Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB22/06/008

Address :
White Harbour, Knocknagulliagh, Whitehead, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, BT38

Townland:
Knocknagulliagh

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
01/11/1988 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Harbour/ Pier

Former Use
Harbour/ Pier

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
Yes

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:

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OS Map No:
99-07

IG Ref:
J4689 9061

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

White Harbour is situated on the seaward side of the Belfast-Larne railway line, just north of Cloghan Point and 1km SW of Whitehead. It is accessed by a bridge under the line. The harbour has been formed by the construction of a substantial masonry pier aligned parallel with the shore. This pier is faced with finely dressed limestone blocks (undoubtedly quarried locally) laid to courses and with a string course along its outside face. It curves around at its SW end to a rounded terminal pier which marks the entrance to the harbour. There is a raised walkway around the landward side of its sea wall. Towards its SW end is a gap which marks the former position of a timber jetty which projected out to sea. Many of the coping stones are now loose and the NE end of the sea wall has fallen away as a result of wave action. The sides of the harbour are also of dressed limestone blocks laid to courses, with rounded inner corners. Two recesses along its SE side indicate the former position of cranes. The quayside around the three sites of the harbour is flagged and there are steps into the harbour at its NE corner. Just beyond the NE side of the harbour is a trapezoidal single-bay, single-storey former stable now used as a store. It has a replacement curved corrugated metal roof and rubble limestone walls. There is an infilled window opening and doorway on its NW elevation. It is abutted along its SE side by a relatively modern corrugated metal lean-to which is now used as a boat repair workshop. The refurbishment works in the 1990s include timber mooring pontoons along its NE and SE sides of the harbour, a wire fence around the site, a rubble stone breakwater just beyond the harbour mouth, and a concrete slipway just outside the NE end of the pier. The breakwater and slipway are marked on the sketch map accompanying this report. In the vicinity of the harbour are several associated features of interest (also on the sketch map): • The access bridge under the railway is a single segmental masonry span of rock-faced limestone blocks. It was widened on both sides in reinforced concrete in 1929 (this date is carried on its NW parapet). At the same time, the two-span metal girder viaduct leading to the south end of this bridge was replaced by an earth/stone embankment. • A short distance west of the access bridge is a single-story house which was undoubtedly once associated with Kerr’s enterprise. When surveyed in 1988, only the foundations survived. A new house has since been built on its footprint and incorporates the original rebuilt SE façade. • In the vicinity of the house are the remains of clay pits and also the side wall to the former brick kiln. The latter is of brick over a rubble limestone foundation. • North of the clay workings is the overgrown limestone quarry which was the focus of the harbour’s activity.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

This harbour was constructed c.1850 by David S. Kerr of Red Hall, Ballycarry, to service his adjoining limestone quarry and brick manufactory. It is cited as a harbour on the 1857 OS map and subsequent editions. It was used by pleasure cruisers to the Copeland Islands in the early 1900s. The harbour and pier (sea wall) are both captioned on the 1964 OS map, but were probably little used by then. By the 1980s, the entrance had silted up making the harbour unusable. In the 1990s, it was restored by its present owner for use as a private mooring. References: Primary sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/53/2. Second edition OS six-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 53 (1857). 2. PRONI OS/6/1/53/3. Third edition OS six-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 53 (1904). 3. PRONI OS/11/99/7/1. First edition OS Irish Grid 1:2500 map, sheet 97-07 (1964). Secondary sources 1. First Survey record card (8 May 1970). 2. Hamond, F.W. White Harbour, Knocknagulliagh Td., Whitehead, Co Antrim (NIEA Listed Building record HB22/06/008, June 1998).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion D. Plan Form F. Structural System J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a good example of a small industrial harbour, carefully constructed with dressed limestone blocks. Its plan form is of interest in that the coastline's exposure has been offset by the alignment of the sea wall parallel with the shore and narrowing of the entrance to minimise the swell within. It occupies a spectacular setting at the foot of a steep escarpment and reflects the fact that transportation by sea was the best means of conveying the quarried limestone and manufactured bricks from this site. Its value is enhanced by the remains of the brick kilns on the landward side of the railway line and with the accommodation bridge under the line. Historically, it is also of local interest in signifying the industrial development of this locality by D.S. Kerr, the local landowner, in the mid 1800s.

General Comments

Date of Survey

17 December 2008