1 Arthur Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey/ three-bay symmetrical house on east side of Arthur Street. Hipped artificial slate roof with cement rendered chimney rising from central valley. Eaves are boxed and overhanging with modern vents to underside

Façade (west facing) is rendered with high raised chamfered base course. Ground floor has banded rustication with banded quoins to corners and a continuous cill course at first floor. First floor is lined render with raised stepped render decorative quoins.

Single granite step (flanked with chamfered walls to base course height) leads to main entrance to centre bay of façade. Door is four panelled painted timber with flush mouldings to panels. It is set between a pair of timber Tuscan columns supporting a timber entablature, over which is a cobweb fanlight. All set within a semicircular-headed opening with roll moulded chamfered jambs and flanking pilasters (with Grecian revival heads) supporting a moulded cornice. To ground floor left and right bays are two 6/6 sliding sashes (without horns) and with unpainted granite cills and band rusticated heads. To first floor are five equally spaced 6/3 sliding sashes (with horns) and granite cills (linked by a render cill course).

Right elevation is lined cement render with rendered cill course as façade. There are four equally spaced openings to each floor. At ground floor are three 6/6 sliding sashes as those on façade and a pair of French windows (in second opening from right) - these comprise a pair of three paned timber doors with a fixed transom over, all set within an enlarged window opening. To first floor are four 6/3 sliding sashes as those on façade.

The left elevation is the mirror image of that to right. Wall continues left as part of rear return.

Rear elevation is lined render. The wall to the right bay is recessed slightly and abutted by a one and a half storey return. Abutting at left is a single storey outhouse. The gables of these returns are joined by a one and a half storey outhouse, thus forming an enclosed yard immediately behind house. At ground floor centre of main block is a modern glazed timber door and sidelights set within a segmental arched opening. Above, at first floor, is a 6/6 sliding sash window with spoked head and granite cill.

Right return has a pitched natural slate roof and lined cement rendered walls. Its yard elevation has a pair of modern timber and glass doors to centre and a modern four paned casement to first floor. Its garden elevation has a pair of modern 6/6 casements to right and a modern t+g sheeted door to left.

Left return has hipped natural slate roof. Elevation to garden is blank. Elevation to yard has a small two paned casement window.

Rear outhouse has a hipped natural slate roof and cement rendered walls. Yard façade has a t+g sheeted door at ground floor left (as viewed from yard) and small two paned casement at right. At first floor is a small four paned casement. Its right gable (as viewed from yard) contains a modern garage door; left gable is part of the garden elevation of right return.

Setting

Garden is mature and landscaped with bushes and lawns. A winding stepped path rises from Arthur Street to front door. Garden to right has been excavated into a winding picturesque gully, accessed from garden to right elevation. Gully is lined to either side by an overgrown rockery terminated by a grotto below the front path. Grotto houses garden bench and is rock lined to give cavernous appearance. Also in gully, at right corner of garden, is a circular pond with fountain (now drained and infilled with rocks).

Boundary walls are mostly high, smooth render with a projecting render coping. Side boundary on Arthur Street side has remnants of polychromatic brick wall. Frontage to Arthur/ Talbot Street has central metal gates supported on tall square slender granite piers. To either side is a high wall, part smooth render, part large granite blocks terminated at each end with ashlar granite piers.

Historical information

Shown on 1834 OS map, and cited in First Valuation as belonging to Alexander Postley, the owner of a rope walk depicted on the map as running along the east side of Arthur Street. Cited as ‘Belvidere Lodge’ on 1858 OS map (and onwards). Used for a time as rectory for St Patrick’s C.of I. Church. When the parishes of St Patrick and St Mary’s amalgamated, St Mary’s rectory became the sole residence. Renovated 1994.

Primary Sources:

1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 46, PRONI OS 6/3/46/1
2. OS 6" map, 2nd edition (1858) Co Down sheet 46, PRONI OS 6/3/46/2
3. Valuation map,PRONI OS 8/20/3/4.
4. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 1B/ 389, p.54
5. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 1D/3/8B;
6. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 2B/3/69G, p.81;

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-storey/ three-bay symmetrical house. Elegant early villa with good classical proportions and detailing, retaining most original features. The Romantic features of the garden, particularly the grotto, are of added interest and the whole composition merits special protection.