12 Manse Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A unified architectural group of brick built late Victorian two storey (+ attic) houses, set in a planned communal landscaped
setting on western side of Manse Road. There are two groups; nos. 6 and 4 to right and 12,10 and 8 to left; all share common details:

No 12. Three bays wide and the left one of a group of three properties. Pitched natural slate roof with red clay crested ridges, and tiled verge to left gable. Decorative (flues delineated by raised bricks) red brick chimney to left gable and similar to right at join with no.10. Eaves are three courses of decorative brick supporting half round metal gutters. To front pitch, over right bay, rising from just above eaves level is a dormer window. It has a pitched natural slate roof with decorative fretted timer bargeboard and tall spiked finial. It has a pair of two paned side hung painted timber casements and painted timber cheeks.

Walls are red brick in English garden bond, with yellow brick detailing and a chamfered granite base course. Two storey canted left bay advances slightly under a large gable. Between ground and first floor are two courses of decorative yellow brick separated by two courses of red brick, and the left corner has stepped granite quoins. To ground floor right is an advanced one storey canted bay window with moulded granite cill and flat copped roof. Its walls are as façade and the yellow coursing at first floor repeat over the window heads. It has a 2/2 sliding sash of its face and a 1/1 to each cheek. The left cheek is incorporated into an original painted timber and glass porch, which abuts the central bay.

The porch has a pair of decorative glazed and panelled doors, top glazed panes have decorative heads, and timber spandrel is carved. The frame to either side of door is panelled and glazed with turned timber mullions separating each panel and around the door. The upper glazed transom is modern and replaces an earlier roof. The current roof was previously a balcony and is supported on cast iron brackets decorated with Gothic motifs. The original walls within the porch are white painted. To right bay at first floor (over canted bay) is a 2/2 sliding sash window, and leading onto balcony is a glazed French window. Balcony extends over roof of the canted bay and is enclosed by alternate decorative cast iron balustrades and plain metal posts supporting a timber handrail.

The left bay has a two storey canted bay window abutting its advanced gable. The gable has details as façade with timber bargeboard with decorative cartouches and spiked finial. To centre of gable is a recessed two paned occulus. The canted bay window has walls, cills, windows and roof as right bay, but is two storeys and there is no string course at first floor. Instead there are recessed brick panels dressed with yellow brick, two to front and one on each cheek.

Right gable forms party wall with no.10, and left gable is cement rendered. Left gable to ground and first floor left are single 2/2 sash windows and in attic gable are two small 1/1 sliding sashes. Abutting to left is the right cheek of the rear right return. This is cement rendered also and has a modern timber and glass door at ground floor and a 2/2 sash window to first floor. Attached to this elevation is a satellite dish.

Roof to rear has plastic rainwater goods. Rear elevation is cement rendered and is three bays (central one narrow). The right is abutted by a two-stage return, the first stage is two storey and gabled with a chimney on the ridge gable. Second stage of return has been rebuilt and has a flat felted roof. The central bay has a shallower return which rises higher (three storeys) with a flat roof over a service stair projection on its left cheek. The left bay is plain. All windows and doors ground floor are modern hinged casements, so to are those in returns.

Setting: at front is a common landscaped lawn with driveways dissecting, although this properties plot continues south and is larger than the others. A boundary wall in granite rubble with embattled coping encloses the whole common site. This has a pair of square gate piers to Manse Road but gates are gone. To rear is a common carriageway serving mews to rear of this property. Mews is a two-storey block built in two stages. Roof is pitched and artificial slated to left and natural slated to right. It has slated verges and corbelled eaves supporting cast iron gutters. Walls are rubble stone and at ground floor only one set of original carriage doors remain, the other three are of the up-and–over modern variety. At first floor are sheeted timber doors but vents have been infilled with various windows.

Historical information

Most finely finished one of five houses erected in 1888 by Samuel Shannon, who occupied this particular one. It is captioned ‘Fintimara’ on the 1901 OS map.

Primary sources:
1. PRONI - VAL 12B/19/14C, (1888 valuation) p.114.
2. PRONI - OS 10/3/55/16/1 (1901 OS map).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Most impressive of a group of finely detailed buildings in an attractive setting which retain much of their original character. This one is of particular merit as it retains its original porch and is internally more ornate than the others.