Millburn Terrace

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay three-storey mid-terrace Victorian townhouse; built c.1866 and located to the east side of Millburn Road in Coleraine town centre. Square on plan with single-storey canted bay to front and two-storey return to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with angled ridge tiles; polychrome brick and rendered chimneystacks having some tall clay pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on projecting dentilled eaves. Walling is painted roughcast render on a contrasting plinth. Windows are 1/1 timber sash with horns in simple painted render reveals with projecting painted sills; continuous sill course to canted bay.

The principal elevation faces northwest and is two windows wide at upper floors; canted bay window to ground floor left. Classical-style doorcase at right comprises panelled pilasters, frieze carved with Greek key motif and scrolled acanthus-leaf console brackets supporting a corniced canopy. Doorcase contains a modern four-panelled timber door with glazing and transom light accessed by two stone steps.

The northeast elevation is abutted by adjoining building (HB03/18/034G).

The southeast (rear) elevation is almost entirely abutted by the two-storey return.

The southwest elevation is abutted by adjoining building (HB03/18/034E).

Setting:
Forming part of a mid-nineteenth century terrace on the east side of the River Bann in Coleraine town centre, overlooking The Rose Gardens and Anderson Park. Slightly elevated on a lawned and shrubbed site with concrete pathway leading to steps to paved patio at front of house. Bounded to neighbouring properties by hedges and to road by a rendered with square piers supporting a replacement cast-iron latch-gate. Steps lead up to garden. Enclosed yard to rear has a two-storey slated roughcast rendered outbuilding forming a terrace with outbuildings to rest of terrace.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Painted roughcast render
Windows: 1/1 timber sash with horns
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Millburn Terrace, originally named Clifton Terrace, was built in 1865 on land owned by Richard Olphert of Millburn House (Mullin) and is first shown on the third edition OS map of 1904.

The closing decades of the nineteenth century saw a building boom of terraces and villas in Coleraine of which local people were extremely proud. After the Coleraine Building Society was established in 1864 a search was undertaken for suitable sites for workmen’s cottages but the sites advertised by the Olphert estate on the Millburn Road caught the Society’s attention and their first major development was the current terrace of eight dwellings (a ninth was added c1875). The contractor was Joseph Esdale and the terrace was named ‘Clifton’, the family name of Lady Bruce, whose husband Sir Henry Hervey Bruce was the president of the building society (Mullin). The terrace, originally eight houses, all with returns, was built with canted bays and railings to the front and a row of outbuildings to the rear. Well-known Coleraine merchants such as Hugh Cheyne and James Brookes were the first occupiers and by the turn into the twentieth century residents were a mix of retired farmers, professional people and merchants some of whom were able to employ a servant.

Number 47 was a house, office and garden occupied by James Moore and leased from William Ellis. The house was valued at £16 and 15s for the garden. Subsequent occupiers were K H Stephenson (1882) John Crea (1888) Jane Haddock (1889) Carson (1893) Daniel Todd (1895) Mrs Martha Knox (1899) Joseph Hunter (1906) Ed Mitchell (1911) and Henry Mitchell (1924). Martha Jane Knox was a widow who ran the premises as a boarding house. In 1901 her two boarders were a solicitor’s clerk and a bank clerk. The nine-room house was designated first class (1901 census). In 1911 the occupier was Henry Mitchell, Assistant County Surveyor for Londonderry County Council who lived with his wife and baby son. Mitchell was appointed in 1902 and held the post until at least 1947 (1911 census; www.dia.ie).

The terrace was listed in 1997 and restoration of the current dwelling took place in 2009-10. The building remains in domestic use.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/5/7/1 First Edition OS Map 1830
2. PRONI OS/6/5/7/2 Second Edition OS map 1849-50
3. PRONI OS/6/5/7/3 Third Edition OS Map 1904
4. PRONI OS/6/5/7/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1923
5. PRONI OS/6/5/7/5 Fifth Edition OS Map 1949
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/30/9A-N Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. 1901/1911 census
8. HB file – 03/18/034A-I

Secondary Sources

1. Girvan, W D “Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in Coleraine and Portstewart” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1971-2
2. Mullin, Rev T H “Coleraine in Modern Times” Belfast: Century Services Ltd, 1979
3. Snoddy, T “Dictionary of Irish Artists, 20th Century” Dublin: Merlin Publishing, 2002

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Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

A two-bay three-storey mid-terrace Victorian townhouse; built c.1866 and located to the east side of Millburn Road in Coleraine town centre. Proportions and detailing are typical of the mid-Victorian period and are relatively well-preserved with appropriate fenestration throughout. Forming part of a prominent and important mid-nineteenth century terrace, number 47 has group value as part of the best preserved examples of Victorian terraced architecture in the town. The terrace of nine townhouses makes a considerable contribution to the architectural quality and character of Coleraine. It is also of local interest.

General comments

Listing Criteria R - Age; and S - Authenticity also apply