12 Canal Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey (+ basement and attic)/ two bay townhouse on west side of Canal Street.

Pitched natural slate roof with red brick chimney rising from ridge on centre of roof. Single cast iron skylight to each pitch. Rainwater goods are semicircular metal with downpipe to right of façade.

East elevation has a shop to ground floor with coach way to right. The shop fills three-quarters of façade and comprises a central door flanked by large fixed windows. To either side of door, each end of shop front and either side of coach way are pilasters supporting a flush painted timber fascia. Pilasters and stall risers have been clad in mosaic tiles. Shop windows and door have boarded timber shutters over. Coach way at right in rectangular opening has a pair of large t+g sheeted painted timber doors.

Upper floor walls are painted lined cement render with raised eaves course. There are four equally spaced 1/1 sliding sash windows to each upper floor. All have stop-end-chamfered reveals and heads, and painted granite cills. Those to first floor have decorative render hoods with foliated labels. Those to second floor are diminished in height.

South (left) gable is abutted by adjacent building (no.10 – HB16/25/005). North (right) gable is abutted by a lower property (no.14). The exposed wall above is lined rendered.

Rear (west)elevation is accessed through coach way. Its right three-quarters is abutted by a two-storey return. Exposed section of wall to left is the coach way (with timber lintel) and a small section of wall to its right which has a small 6/6 sliding sash window (with bars over) at ground floor. All windows to rear are painted timber and have painted granite cills.

To first floor over coach way is a single 1/1 sliding sash, and to its right, over ground floor window is a second similar window. There are three windows to second floor, all diminished in height. Those to centre and right are 1/1 sliding sashes (right one has obscured glass) and that to left is a modern two paned casement.

Rear return is in two stages. First block abuts house and second block is taller and abuts back wall of first block. First block is a low two-storey block with lean-to slate roof abutting adjacent property (no.10). Its wall to yard is rendered and has a post-war painted timber and glass door and side light at ground floor, a 1/1 window to half landing above it, and one above that again to first floor. Second block has a higher lean-to natural slate roof and its wall to yard is flush with that to the first block. At ground floor it has an 8/8 sliding sash window and to first floor is a 6/6 sash window. Below ground floor window is a narrow glazed opening to basement. End gable of this block is abutted by a two-storey outhouse.

Outhouse at rear runs parallel to main block and has a coach way to right (in line with main coach way). Its roof is pitched and natural slated and walls are rendered but for the right jamb of coach way which is ashlar granite. To left it abuts rear gable of return block. To first floor is an 8/8 sliding sash window with granite cill. Rear yard is enclosed to right on entry from street by a high rendered wall with an iron lamp bracket containing an ill-fitting antique lamp.

Historical information

The 1863 valuation notes this house as measuring 31ft x 30ft x 3 1/3 storeys high. It is first cited as a Constabulary Barracks in the 1865 valuation revision. The barracks almost certainly occupied an existing building and was not purpose-built. The station also occupied the adjoining house (10 Canal St - HB16/25/005) from 1920 onwards. In 14 June 1921 the building was extensively damaged by fire. De Valera was held in custody here for several days in October 1924.

Sources:Occupant.

PRONI – VAL 2B/2/39B (1863 valuation); VAL 12B/15/1A, p.178 (valuation revision).
T. Canavan (1989), Frontier Town: an illustrated history of Newry, pp 189, 192 (Belfast: Blackstaff Press).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A 19th century townhouse with complete plan form and unusual staircase. The side entrance to living quarters and rear return is of particular interest and can be seen only in a small number of Newry properties including: 11 Canal Street (HB16/25/005) and 18 Castle Street (HB16/28/056A). The front elevation has applied late Victorian ornamentation and a poor shop front but this has not detracted from the overall quality of the building. Brief association with De Valera of some interest.