47 Downshire Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Middle one of a terrace of three two-storey (+ semi-basement and attic)/ three-bay buildings on east side of Downshire Road.

Pitched artificial slate roof with three modern skylights to rear pitch. Rendered chimneys to each gable, both shared with adjacent properties. Rainwater goods are half round metal with down pipe to left and right on front elevation, also shared with adjacent properties.

Main façade, which faces west, is of unrendered, regularly coursed squared granite rubble, with raised brick eaves course. Main entrance is to middle of ground floor. Four granite steps rise to a granite-paved vaulted platform over basement passage. Enclosing each side of steps and platform are cast iron railings with simple decorative spikes (each inset into the stone); there are three uprights to each step and four grouped on bottom step. These seem to have once to have enclosed the basement passage.

Front door is painted timber with six raised and fielded panels with bolection moulding. The muntin, frieze rail and lock rail are all beaded and it has modern furniture. Door is set within a pair of painted pilasters which support a painted timber entablature over which is a rectangular leaded transom with hoops, anthemion and Grecian-revival centre panel (symmetrical and scrolling with anthemion). Door surround is rendered, with a moulded render architrave and scrolled foliated brackets to cornice over. Modern electric light affixed to underside of cornice.

All window openings to facade have rendered heads, stepped rendered jambs, painted granite cills and no horns. To left and right bays on ground floor are single 6/6 sliding sash windows. To middle bay of basement (below front steps) is an infilled doorway. To left and right bays of basement, in line with ground floor windows, are single 6/3 sliding sashes with vertical security bars over. To first floor are three 6/6 sliding sashes, in line with ground floor openings but diminished in height.

Left and right gables form party walls with adjacent buildings (nos 45 and 49).

Basement to rear elevation is at ground level due to the sloping topography of site. Walls are lined cement render with raised eaves course. At centre of basement is a modern metal sheeted door. All windows to rear are as façade (except cills unpainted). To left and right bays of basement are single 6/3 sliding sash windows with metal bars over. There are three equally spaced 6/6 sliding sash windows to each upper floor. Those to first floor are slightly diminished in height.

Setting

Front garden is enclosed to front and left by a low rendered wall. There are single one-piece granite gate posts to either side of
path to front door, but no gates or railings. Garden contains small patches of lawn, mature shrubs and a modern signpost advertising the occupant.

Rear yard is enclosed by rendered rubble walls to left and right and open to rear. Outhouses at rear are now gone.

Historical information

Designed by Thomas Duff and erected in early 1820s as part of Downshire Rd development. Shown on 1834 OS map and cited as Paternoster Row in 1838 valuation. Occupied at that date by Duff himself.

Primary Sources:

1. OS 6" map, 1st edition (1834) Co Down sheet 46, PRONI OS 6/3/46/1
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 1B/389, p.56
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 1D/3/8A.
4. Archaeological Survey Co Down, p.428 (entry 417.25).

Secondary Sources:
5. HMBB survey card dated 13 Nov 1969.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Centre one of a terrace of three two-storey/three-bay buildings. A well proportioned terrace by a well-known local architect, in virtually original condition and an early example of town planning.