34-44 Dromore Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A terrace of six two storey / two bay urban vernacular dwellings, aligned N-S stepping in pairs down W side of Dromore Street.

Each pair shares a pitched natural slate roof with half-round metal rainwater goods (all now in poor repair). Rendered chimney with advanced coping to each gable of left pair (Nos 34-36), and one to each right gable of the other two pairs. Rendered skew to end N gable.

Front walls are lined cement rendered and unpainted. Each pair is mirror image and consists of a t + g sheeted doors to centre (party wall) and windows to outer bay. Exposed timber door frames rest on painted granite base blocks. Single windows in line to each floor, all 2/2 vertically divided sashes with horns with unpainted granite cills. Windows to first floor are diminished in size. There are two exceptions: the first floor window of No.38 (left one of the central pair) is 1/1 sash with horns, and No.44 (to extreme right) has painted granite cills.

A rendered boundary wall continues S at left end of front elevation.

Left (S) gable is rendered and blank, and is embanked with earth to first floor level.

Right (N) gable is rendered and blank with granite rubble exposed.

Rear elevations: Each pair is mirror image. Rear elevation is rubble granite with brick dressings to openings. Each pair shares a single storey corrugated metal lean-to porch at centre. All have a single rear window to ground floor, and two windows to first floor.

Nos. 34, 36 & 38 were not inspected due to dense overgrown bushes but seem on brief inspection to be as the others.

No. 40
Lean-to has partly collapsed. There is a 1/1 sash window to ground floor left, a 6/1 (once 6/3) sash above it to first floor and a narrow three paned fixed light (to stairwell) over the lean-to.

No.42
Its lean-to is at ground floor left. At ground floor right is a 6/3 timber sash (without horns). Above it to first floor is 2/2 sash with horns. At first floor left (over lean-to) is narrow three paned fixed window (to stairwell).

Rear elevation of No.44
Its lean-to abuts to ground floor right. At ground floor left is a 6/3 sliding sash window (without horns) with bull’s-eye pane to lower sash. Above, at first floor, is a 2 paned fixed window. At first floor right is a narrow fixed 2x3 window (serving the stairwell).

Rear of each house has a yard enclosed by rendered rubble walls, and each has a single storey outhouse at W side. Outhouses have pitched natural slate roofs and rubble walls. Each property has a sheeted door and window to yard and a single door on rear (W) wall.

Historical information

First shown on 1860 OS 1:500 map, but not on 1833 edition, suggesting a mid-19th century date of construction. Valuation book of c.1862 values each house at £2.5s.0d and notes weekly rent at 1s.2d. per house.

It is believed that Mr Hugh Woods was last resident in the terrace and vacated |No.42 in 1997. According to local solicitor Mr Bell, residents paid as little as 15p rent up until the end of their tenancy.

Primary sources:

1. PRONI OS 6” map 1833, Co Down sheet 41.
2. PRONI OS 1:500 map 1860, OS8/24/1/2.
3. PRONI Second valuation book, VAL2B/3/60C, p.38 (entries 49-54).
4. Mr. Gordon Bell, Solicitor 9-11 Newry Street.

Secondary Sources.

1. P.J.Rankin “Hilltown and Rathfriland List” Belfast (1978-9).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This group of urban vernacular dwellings steps up the hill at the junction of two main routes into the town, forming an attractive composition. All retain their original external details and those inspected internally are little altered with two up/two down plan form and narrow winding stairs.