40 Hill Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Right one of a pair of four storey (+ attic) classical Georgian houses set in a terrace on west side of Hill Street.

Roof is pitched and natural slated with modern rendered chimney to right gable. Metal rainwater goods are semicircular in section, with downpipe falling to centre of front elevation.

Walls are cement rendered with large cement rendered plinth with four modern ventilation grilles between ground floor and basement and a raised rendered eaves course. Main entrance is at ground floor left is up four granite steps from street. There is a six panelled (top two smaller) timber door. Door is flanked by Ionic Demi-columns supporting a moulded entablature with decorative lead tracery fanlight above. All are inset into a segmentally headed opening with fanlight above. Right of front door are two double glazed 1/1 plastic windows. There are three taller but similar plastic windows to each floor above. All have moulded render architraves and rendered cills, those to third floor are as ground floor and those to fourth floor are diminished in height. There are no openings to basement.

Basement and granite steps to front are surrounded by plain metal railings with spikes and urn topped decorative posts.

Wall to rear elevation is cement rendered with a two storey L shaped return abutting at ground floor right and enclosing a small yard to ground floor left. There are two 1/1 uPVC top hung windows to ground floor left, both with render cills. To ground floor right is an exterior six paned glass and t+g door. There single 1/1 uPVC top hung windows to left and centre of each floor above, diminishing in height to third and fourth floors. Between ground floor and first floor to right is a semicircular headed 1/2 landing uPVC landing window, leading onto a metal fire stair which continues from no 38. There is a similar window and fire stair between first and second floors.

The rear return has a hipped slated roof with rendered chimney rising from ridge, parallel to rear elevation. Walls rendered with tie plates. Most openings are to right cheek and are uPVC top hung and the door in timber with T&G boards below six glazed top panes.

Historical information

Hill Street was laid out by the Downshire family in the mid 18thC as a formal extension to the town. This building is shown on the 1835 OS map. It was a dwelling house valued at £39 in the 1838 valuation. 1863 valuation describes building as 4 1/3 storeys high plus basement. Became a parish house to Newry RC Cathedral in mid 1860s and has remained so ever since.

Primary sources:
1. OS map 1835 edition, PRONI- OS 9/15/1/1
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1B/389, p.44 (1838 valuation book).
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 2B/3/69G, p.26 (1863 valuation book).

Secondary Sources:
1. Archaeological Survey Co. Down, p.429 (entry 417.31).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Right one of a pair of four storey (+ attic) classical Georgian houses. Façade marred by installation of plastic windows but quality and survival of original interiors is high.