Building to right of

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Four storey (+ basement) four opening wide building on east side of Trevor Hill.

Roof is pitched, natural slated with a cement render chimney to each gable (that to right abuts the chimney of the adjacent property). Gutter is concealed behind a blocking course, with metal down pipe to right of facade.

Walls to facade are painted, lined, lime render with banded rustication to ground floor. There is a string course between ground and first floor, broad platband and continuous cill course below first floor windows, broad two stage plat band between second and third floor and a projecting cornice with raised blocking course to eaves. Main entrance is right of centre at ground floor. Five granite steps rise from street (over basement passage) to paved area at front door. Door is modern timber with six panels and beaded mutin. Door frame is rendered, with side lights and a three paned transom over. All are set within a pair of panelled stucco pilasters with a large foliated console brackets supporting a moulded entablature.

At ground floor there are two windows to left of door and one to right. All are 1/1 sliding sashes with moulded architraves and painted cills supported by small corbel blocks. At basement level there is a door below the left ground floor window. It is modern six-panelled timber. To its right, below the other ground floor window is an infilled window (cill remains). There is no opening below the ground floor right window but marks in render suggest that there could have been one originally. There are four windows to each upper floor. These are in line with ground floor windows, except window over door is off-set to the right. As a result there is a larger space between the second and third windows than between the others. First floor windows are 1/1 sliding sashes; each with moulded architrave, frieze and entablature and apron panel, with a continuous cill . The second floor windows are diminished in height and are 1/1 sliding sash with moulded architraves as ground floor. Third floor windows rest on the platband course and are as second floor (but top sash is larger suggesting that they were once 6/3).

Right gable is partially abutted by adjacent building, exposed section of wall is unpainted cement render. Left gable is partially abutted by Saint Colman's Hall. The remainder of the wall is cement rendered with facade detailing at third floor turning the corner before terminating. There is a single window in a plain reveal to third floor right, (frame is as those to facade).

Walls to rear elevation are unpainted, cement render. Left bay projects under a cat slide roof (a continuation from main roof). Ground floor is almost totally abutted by a single storey (double height) extension (post-war hall, of no interest), except for a small portion to left which fronts a small enclosed yard. Openings to rear elevation are much altered, with the insertion of metal framed windows and fire escape doors to right wall. At third floor right is the last remaining original window which is 6/3 sliding sash with a granite cill. The left return has sliding sash windows, but these seem to be quite recent and not in original openings.

Basement passage is reached by flight of granite steps from gate at front left. Arch under front steps now infilled. Basement and front steps are enclosed by modern spiked railings on a granite, chamfered plinth.

Historical information

Trevor Hill was laid out in the late 18thC and developed in the first years of the 19thC. This building is shown on the 1835 OS map. The 1863 valuation shows that it was occupied by the Robert Glenny and described as four and one-third storeys high. Seemingly used by the ‘Committee of Ladies Schools’ from c.1866 to 1903, and occupied by Newry Club Ltd from 1918.

The openings on the façade are grouped in pairs, suggesting perhaps that it was, early in its life, two separate properties. The building is shown clearly in the 1894 photograph and has its original Georgian glazing (6/6 sashes).

Primary Sources:
1. OS map, 1835 edition, PRONI - OS 9/15/1/1
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 2B/3/69G (1863 valuation)
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 12B/22/16A, p.77 (1866 valuation)
4. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 12B/22/16B, p.74 (1918 valuation)
5. Photograph no.1174, (dated 1894) in Lawrence Collection

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Four storey (+ basement), painted, lined render early 19th century townhouse. It is part of a significant architectural group on Trevor Hill. However, it is plain and has lost some internal features.