Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB22/08/004

Address :
Carrickfergus Railway Station 10 Victoria Street Carrickfergus Co. Antrim BT38 8AQ

Townland:
Carrickfergus MB

---

Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
30/07/1991 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Railway Station Structures

Former Use
Railway Station Structures

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

---

OS Map No:
98-16 ne3

IG Ref:
J4119 8769

---

Owner Category

Public Body

Exterior Description And Setting

A detached multi-bay single-storey Arts and Crafts-styled railway station, built 1895 to designs by Barkeley D. Wise, located at the north end of Victoria Street and the south of Carrickfergus Avenue. Rectangular on plan with offset projecting bay, facing south; diminished hipped brick return to west gable, catslide canopy to north. Gambrel clay tile roof, roll-top red clay ridge tiles, red brick chimneystacks with corniced caps, replacement metal gutters with rectangular downpipes (foundry mark embossed “ALUMASO”). Walling is rendered with applied decorative timber framing over a raised Flemish-bonded red brick plinth (unless otherwise stated). Windows are painted timber mullion-and-transom casements, modern metal grilles. Doors are square-headed. Principal (south) elevation is dominated by projecting bay; remainder divided by projecting brick chimneystacks; variety of mullion-and-transom casements, that to projecting bay is an oriel on brick corbel. Projecting bay has a fixed timber sign surmounted by multi-light casement with central cartouche. Right cheek has double-leaf diagonally sheeted timber door accessed by flight of concrete steps with curved brick railing with stone coping. Left cheek detailed as right but with ramp instead of stairs and non-curved railing. West gable is abutted by lower return. Return has hipped roof with timber boxed eaves, brick walling, three horizontal slit windows; right cheek has timber panelled door accessed by concrete stairs with brick railing; left cheek has plinth, moulded sill-course, moulded six-panelled timber door to right, round-headed window to left. Rear (north) elevation opens onto platform, detailed as return, contained under deep overhanging canopy supported on decorative cast-iron columns with Composite capitals and filleted spandrels; soffit has exposed timber roof structure. Left section is enclosed by modern glazing; right section has two raised-and-fielded six-panelled doors with overlights and four windows. East gable is detailed as west gable. The station is situated north of the town centre; two-storey signal cabin to west, additional North Platform is located to north and connected to station by north-south subway tunnel with modern lift pavilions (of no interest) on both platforms. North Platform is sheltered by a freestanding canopy with pitched clay tile roof, sheeted timber exposed roof structure on a cross-braced queen post trusses; supported on chamfered timber piers, scalloped fascias. Contains modern glazed partitions and information kiosk. Subway entrance on North Platform is enclosed by decorative cast-iron railings of subway stair entrance. Subway is entered at four points by stairs at north and south of the station, internally and from North Platform; also accessed by both lifts (of no interest). Subway walling is white glazed brick with green glazed brick trim to corners, arches and railings; floor tiles are replacement. Signal cabin has hipped roof, deeply projecting timber sheeted box eaves with brackets, replacement moulded metal gutters, brick chimneystack with moulded cap to southeast corner. Walling is English Garden Wall-bonded brick over plinth with moulded stringcourse between ground and first floors and engaged pillars to ground floor corners. Windows are six-light timber horizontal-sliding sashes, metal security grilles, over timber sheeted panelling. Principal (north) elevation first floor projects on carved timber jetties; first floor has three windows. East elevation has two windows to right end. Rear (south) elevation is blank without stringcourse or plinth, ground floor has two brick-blocked segmental-arch-headed windows. West elevation is detailed as east but ground floor has single panelled door to left, first floor has projecting timber porch accessed by external timber stair, moulded-six-panelled door to left, single window to right. Roof: Gambrel clay tile roof, roll-top red clay ridge tiles Walling: Render with applied decorative timber framing over a raised Flemish-bonded red brick plinth Windows: Painted timber mullion-and-transom casements Rainwater Goods: Replacement metal gutters with rectangular downpipes (foundry mark embossed “ALUMASO”).

Architects

Wise, Berkley D

Historical Information

A building of similar plan and orientation is shown on the 2nd edition OS map of 1857, and is captioned ‘station’. The third edition OS map from 1902 shows additional buildings and developments in the area around the station. The town map of Carrickfergus which is dated 1872-1898, shows the station entered in pen at an unknown date but this is not numbered. From this it appears as if the current station building is dated from around 1872 to 1898, and replaced the pre existing station. According to information from the ‘Rail-Brit’website; Carrickfergus station was opened in 1862. The Griffiths Valuation Map of 1857 numbers the station, however the corresponding entry in the fieldbook was not located. Therefore the earlier building was more than likely built in the late 1850s and at least from between 1832 to 1857. Brett writes that the current station was built in 1895 by Berkely Deane Wise, to replace the existing station which had been gutted by fire. (Brett, pg 183). It has been described by Currie as “an exceptionally fine mock Tudor style erection, with a main and island platform’. (Brett, pg 183). Also in the booking hall is a ‘free standing stone and bronze war memorial [that records] the names of all those employees in Northern Ireland of the Midland Railway company who served and returned...’.(Brett, pg 283). Also according to the Carrickfergus Station Controller, the station doors are steel with painted timber panelling laid over. References Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/52/2 -Second Edition OS Map (1857) 2. PRONI OS/6/1/52/3 -Third Edition OS Map (1901-2) 3. PRONI VAL/2/B/22B –Griffiths Valuation Fieldbook (1859) 4. PRONI VAL/12/B/7/7A-C–Valuation Revisions (1894-1929) 5. PRONI VAL/12/E/20/2/1 -Town Plan of Carrickfergus (1898-1908) 6. PRONI VAL/12/E/20/1/1 -Town Plan of Carrickfergus (1872-1898) Secondary Sources 1. Railscot - Irish railways [Internet Source].Available from: Accessed 15th December 2008. 2. Brett, C.E.B. Buildings of County Antrim, UAHS, 1996.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A well detailed and proportioned multi-bay single-storey Arts and Crafts-styled late-nineteenth-century railway station with a number of well preserved contemporary ancillary structures. The station’s principal entrance on Victoria Street is on axis with North Street so travellers leave the station and follow the downhill North Street into the old North Gate (HB22/08/003A) through the old city walls and into the city centre. The well preserved interiors of the station, signal cabin and the subway all encapsulate the rich railway heritage of one of the best preserved railway stations in N Ireland.

General Comments

Date of Survey

17 December 2008