Survey Data
Reg No
21831013
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Social
Previous Name
Rathkeale Railway Station
Original Use
Goods shed
In Use As
Museum/gallery
Date
1860 - 1870
Coordinates
135970, 141938
Date Recorded
30/11/2008
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached three-bay two-storey former railway station, built in 1867, now in use as a heritage centre. Having multiple-bay single-storey block to south-east elevation, recent glazed lean-to addition to south-west (rear) and gabled north-west bay to north-east (front) elevation. Pitched slate roofs with cut limestone chimneystacks, overhanging sheeted eaves and cast-iron rainwater goods. Rubble limestone walls with cut limestone quoins. Square-headed openings with replacement uPVC windows, cut limestone sills, surrounds and voussoirs. Square-headed door opening to ground floor, front elevation, set within gabled projection with pitched slat roof, and having timber battened door with cut limestone surround and lintel. Square-headed opening to ground floor north-west elevation with cut limestone surround and lintel, now blocked. Remains of detached gable-fronted former goods shed to south-west with single-bay single-storey lean-to to south-east elevation. Roof gone. Lean-to slate roof to lean-to. Rubble stone walls with buttresses. Square-headed openings to side elevations now blocked, having red brick relieving arches above. Lunette opening to north-east gable, now blocked, with cut limestone surround and sill. Segmental-arched openings to gables with cut limestone surrounds and voussoirs, one now blocked, one with timber battened door.
Appraisal
This former building onced served the community of Rathkeale as a train station, but has been kept in use as the Palatine Heritage Centre. Its gabled form and design are typical of railway architecture of its era, particularly of modestly sized railway stations in small rural towns. The materials used in its construction - the variety of limestone and large quoin blocks - are also characteristic of railway structures of its time and articulate the well proportioned form. The good shed to the site, though now in a derelict state, adds context to the site and offers further variety of materials in the red brick surrounds and relieving arches.