Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB05/08/082

Address :
Bush House 72-74 Main Street Bushmills Co. Antrim BT57 8QB

Townland:
Clogher North

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
02/12/1980 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Public House

Former Use
Public House

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
7/5SW

IG Ref:
C9406 4083

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Two-storey, four-bay, pebble-dashed mid-terraced public house. Rectangular plan-form with a coach archway on right side of ground floor. Located within a terraced row on north-east side of Main Street, facing south-west and just south of Market Square. Principal elevation faces south-west and is four bays wide on first floor; ground floor has a single 1/1 timber sliding sash window to the left side; two doorways side-by side - left side doorway is recessed within a painted stone/rendered surround with a fluted pilaster to each side supporting a dentilled cornice above, timber screen has integrated sidelights and transom light over and a diamond-faced raised-and-fielded (top two panels) painted timber door; right side doorway is main entrance to bar, doorway is set within a painted pilaster band surround with a pair of painted panelled half-doors and glazed transom light over with inscription of owners name – “CHARLES H. CALLAGHAN. License to sell Wine Spirits & Beer to be consumed on or off the premises” (inscription faded in places). Large window opening to the right side of second doorway with timber window frame within a painted plaster band surround; coach archway on right side has a pair of horizontally sheeted painted timber gates which lead to an enclosed rear yard; painted rendered plinth; cast-iron rainwater goods to front elevation. First floor level has four 1/1 timber sliding sash windows with exposed sash boxes, within plaster band surrounds on painted sills; painted rendered stepped quoins to either side of front elevation; “BUSH HOUSE” signage on wall between second and third windows with individual letters in relief on painted render/stone background. Fibre cement pitched roof has two pebble-dashed chimney stacks, one to the NW and one to the SE side (LHS of coach archway), centred on ridge. South-east and north-west elevations are abutted by neighbouring properties No. 70 & No. 76 Main Street (HB05/08/83A). North-east elevation to rear overlooks an enclosed courtyard with outbuildings forming a small courtyard area. The main rear elevation is abutted to approximate centre by a large two-storey extension with a flat roof which steps down to single storey on right side; main rear elevation on left side has a replacement top-hung timber window on first floor level above coach archway and a single 2/2 timber sliding sash window on right side (above single storey extension). Rear elevation of two-storey extension has a large timber casement window on left side of ground floor and a recess on right side with a timber and glazed door and small 1/1 timber sliding sash window. On first floor level there is a large timber window on left side and a 1/1 timber sliding sash window on right side; SW side of rear extension has a timber casement window on ground floor level and a smaller opening above (opening boarded up). Rear slope of main pitched roof has a small flat roof dormer window on right side with a 1/1 timber sliding sash window; cast-iron rainwater goods to main rear elevation, uPVC rainwater goods to rear extension. Single storey outbuilding abuts rear extension on right side and has a tin roof and painted rendered and limewashed rubblestone walls with openings with plywood doors. This outbuilding abuts a two-storey limewashed rubblestone outbuilding with a tiled roof and randomly placed openings with vertically sheeted timber doors. The right side of the two-storey outbuilding is abutted by another single-storey outbuilding, which is painted brick/block with a slate roof. Setting: Located within a terraced row on east side of Main Street, facing north-east and just south of Market Square. Materials: Roof: Fibre cement RWGs: Cast-iron (SW) & uPVC (NE) Walling: Pebble-dash, painted render bands Windows: timber sliding sash (SW & NE) and timber top-hung & casements (NE).

