Major refurbishment completed at Sheils Houses

Designed by architect Charles Lanyon, the Charles Sheils Houses were built in 1868 with the aim of providing rent-free housing.

Work began last autumn to re-roof and insulate the B2 listed buildings, located on the Larne Road.

Changes to the roof were to remain in keeping with the particular historic pattern of slate with a fish scale feature. "The ‘oversized’ guttering was also kept to the original style to comply with the historical requirement of providing rainwater for the complex," said Christine Harper from Sheils Houses.

"With conservation in mind, as much of the original material as possible was re-used; however, the refurbishment of the exterior of the buildings was in the region of half a million pounds.

"Built in the Victorian Gothic style, ornate woodwork that had stood the test of time extremely well was finally showing signs of deterioration and repairs were needed. The clock tower stone and ironwork had weathered over the years with the effects of wind off the sea, and needed to be repaired or replaced, [meaning] the time-honoured skills of stone masons would be required."

Refurbishment started in September 2019, carrying on through the winter, and was expected to be completed by Easter 2020.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that completion was delayed. A year later, we are able to celebrate the exterior refurbishment of the Charles Sheils Houses Carrickfergus, with the certain knowledge that this historic site will serve many more generations from the County Antrim area," Christine added.

"Charles Sheils’ vision of a self-sufficient community is still apparent today with ‘growing your own’ and conservation high on the agenda."

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Peter Johnston will be among those marking the completion of the project at Sheils Houses on Friday, September 11.

Also present for the unveiling of a commemorative plaque will be local roofing contractor Gordon Penrose, Governors of the Charles Sheils Charity and members of the local board, including chairman John Richardson JP.