35 Aberfoyle Terrace

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Late-Victorian Edwardian end-of-terrace two-bay three-storey red brick townhouse with polychromatic dressing, built c.1911 to designs by the architect W.A. Barker. No.35 is notably different from the others on the terrace, along with (No.3 its counterpart to the north), both end-of-terrace houses stepping up to three-storeys high where as the remainder of the houses are of two-storeys with dormer attic level. Rectangular on plan with large projecting rear return. Principal elevation faces East onto Strand Road, set behind painted low brick wall with steel railings enclosing a concrete paved forecourt. Built as part of a terrace row of seventeen similar houses of this type lining the west side of Strand Road although the end of terrace houses have a slightly different expression from the main terrace. Slated pitched roof with a two-stage polychromatic brick chimney stack rising from the north side.

Principal elevation (E) is of Flemish brick bond with projecting brick cornice at eaves; canted bay rises through two-storeys from ground floor level with a sill course to ground and first floor windows and a slightly projecting moulded cornice; segmental arch-headed window openings to canted bay, first and second floor levels, all windows are 1/1 timber sliding sashes; sill course to first floor windows spanning the width of the elevation. Semicircular arch-headed opening to entrance doorway, three steps up with a plain architrave surround to a painted six-panel fielded timber door and plain fanlight above.

South elevation is blank cement rendered painted finish.

North side is abutted by adjoining building No.33 Aberfoyle Terrace (HB01/22/014P).

West elevation to the rear is three-storeys with a two storey rear return built at half landing height with a slated pitched roof.

Black clay ridge tiles to main slated pitched roof and to rear return has black clay ridge tiles. Large polychromatic brick chimney rising from the north side, centred on ridge with circular buff clay pots. uPVC guttering and circular downpipe to front elevation.

Setting:
Aberfoyle Terrace is located on the western side of Strand Road, situated to the immediate north of Derry city centre. Magee College (University of Ulster) is located at high level to the immediate rear (west) of the terrace. No.35 is the last house in the terrace, at the south end. It is within the Magee Conservation Area. The River Foyle is located to the east.

Materials:
Roof : Natural Slate
RWG: uPVC (E)
Walling : Brick
Windows : Timber Sliding Sash

Historical information

Aberfoyle Terrace, a terrace of seventeen red brick houses located along the Strand Road, was erected in stages over a period of two decades. The UAHS guide for Derry suggests that the terrace was constructed in c. 1902 but the first dwelling on the row was actually constructed in 1891 with the final houses being completed in 1911. The northern expansion of Londonderry had been initiated in the mid-19th century by the construction of Georgian-style terraces on Great James Street, Queen Street and Clarendon Street. These were followed by the residential terraces of Crawford Square (HB01/22/003; 004) and De Burgh Terrace (HB01/22/025). By the end of the 19th century the northern expansion of the city had reached the campus of Magee University (HB01/22/009) which had been incorporated into the Royal University of Ireland in 1879. The development of the university campus was accompanied by the erection of new red brick terraces at Clarence Avenue (HB01/22/006), College Terrace (HB01/22/026) and Aberfoyle Terrace.

The Annual Revisions note that nos 3-35 Aberfoyle Terrace were constructed on land belonging to John McFarland, a local magistrate and engineer who resided at Aberfoyle House on the hill overlooking Strand Road (HB01/22/007). The terrace was designed by William A. Barker (1851-1898), a local architect and engineer who was involved in the development of the university area in the 1890s. Barker was also responsible for the design of Florence Terrace (HB01/22/008) on the Northland Road, a Professor’s House within Magee Campus and ‘was associated with the layout of Foyle College grounds for building purposes’ (HB01/22/016). Barker was responsible for the standard design of the houses on Aberfoyle Terrace but by the time of his death in 1898 only half of the current terrace had been completed (DIA; UAHS, p. 50). The Annual Revisions note that the terrace was originally known as Templemore Terrace but the name was changed to Aberfoyle in c. 1903, the name derived from Aberfoyle House directly above the Strand Road.

