43 Downshire Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One and a half storey (+ semi-basement)/ three-bay symmetrical house on east side of Downshire Road; identical to no 41 (HB16/26/074A).

Artificial slate hipped roof with overhanging eaves, plain bargeboards and terracotta ridges. Gabled dormer to front pitch and two cast iron skylights to rear. Ogee profiled metal rainwater gutters to façade and semicircular to rear. Left and right bays of facade have bay windows with gabled roofs tied into front pitch. A chimney rises from each side wall, their bases linked to the roof by small tiled gabled infill; chimneys are stepped, painted wet dash with red brick caps.

All walls are painted wet dash render over chamfered red brick basecourse. Ground falls to rear to provide semi basement with brickwork walls.

Three cement steps lead to main entrance in centre bay of front facade. Front door is painted timber with two raised and fielded bottom panels and a glazed panel above with leaded diamond glazing inset with Art Nouveau corner panels . Door has two narrow modern sidelights with obscured glass and narrow transom over. The bays to left and right of facade project forward and are identical; each contains, to front, a rectangular opening with concrete cill. Both have four single paned metal casement windows with leaded transom over each. All casements are set within a timber frame, and transom lights have Art-Nouveau floral glazing. In gable above is a small fixed vertical leaded window. Rising from roof, directly above main entrance, is a gabled dormer with plain bargeboards. The walls are dashed cement render with leaded cheeks. It contains three metal casements, each with two paned leaded transoms.

Left elevation wall has projecting chimney breast (with recessed central panel). To either side of chimney breast are single window openings. Left contains a pair of metal framed casements, with plain transoms and painted concrete cill. To right is a single casement with leaded transom. Right elevation of identical construction and has single metal casements with leaded glass transoms to each side of chimney breast.

Rear elevation is abutted at left by two-storey flat roof return. At basement right is a painted timber up-and-over garage door, with concrete painted lintel above. There are four window openings to ground floor, each with transoms over: from left to right (1) three-pane metal window with leaded glass. (2) two-pane casement window with obscured glass, (3 & 4) single-pane casement windows. Open concrete stairs rise at left to door at upper floor of return.

Return walls are smooth painted render to basement and wet dashed to ground floor. Rear wall has a window to ground and first floors. Ground floor window is a two paned metal casement with top opening transoms. Right cheek of return at basement has two openings: that to left contains t+g timber painted door, that to right is doorless. To first floor right is a four panelled painted timber door. Left cheek of rear return wall construction shows that end section of return is a later extension. At ground floor of original portion is a 1/1 metal window. At basement level of extension is a two paned metal casement window with transoms. To first floor is a single fixed window, glazed with obscured glass. Two ventilating pipes rise from basement wall.

Setting

Walls to front garden are wet dashed with ramped ends to gate pillars at front path and drive way to left of house. Two pillars to entrance path with pyramidal cap. Ramped walls to either end with post to right forming driveway with adjoining house.

Historical information

Post dates 1930 as does not appear in Valuation books up to this date.
PrimarySources:

1. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 12B/22/16C, p.78;
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI VAL 12E/125/1/4.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

One and a half storey (+ semi-basement)/ three-bay symmetrical house. Identical to HB16/26/074BA. A classic inter-war bungalow with many features typical of the period, but not of special architectural or historic interest.