32 Chapel Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A large two storey house, four bays wide on east side and three bays on north with basement under extending the area of house. There is a two storey extension to the south. The roofs are covered in natural slates with a series of gables and only two chimneys. The east or entrance facade consists of asymmetrically placed entrance with bridged steps over basement area, one sliding sash window to right and two sliding sash windows to left one of which is two light The 1st floor has windows over those below but not quite centred. There are three bays to the south gable, further to the south there is a one bay extension set back approximately 900mm. Entrance door has classical pilasters and cornice, and each window has segmental heads and surrounds. Walls are smooth plastered and painted.

North facade consists of central doorway with sliding sash window on either side and sliding sash windows above at 1st floor. Steps to entrance door bridge over basement area and a gable forms over two bays on the east side. In the gable there are tripartite pointed niches with unifying label moulding.

West facade reads as three storey high with asymmetrically placed canted bay to north side through three floors. The façade is four bays wide with sliding sash windows, segmental headed with surrounds, the whole smooth rendered and painted. The canted bay has gable with large gable over other three windows.

Side return has smooth rendered walls, painted with slated roof, gabled with chimney stack.

Sited at the west end of St Columb’s R C Church, and about 12 metres from it and not obscuring the view of the west front of the nave, on elevated ground with great views of the river and the historic walled city. The house had two entrances, one in the north facade and the other on the east which is now the principal access. The house is cut into the ground with an area about 1.2 metres wide on three sides with the steps to the entrances forming bridges over it.

Historical information

Parochial house erected c1865 during the time of Dr James Devlin as PP. House extended in c 1916. Parochial house indicated on OSS XX8.1 surveyed 1873. Architect possibly J O'Neill

References:

J A Coulter, ‘The History of the Parish of Glendermott ‘1958
J R Walsh, co-author, ‘St Columb’s Church, Glendermott’ 1841-1991

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A large mid Victorian house of poor proportions, mainly because of roofing arrangement. Has a plan form typical of other similar houses in the locale. Is of some local interest in the grouping of church, parochial house and former school.