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High Street, ANTRIM, BT41 4BN

Once upon a time Antrim was a small country town with a population of about 2,500. Then, in the late 60’s/early 70’s it was designated as a “growth town” based on employment provided by the (now closed) British Enkalon factory. The population grew nearly tenfold but somebody forgot that more people needed more shops so High Street remains much the same as 45 years ago. Security barriers during the bombing campaign and the success of nearby Ballymena didn’t help much either. See also Image and Image

A small access cover on High Street in Antrim. It is marked "NF" which appears to be the logo for the Norwood Foundry in Canada http://www.norwoodfoundry.com/index.htm . See Image for a related item.

A modern Elizabeth II "K" series postbox in High Street, Antrim. Slightly different to most examples, this one has a little hoop on the top. I imagine that this was used to lower the box into position and has been left there; most other examples I have seen have no hoop but a bolt inserted into the top.

Drop box and EIIR pillar box (BT41 19) at High Street, close to Riverside Image Previously seen in May 2011 Image

With the designation of Antrim as a “growth town” back in the 60’s it was, more or less, pulled apart and not quite re-built. Pogue’s Entry and its 18th century cottages (the exact date does not seem to be known) survived. It was the childhood home of Alexander Irvine Image Continue to Image

Bridge Street bridge over Six Mile Water, Antrim. The octagonal spire of All Saints Church can be seen in the background, built in 1816, it is the most prominent feature of the Antrim skyline.

Close your eyes and imagine that you’re writing your dissertation for your doctorate in town planning. Now think of a (purely hypothetical) town which had a population under 3,000 in the mid-sixties. Then it became a “growth town” and today has a population of around 22,000. Part of a street is a continuation of High Street Image Two things happen – there is a ring road about the town centre Image, Image, Image and Image There is a shopping centre, just off the main streets with more car parking than the rest of the town combined, anchored by (cough, splutter) Tesco. Then a major new shopping centre opens outside the town Image and Image (close to the motorway). Then Tesco moves out of the old shopping centre and builds a stand-alone 24-hour establishment nearby. Oh and at the same time that former main street is now a cul-de-sac with enforced parking restrictions and no buses. Couldn’t happen?? Open your eyes. Taken at 12.53 on a Saturday. Nobody passed in front of the camera and I wasn’t in anybody’s way. Why not? Guess!

In the foreground is the Massereene Bridge across the Sixmilewater. The bridge was built in 1708 by the Viscount Massereene as a gift to the people of Antrim. In the background is the spire of All Saints Church.

The branch of the Northern Bank at High Street, Antrim. The bank is due to renamed as Danske Bank Image next week removing a piece of local history. Old directories show that the Ulster Bank had a branch in Antrim since at least 1852 and the Belfast Bank since 1877. The Northern did not appear until much later. Image shows the name sign.

See Image The sign which will soon be a thing of the past.