1-7 Helen’s Terrace

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Terrace of seven two storey (plus attic and semi-basements)/ two bay houses located off Orior Road.

Roofs are pitched and artificial slated with two modern skylights to front pitch of each property. Only no. 1, 2 and 6 retain original decorative ridges. Rainwater goods are plastic to some properties and metal to others. Nos. 3 and 5 have had chimneys removed and all others have a single stepped red brick chimney (with yellow banding and projecting yellow enders to coping) on party wall between each bay.

Walls are granite rubble brought to courses with brick quoins, eaves and dressings. Quoins are in stepped red brick, and eaves are in red brick with regular corbels of yellow ender bricks. All openings have stepped red brick jambs and soldier course heads. Main entrance is to ground floor left. All doors are modern. No.2 has a large modern porch with a hipped roof supported on reproduction Ionic columns. No.5 also has a hipped roof porch with cement rendered walls and modern door. All windows have projecting granite cills. There is a single window to ground floor right, and two windows to first floor, in line with openings below. All windows are modern, except no.2 which has 1/1 sliding sashes (with horns).

Left gable (no.1) has a blocked up doorway to ground floor left. Circular attic window with red and yellow brick keystones to cardinal points.

Right gable has a similar attic window but also a window centred to each floor below. A basement, exposed to this elevation due to topography, has a doorway with painted timber door.

Rear elevation has an exposed basement due to sloping topography of site. Each property has two windows to ground and first floor. Nos. 6 and 7 have basement windows also. Nos. 2, 3, and 5 have enlarged their rear left windows at ground floor into doorways and built concrete steps up from rear.

A common footpath links front of each house. On a wedge of ground beyond, each has a narrow garden (each getting longer as terrace progresses). To rear is an overgrown communal parking area, although no.1 has enclosed its plot.

Historical information

This terrace of seven houses is first cited in Valuation revision book of 1887, all the buildings being valued at £9 each. Shown as “Helen’s Place” in subsequent valuations and 1903 OS map.

Primary Sources:

1. PRONI – VAL 12B/15/1E, p.238; 1887 valuation revision book
2. PRONI - OS 6" map, 3rd edition (1903) Co Down sheet 46 (PRONI OS 6/3/46/3)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Although of some interest as a block, the composition is marred by inappropriate alterations to its detailing.