8-9 Artillery Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Late Georgian mid-terrace three-storey five-bay smooth-rendered building with basement level, half above ground, built as a pair consisting of two separate dwellings with a coach archway centred on elevation to ground floor level, built pre 1832. Rectangular on plan with deep projecting cornice at eaves. Principal elevation faces east onto Artillery Street directly overlooking the City Walls, set within the Cathedral Quarter of the Historic Walled City. Slated pitched roof with paired rendered chimney stacks centred on ridge. Restoration and internal alterations completed 2011. Now vacant.

Principal elevation is of smooth-rendered painted finish with a large elliptical archway centred on elevation with large sheeted modern timber entrance gates and dressed stone quoins to arched surround; all windows are square-headed with a single 6/6 timber sliding sash (not original) to either side of archway on ground floor, each flanked by a slightly recessed elliptical arch entrance doorway, left-side doorway is two-steps up with plain replacement architrave surround and four-panel timber door with plain fanlight above, doorway on the right is four-steps up with plain replacement architrave surround and four-panel timber door flanked by small replacement decorative console brackets. Square headed window opening to half basement level either side of carriage opening, blind window on left side, glass blocks to window on right side protected by metal grilles to window opening and on ground. Deep projecting stone cornice with hidden gutter detail, lead flashing to top of low parapet wall above. Cast-iron circular downpipe with hooper.

North and South sides are abutted by adjoining properties No.7 Artillery Street (HB01/19/064) to the lower side and No.10 Artillery Street on the upper side.

West elevation to the rear has been re-rendered during refurbishment works in 2010/11. Former rear returns are now demolished, original sliding sash windows and original raised-and-fielded timber doors and fanlights have also been removed during these works.

Pitched slate roof has black clay ridge tiles, paired large rendered chimney stacks centred on the ridge, each aligned with the outer edge of the carriage archway with 8 & 9 octagon or circular-shaped buff clay pots.

Note laundry to rear.

Materials:
Roof :Slated
RWG :Cast Iron (E) uPVC (W)
Walling: Render
Windows :Timber Sliding Sash

Setting:
Located on the west side of Artillery Street within the Cathedral Quarter of the Historic Walled City Conservation Area, situated within a terrace row of houses of different types, directly overlooking the City Walls to the east side. Restoration and internal alterations completed 2011.

Historical information

Nos 8-9 Artillery Street, a three-storey five bay building that consists of two separate dwellings divided by a coach arch, was constructed in the early-19th century. The dwellings were depicted on the Townland Valuation map (1834) which recorded that the building possessed two rear returns (now demolished) and was abutted on its north-east gable by the stable block to the Kings Arms Hotel. The Townland Valuation (1832) described the pair of dwellings as 1C class buildings (slated buildings that were old and out of repair) that were valued at over £20 and measured 27ft in width, 20.6ft in depth and 19ft in height. In the 1830s No. 8 Artillery Street was occupied by Joseph Stirling whilst No. 9 was the home of a Mrs Gore.

The 1848-49 Ordnance Survey town plan recorded that, following the demolition of the Kings Arms Hotel stables in c. 1848, nos 8-9 Artillery Street became a detached building. Griffith’s Valuation (1856) notes that the pair had been increased in value to £38 and were leased out to tenants by Joseph E. Miller, a surgeon who resided at No. 18 Pump Street (directly behind nos 8-9 Artillery Street). It has been proposed that nos 8-9 Artillery Street was utilised as a manse for the ministers of Londonderry Fourth Presbyterian Church, which occupied the former theatre at the corner of London Street and Artillery Street between 1838 and 1879, but the Annual Revisions do not note any of the ministers of Fourth Presbyterian Church amongst the occupants of either dwelling. The only occupant who was a member of Holy Orders was the Rev. Francis Smith who resided at No. 9 Artillery Street between c. 1862 and 1868, although the Rev. Smith was a curate at St. Columb’s Cathedral and not a Presbyterian. Between 1861 and 1879 the minister of Fourth Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Robert Ross, resided on the Waterside (UTD).

With the construction of the adjoining nos 10-12 Artillery Street in 1879 and the Convent Schools in 1889 nos 8 7 9 Artillery Street became part of a terrace that became known as ‘Victoria Terrace.’ The occupants of the dwellings changed with great frequency during the second half of the 19th century. In 1885 the properties were occupied by William and Daniel Coyle and were decreased in value to £26. By the 1901 census No. 8 Artillery Street was occupied by Joseph Curtis, a shirt cutter, whilst No. 9 was occupied by Joseph Maton who worked as an engine fitter. The 1901 census building return described nos 8-9 Artillery Street as two 2nd class dwellings that possessed a total of 12 rooms. The 2-storey square-shaped outbuilding to the rear of the buildings had been constructed by the turn of the 20th century and was first depicted on the 1899 Valuation Map. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of nos 8-9 Artillery Street was increased to £32. By the 1930s the buildings had been acquired by the Convent of Mercy on Pump Street and continued to be leased out as private dwellings. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the value of the buildings had been further raised to £40.

In 1977 nos 8-9 Artillery Street were included in the Historic City Conservation Area. The DOE (NI) review of the conservation area considered Artillery Street to be ‘a fine example of the unique streetscape of the historic city with the former St. Joseph’s School (now the Playhouse) forming the centrepiece.’ In 2005 Buildings at Risk Northern Ireland noted that many of the other properties along Artillery Street (including nos 8-9) had fallen into a state of disrepair ‘although they form an equally important part of the varied and interesting streetscape, which provides a fitting attractive backdrop to the 17th century city walls’ (BARNI, p. 87). In 2012 nos 8-9 Artillery Street had fallen into such a state of disrepair with all of its windows boarded up but during the course of the Second Survey the building has underwent an extensive restoration.

References
Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/5/20/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1830)
2. PRONI OS/6/5/20/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1853)
3. PRONI VAL/12/E/57/1/15 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910)
4. PRONI VAL/1/B/547A-F – Townland Valuation (1832)
5. PRONI VAL/1/D/5/9B – Townland Valuations Town Plan (1834)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/15/16D – Griffith’s Valuation (1856)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/32/11V-11ZD – Annual Revisions (1885-1897)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/1A-1B – Annual Revisions (1897-1929)
9. VAL/3/C/6/10 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
10. VAL/4/B/5/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
11. Ulster Town Directories (1852-1943)
12. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
13. Foyle Civic Trust: Living City Project (Artillery Street)

Secondary Sources
1. ‘Buildings at Risk: Vol. 7’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2005.
2. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013.

Online Resources
1. Digital Atlas of Derry – Londonderry - http://www.ria.ie/digitalatlasderry

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Late-Georgian mid-terrace three-storey five bay rendered townhouse with a central elliptical-arched carriage on ground floor, set on the west side of Artillery Street directly overlooking the City Walls. Built pre 1832. Rectangular on plan with deep stone projecting cornice at eaves. The symmetrical proportions of the front elevation are typical of a typical Georgian dwelling, however during recent restoration works to both buildings, a great deal of original fabric and detailing to the exterior has been removed. The front elevation makes a significant contribution to the overall streetscape and to the Historic Walled City Conservation Area, however with the loss of much of its original detail, it is not among the best examples of the type and is not of special architectural and historic interest. It is not therfore deemed to be worthy of listing.