Architects

Historical Information

Nos 72-74 Main Street, a two-storey four-bay building possessing shopfront and coach arch, was constructed in c. 1834 as part of the reconstruction of the village of Bushmills in the early-19th century. The Bushmills Conservation Area Guide records that Bushmills was a significant settlement before the end of the 18th century but from the 1820s the village was extensively rebuilt by the MacNaghten family of Bushmills House (who had acquired the estate in 1787). Nos 72-74 Main Street was first recorded on the Townland Valuations Town Plan (c. 1834) which depicted the building along its current layout possessing an outbuilding to rear (matching the layout of the current outbuilding). The contemporary Townland Valuations (c. 1835) described nos 72-74 Main Street as a 1A- class structure (that is a new or nearly new slated building) that measured 45ft by 28ft and stood 19ft in height. The valuer noted that the building was initially valued at £11, possessed a range of outbuildings to rear, and was occupied by a Mr. James McKibbin as a dwelling and shop. In the mid-19th century Griffith’s Valuation (1859) increased the value of nos 72-74 Main Street to £12 and 10 shillings and noted that the building was leased by the MacNaghten estate to George Dinsmore, a local miller (UTD). Dinsmore vacated the site in c. 1863 and in c. 1871 nos 72-74 Main Street was occupied by James McNeill, a local publican who established the first public house at the property. By the turn of the 20th century the public house was occupied by Margaret Jane McNeill who was described by the 1901 Census of Ireland as a local grocer and spirit merchant. The associated census building return described nos 72-74 Main Street as a 1st class public house which consisted of 12 rooms and possessed four stables, a coach house, a barn and a store amongst its out offices. The contemporary Ordnance Survey Town Plan (1902) recorded nos 72-74 Main Street along its current terraced-layout and also depicted a number of small outbuildings to rear. The McNeill family vacated the site in c. 1905 after which point a number of different occupants briefly inhabited the property. Nos 72-74 Main Street was known as the ‘Bush Hotel’ and had been increased in value to £30 under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57). The valuer noted that the site had been purchased outright from the MacNaghten estate in c. 1930 by a Mr. Charles Callaghan. The local publican continued to operate the public house and hotel at nos 72-74 Main Street until at least the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) at which time the total rateable value of the building stood at £76. In 1972 the UAHS Guide for North Antrim described the buildings along Main Street in Bushmills in the following general terms: ‘A well-scaled street. Many good doorways and shopfronts remain, although there is the usual profusion of signs. While no building apart from the former Courthouse is worthy of individual mention, the unity of the street frontages must be maintained’ (UAHS Guide, p. 16). Nos 72-74 Main Street was listed in 1980 and was subsequently included in the Bushmills Conservation Area. The conservation area was designated in 1992 in order to preserve the built heritage of the village which possesses the highest number of listed buildings in the North East of Northern Ireland. The NIEA HB Records note that nos 72-74 Main Street is no longer utilised as a public house and has fallen into a state of disrepair (Bushmills Conservation Area Guide; NIEA HB Records). References Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/3/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1832) 2. PRONI OS/6/1/3/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1855) 3. PRONI OS/6/1/3/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1904) 4. PRONI VAL/1/D/1/7 – Townland Valuation Town Plan (c. 1834) 5. PRONI VAL/1/B/132 – Townland Valuations (c. 1835) 6. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/25A – Griffith’s Valuation (1859) 7. PRONI VAL/12/E/56/2 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1909-c. 1935) 8. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/8A-D – Annual Revisions (1859-1894) 9. PRONI VAL/12/B/4/6A-C – Annual Revisions (1895-1929) 10. PRONI VAL/3/C/1/13 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) 11. PRONI VAL/4/B/1/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72) 12. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1918) 13. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911) 14. First Survey Record – HB05/08/82 15. NIEA HB Records – HB05/08/082 Secondary Sources 1. Girvan, W. D., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings & areas of architectural importance in North Antrim’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1972. 2. ‘Bushmills Conservation Area Guide’ Belfast: Department of the Environment, 1992 – includes Ordnance Survey Town Plan (1902).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation H-. Alterations detracting from building J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Two-storey, four-bay, pebble-dashed mid-terraced public house with coach arch. Located within a terraced row on north-east side of Main Street, facing south-west and just south of Market Square. Front elevation retains much historic character such as the timber sliding sash windows, original front door within decorative surround and inscription in overlight. The coach arch leads to rear courtyard area where there is a two-storey rubblestone outbuilding. While the rear extension has a flat roof and some historic fabric has been removed such as the original natural slate roof, the building retains original historic character and as such the Main Street setting is enhanced by the public house and its outbuilding.

General Comments

Date of Survey

30 April 2015