5 Victoria Park

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two storey smooth rendered and painted house with double pile hipped roofs in natural slates three bays wide on entrance side (NW) and four bays deep. There is a two storey side return to the east.The side return projects beyond the line of the entrance façade. There is a further shallow extension to the SE over which the rear hip roof extends.

Entrance facade consists of central entrance panelled door with sidelights, Doric pilasters, cornice and elliptical fanlight over. Above at first floor there is a 12 pane sliding sash window. To the right there is a two storey shallow bow with tripartite sliding sashes on ground and first floor. There are flanking pairs of fluted Roman Doric columns to the tripartite windows each pair above the over. These columns are full storey height. On the left side of the door a single 12 pane sliding sash and another at 1st floor above it. The projecting two storey side return is treated with a similar bow window to ground and first floor. Each bow breaks through the wide soffit of the roof eaves and terminates with a plain parapet. Under the eaves a bold cornice and below a string moulding forming a plain frieze.

The NW facade, four bays wide, has a single storey asymmetrically placed canted bay with shallow slated roof. Also there are three sliding sash two pane windows at ground floor, 4 No. sliding sash 12 pane windows at first floor centrally over those below with the two at the right hand centered on the canted bay. Wide eaves, cornice and frieze continues together with plaster quoins and plinths.

Similar treatment extends to the SW facade with four sliding sash 12 pane windows regularly spaced at ground and first floor. The eaves overhang continues as far as the extended roof of the rear extension. The side return has a double pitched roof. Large moulded yellow brick chimneys (five No.) appear on ridges, slopes and gable. Replacement gutters are in PVC. Behind the house an array of outhouses.

The core of the house is an exact square which is spoiled in elevational treatment by the side and back returns.

Sited on steeply sloping ground of 0.9 hectare overlooking the east bank of the River Foyle and enjoying splendid views of river and city. Being the 1st villa erected in Victoria Park c1845 the first iron bridge had not been constructed nor was Spencer Road laid out. See
setting comment for HB01/11/003.

Historical information

This villa is not referred to in the Ordnance Survey Memoirs nor shown on the 1830 Ordnance Survey Map. In the Ordnance Survey Memoir the townland of Gobnascale which contains Victoria Park the lessors are given as Moore and Boyle. The house is shown on Pettifer and Cowen map of 1848-9 with well laid out gardens. The plan profile is as it is today. Griffiths V B of 1858 gives a valuation of £54, Robert Dunn being the lessee and John and Robert Boyle the lessor. Interestingly for the Warren villa next door the lessor is given as Robert Dunn. In the Griffith V B 1858 a Dunn & Co occupied No. 20 Clooney Terrace Road as lessee, the lessor being Tillie & Henderson.

The current owner (1998) purchased the house from the Austin family 31 years ago when it was occupied by Mrs Alice Maud Austin. The house was originally called Dunnfield but name changed to Hillmount around 1900.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A good example of a Georgian style house erected in the early Victorian period with electic style bow windows of generous proportions, simple plan form with good internal plasterwork and door and window joinery details. Is part of an early suburban parkland type development of which it is the first building on an elevated site with fine views of the River Foyle and the walled city.