Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB06/08/001

Address :
Chaine Memorial Chaine Memorial Road Larne Co Antrim

Townland:
None

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
25/06/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Light House/ Navigation Mark

Former Use
Light House/ Navigation Mark

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
Yes

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
70/8SE

IG Ref:
D4147 0297

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Owner Category

Public Body

Exterior Description And Setting

A tall stone-built circular lighthouse in the form of an early Irish ecclesiastical round tower reached by a stone-built causeway giving access to a flight of exterior steps. Entrance faces south-west. Cylindrical body of tower of rock-faced snecked granite, built with noticeable entasis; dressings of ashlar granite; battered base of ashlar granite in regular courses on a shaped base course, surrounded by a concrete plinth; conical cap of ashlar granite in regular courses, surmounted by a copper finial. Entrance semi-circular arched with sloping jambs in early Irish style; rectangular door ledged timber, comprising seven boards, wider at bottom than top, set beneath seven-board timber tympanum; large modern steel bolt on door, inappropriate. Above doorway, a polished granite inscription plaque surmounted by a drip moulding. Above the plaque, a small rectangular headed window opening formed by dressed stones of irregular size in early Irish style; elsewhere around the tower, in various positions, seven other similar windows. At the top of the tower, below the stone eaves course three semi-circular arched openings, filled with darkened render, with sloping jambs in early Irish style, pointing north, south and west, and one larger segmental-headed window, glazed, a later replacement for a fourth semi-circular arched opening, facing east; all linked at cill level by a dressed string course. Attached to tower, a lightning conductor and two runs of iron trunking at base. Concrete steps up to entrance contained by chamfered granite copings to basalt rubble segmental archway connecting causeway to tower base. Causeway of basalt boulders partly covered over with concrete; path laid in concrete except for intermediate section in iron. Causeway and steps lined by tubular iron railings, two rungs each side; one railing each side returning around tower doorway and continuing through doorframe. The tower stands beyond the shoreline of Larne Lough, forming a prominent landmark reached by its causeway which extends from a grassy area at the roadside out into the Lough leaving the tower surrounded by water at high tide.

Architects

Close, Samuel P

Historical Information

Built in 1887 by public subscription to the designs of S.P. Close as a memorial to James Chaine who died in 1885 and who had been responsible for developing the modern harbour of Larne. Built largely of Mourne granite shipped to Larne from Annalong. Originally intended as a lighthouse but not equipped for that purpose until 1897 when it was taken over by the Commissioners of Irish Lights who enlarged the eastern window at the top of the tower to accommodate a red and white sectored window for a navigational light, built a flight of ten concrete steps from the causeway to the entrance door, built up the remaining three windows in the inside of the lantern and fitted wooden shutters to the outside, built granite blocks at either side of the flight of steps with an arch underneath, laid a concrete pathway on the causeway and provided it with iron railings. The lighting equipment was supplied by Chance Brothers of Smethwick near Birmingham and the light exhibited for the first time on 1st July 1899. Converted to electricity on 12th September 1935, becoming the second lighthouse in Ireland to be so powered, Donaghadee being the first. Entire electrical system replaced by modern equipment in 1987. Gap created in causeway and spanned by a wooden decked bridge in 1953 in an attempt to keep beach clear of seaweed; closed up again in 1980s. Conical cap of tower repointed in 1954 and again in 1988. Lantern windows built up on the exterior in a recessed manner and rendered with dark mortar in 1988. The inscription above the entrance reads as follows: “This tower and the road leading to it was erected by the contributions of every class in this mixed community irrespective of creed or party, all cordially united in esteem and affection for the memory of James Chaine of Ballycraigy and Cairncastle, Co Antrim, who represented the County in the Imperial Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland from February 1874 till 4th May 1885. His early and lamented death in the 44th year of his life deprived his native county of one who had worked indefatigably for its interests on the Harbour at Larne, establishing its connection with Great Britain and the United States of America and with the inland parts of the County. Si Monumentum requiris circumspice.” References - Primary 1. G.H. Bassett, The Book of Antrim (Dublin, 1888), p 393. 2. Photograph in Green Collection, UFTM (WAG536) - shows causeway intact. Secondary 1. E.M. Patterson, The Ballymena Lines (Newton Abbot, 1968), pp 50-1 2. W.A. McCutcheon, The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland (HMSO, Belfast, 1980), plate 146.5. 3. W. R. Hamilton, Chaine Memorial Tower, in Beam (The Journal of the Irish Lighthouse Service), Vol XVIII, No 1, December 1989, pp 14-21 (records the height of the tower as 91 feet, 9 inches). 4. D Corcoran, A Tour of East Antrim (Belfast, 1990), p17 (reproduces photograph from Green Collection). 5. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of County Antrim (UAHS, Belfast, 1996), p 296. 6. IHR 7510

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

V. Authorship Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Z. Rarity

Evaluation

An unusual example of a lighthouse in a Celtic or Irish Romanesque Revival style which forms a picturesquely sited local landmark.

General Comments

Date of Survey

27 December 1997