25 Strand Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Victorian mid-terraced three-storey red brick commercial building with painted stucco pilasters with v-joints to either end of elevation to upper floors and modern shop-front on ground floor level; uppers floors are three-bays wide. Built 1895 (architect unknown). Rectangular on plan with a low balustraded parapet wall and wall-head dormer to attic level centred on elevation; pitched slate roof behind has terracotta clay ridge tiles. Principal elevation faces East onto Strand Road. Similar in style to neighbouring property No.27 Strand Road (HB01/21/026) on the north side.

Principal elevation (E) is of red brick laid in 'Stretcher bond' to upper floors with painted stucco pilasters with v-joints to either end of elevation. The upper floor bays are divided vertically by brick piers, the middle bay being wider than the two bays either side. The ground floor level consists of a modern shop-front with bold signage and tiled surround; shop-front has two large glazed display panes to the left of a square-headed timber and glazed door with a plain glazed transom light over; large signage board surmounted to fascia above with a painted timber surround. Segmental arched heads to upper floor windows; first floor windows are timber sliding sash with 8 upper lights and a single pane lower light (with the exception of the right side pane having a 2 light section to the lower pane); second floor windows are also timber sliding sash with decorative glazing bars to upper lights and single pane lower lights. Each upper floor window has a brick keystone within brick voussoirs. Above the second floor windows is a moulded 'egg and dart' frieze to a deep projecting cornice above with modillion blocks. The low parapet wall above has a decorative painted ironwork balustrade between rendered piers (end piers have rendered decorative finials on urns above cornice) to either side of a pedimented red brick wall-head dormer having a segmental arched 8/2 timber sliding sash window.

South side is adjoined to neighbouring property No.23 Strand Road. Gable-end projects above roofline of adjoining property; walling is of cement rendered unpainted finish with concrete skews to gable heads.

West rear elevation to the rear is abutted by a two-storey cement rendered rear return; rear (West) main elevation is blank cement-rendered finish to upper floors; uPVC guttering on timber fascia board to rear elevation. Rear return walls are blank cement rendered unpainted finish (where seen) having a uPVC gutter to West elevation; man-made fibre cement roof tiles and black clay ridge tiles to rear return.

North side elevation is abutted by No.27 Strand Road (HB01/21/026).

Materials:
Roof Natural Slate
RWG uPVC (West)
Walling Brick with stucco dressings
Windows Timber Sliding Sash

Setting:
Located on the West side of Strand Road with the River Foyle to the east. Situated within a terrace row of generously scaled red brick and rendered commercial buildings varying in type and style set outside and between both boundaries of the Historic City and Clarendon Street Conservation Areas.

Historical information

No. 25 Strand Road, a three-storey three-bay red-brick and rendered building located near the corner of Great James Street, was constructed in 1895 along with the adjoining No. 27 (Grand Central Bar - HB01/21/026). The Annual Revisions record that, prior to 1895, the site of No. 25 Strand Road was occupied by a previous building which was utilised as a dwelling and fruiterer’s shop by a Mr. John Clements. The Ulster Town Directories suggest that Clements occupied the site from at least the 1880s and resided in the upper floors of the buildings. The value of the original building on the site was set at £14 by the Annual Revisions (UTD).

Clement’s dwelling and fruit shop was demolished in 1895 when the current structure was erected. No. 25 Strand Road was constructed at the same time as the adjoining No. 27 and both buildings were undoubtedly by the same architect. The architect of the pair is unknown, however Calley suggests that the ‘subtle and charming’ design of No. 25 Strand Road may have been by the Australian architect Alfred Forman. This is unlikely as the Dictionary of Irish Architects notes Forman did not arrive in Ireland until c. 1897 whilst even Calley admits that the design of nos 25-27 Strand Road are ‘perhaps even more delicate than his designs.’ Upon its completion, No. 25 Strand Road was valued at £65 and was leased by The Honourable The Irish Society to Roulston & Smyth, wholesale grocers. No. 25 Strand Road was recorded on the Annual Revisions Map (c. 1873-1910) which depicted the building along its current layout (Calley, p. 406; DIA).

The 1901 and 1911 census records that the building was solely utilised as a shop and stores and was not utilised as a private dwelling as its predecessor had been. Roulston & Smyth remained at the address until the 1940s when ownership passed to William and Kathleen Donaldson who converted the property into a pharmaceutical chemists (known as Donaldson & Lee). Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of No. 25 Strand Road was increased to £90. Donaldson & Lee continued to operate from the site until at least the 1970s and by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of the property had been further increased to £302. No. 25 Strand Road had fallen vacant by c. 2010.
The ground floor was occupied by a retail unit at the time of survey.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/5/20/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1853)
2. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1/8 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910)
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/32/11ZA – Annual Revisions (1892-1897)
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/2C-2F – Annual Revisions (1898-1931)
5. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/10 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
6. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/17 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
7. Ulster Town Directories (1880-1918)
8. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
9. First Survey Record – HB01/21/026 (No Date)
10. NIEA HB Records – HB01/21/026

Secondary Sources
1. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

A Victorian mid-terraced three-bay, three-storey red brick commercial building with rendered and red brick dressings built in 1895 situated within a terraced row of commercial buildings lining the West side of Strand Road, to the north of the Historic Walled City and on the east side of the River Foyle. The front facade retains much of its original character and sense of grandeur with a highly decorative ironwork balustrade to the parapet wall with decorative urns on each side set above a moulded frieze and a deep projecting cornice. The second floor windows with their unusual glazing bar pattern adds to the unique character of the building. Despite the modern shop-front on ground floor level this building is distinctive because of its finely detailed front façade.