be utilised as a police station until at least 1987 when the building was listed along with Stormont Castle and the conservatory (HB26/13/015). The NIEA HB Records includes the following description of the police station: ‘[The outbuildings] are made up of single-storey ranges erected about 1857 [sic], forming a square courtyard dominated by a three-stage clock tower which is linked to smaller towers adjacent to the main building. The frontage is constructed of coursed rubble stone while beyond a curved corner and entrance arch the wall surfaces are rendered and painted. Retention of the courtyard is important as an integral part of the original design’ (NIEA HB Records). Since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 and subsequent St. Andrew’s Agreements (2006-07), Stormont Castle has been used as the offices of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. The former police station is currently utilised as office and storage space for Stormont Castle. References Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/3/5/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1834) 2. PRONI OS/6/3/5/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1860) 3. PRONI OS/6/3/5/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1901-02) 4. PRONI OS/6/3/5/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1919-20) 5. PRONI OS/6/3/5/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1938-39) 6. PRONI VAL/1/A/3/5 – Townland Valuation Plan (c. 1830) 7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/17 – Griffith’s Valuation (1860-61) 8. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/8A-F – Annual Revisions (1864-1929) 9. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/5A - Annual Revisions (1923-1929) 10. PRONI VAL/3/B/4/4 – First General Revaluation of Northern Ireland (1935) 11. PRONI VAL/4/B/3/21 – Second General Revaluation of Northern Ireland (1956-1972) 12. Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland: Vol. 7, Co. Down II (1832-34; 1837) 13. Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) 14. Ulster Town Directories (1843-1943) 15. First Survey Record – HB26/13/016 (1985) 16. First Survey Image – HB26/13/016 (No Date) 17. NIEA HB Records – HB26/13/016 Secondary Sources 1. ‘Stormont Castle’ Belfast: Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister, c. 2009. 2. ‘Parliament Buildings Stormont: The building, its setting, uses and restoration 1922-1998’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1999. 3. Gallagher, J., ‘Stormont: The house on the hill’ Belfast: Booklink, 2008. 4. Larmour, P., ‘Belfast: An illustrated architectural guide’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1987. Online Resources 1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation F. Structural System I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance U. Historic Associations V. Authorship W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

Attached range of single-storey rubblestone former stables, built c.1860, with a turreted carriage arch entrance. Although the range has been substantially refurbished the character has been retained with the use of appropriate materials and detailing. The impressive vaulted west range mean this former stable block forms an important component part of Stormont Castle and has group value with the other listed structures within the wider Stormont Estate.

General Comments

Date of Survey

21 January 2014