10 Circular Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 3-bay 2½ storey semi-detached house, back return, ashlar sandstone, side porch. The elevation to Circular Road has a westerly aspect with flat roofed side porch, 3 steps ascend to framed and panelled front door, upper panel glazed, porch built in ashlar sandstone with solid parapet wall, and 2 no. 4 pane windows on flanking wall, the rear wall of which abuts against a small back return, also built of ashlar sandstone with lean to roof with single small chimney stack popping out of roof. Above porch a larger 4 pane fixed window and above a semi-circular headed 5 pane window in pediment. The lower member of the pedimented gable is missing and the course fitted in with plaster. Gable wall built of ashlar sandstone.

The front has 2, 8 pane tall vertical windows and directly over at 1st floor 2, 4 pane squarish windows. Flat soffit extruded ogee gutter, single downpipe. Wall built of ashlar sandstone, roof natural slates, central chimney stack in sandstone shared with No 12 Circular Road.

The small back return is probably original and is plastered on E & S sides.

The house observes the fixed building line, set well back from Circular Road with short avenue approach. Gates, piers of recent date. There is a well maintained range of outbuildings and built in the random rubble and painted white. There is an access lane to the rear serving all the properties.

Historical information

These houses were erected by the Drapers Company to improve the appearance of the town and provide a better house type. Booth designed the houses and D Magee built them for £775. They were begun in 1830 and completed in 1832. Booth thought progress was slow just like the new parish church which was being erected at the same time but with a Belfast builder. The house has been little altered over the years except for the replacement windows on front façade. The O.S. memoir mentions much of the housing erected up to 1836-7 but does not mention those well-constructed and impressionable semi-detached houses in Circular Road.
See HB09/06/019A, 019B, 021B.

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. map 1832 Londonderry sh. 46
2. O.S. map 1832 Rev 1856 Londonderry sh. 46
3. O.S. map 1906 Londonderry sh. 109
4. O.S. Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of Co Londonderry, XI, 1821, 1833, 1836-7, P. 39.
5. Curl J.S. Moneymore & Draperstown. UAHS. P.43, 48.
6. Curl J.S. The Londonderry, Plantation, 1609-1914. P.208
7. Notes 1st Survey, E.H.S. Hill Street, Belfast.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An interesting semi-detached house of 1832 erected by the Drapers Company as an example of better class dwellings and to improve the appearance of the village. It, in conjunction with its neighbours and another pair of similar design N of the Second Presbyterian Church, are fine example of early village planning. Built of ashlar sandstone, and though of severe designs, are impressive especially with their classical overtones.