No. 35 Aberfoyle Terrace, along with the adjoining No. 33, was constructed in 1911 as the final phase in the laying out of the terrace. The building, in contrast to the adjoining nos 7-31 Aberfoyle Terrace, is three-storey with a two-storey bay window. The end terrace building was constructed to the same design as No. 3 Aberfoyle Terrace with the pair effectively ‘bookending’ the remainder of the row. The Annual Revisions record that No. 35 Aberfoyle Terrace was valued at £18 10s. and was originally occupied by a Mr. F. W. A. McCormack. The First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) records that the value of the building was increased to £30 and that the occupants of the house changed frequently until George Trimby, a chiropractor, took possession in 1946. Trimby’s family continued to reside at Aberfoyle Terrace until at least the 1970s. The Second Revaluation (1956-72) records that the McFarland estate retained ownership of the house throughout this period and also noted that the value of No. 35 Aberfoyle Terrace was raised to £34 by 1972.

In 1970 the UAHS guide for Derry described nos 3-35 Aberfoyle Terrace as ‘a pleasing terrace of two-storey houses with half dormers, each house with a ground floor half-hexagonal bay window in yellow brick. The whole terrace is in red brick with brick reveals, and dressings in yellow brick. The end houses (No. 3 and No. 35) are a little higher than the rest’ (UAHS guide, p. 50). Nos 3-35 Aberfoyle Terrace were listed in 1979 and were incorporated into the Magee Conservation Area in 2006. The NIEA HB Records note that No. 35 Aberfoyle Terrace underwent a renovation in 1987 that included the reconstruction of its chimney, the reslating of its roof using second hand slate, and the installation of cast aluminium rainwater goods. In c. 2006 the building was converted from a single property into a number of self-contained apartments (NIEA HB Records).

The Conservation Guide for the area identified Aberfoyle Terrace as one of five zones of distinct character within the Magee Conservation Area. The guide noted that the terrace was ‘quite disconnected’ from the rest of the Conservation Area and appears isolated on the Strand Road: ‘The ambiance surrounding Aberfoyle Terrace has changed out of all recognition from the days when it was home to families and would have looked onto a somewhat different Strand Road. Today the terrace overlooks heavy flows of fast moving traffic on the four lane Strand Road’ (Magee Conservation Area Design Guide).

References

Primary Sources
1.PRONI VAL/12E/157/4 (1910-1935)
2. PRONI VAL/12/B/32/11T – Annual Revisions (1885-1891)
3. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/2A-F – Annual Revisions (1898-1931)
4. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/10 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
5. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
6. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
7. Ulster Town Directories (1980-1918)
8. First Survey Record – HB01/22/014 (1970)
9. First Survey Image – HB01/22/014 (No Date)
10. NIEA HB Records – HB01/22/014Q

Secondary Sources
1. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013.
2. Ferguson, W. S; Rowan, A. J; Tracey, J. J., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in and near the city of Derry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1970.
3. ‘Design Guide for Magee Conservation Area’ Department of the Environment, 2010.

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
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Three-storey end-of-terrace red brick townhouse with yellow brick dressings located on the west side of Strand Road overlooking the River Foyle close to the University of Ulster. The terrace of seventeen was built over two decades from 1891-1911 with No.35 being the last to be built in c. 1911, to designs by the architect W.A. Barker (1851-1898), a local architect and engineer who was involved in the development of the university area in the 1890s. Despite the painting of the brickwork to the two storey bay and around the front door, No.35 is a fine example of a terraced dwelling of its time which retains historic character to the front facade, particularly in the use of different colours of brick. The external form provides a book-end to the terrace along with the corresponding No.3 at the south end. No's 3-35 Aberfoyle Terrace (HB01/22/014A-Q) have group value and the Magee Conservation Area is enhanced by their Late-Victorian and Edwardian detailing and form.