18 Castle Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One of a terrace of three three-storey (+ basement and attic) classical early Georgian town houses on the east side of Castle Street. This building is at the left end and is two bays wide.

Gabled artificial slate roof with granite knee-stone and coped verge at left; there are also stone copings to party wall on right. Rendered chimney on left gable. Half round metal rainwater goods with downpipe at right.

Walls to street façade are of rubble granite brought to courses, with projecting eaves course. At ground floor right is a pair of modern metal gates within a segmental headed coach arch trimmed with ashlar granite; granite carriage bollards at base of each jamb. A modern but traditional design painted timber shop front takes up the remainder of ground floor to the left of this arch. This shop front comprises a central pair of framed and sheeted outer doors, with decorative transom over and flanked by timber pilasters. To each side is a pair of fixed timber windows with similar transoms; they share the door pilasters and have identical ones at each end. These four pilasters support a projecting timber fascia, which has ‘Stephen Fitzpatrick and Co.’ to main panel and ‘18’ over each end pilaster. At first floor are four regularly spaced 6/6 sliding sash windows. At second floor are four 6/3 sliding sashes, in line with those below but diminished in height. All have exposed boxes and granite cills. The three left light the first bay and the fourth window the second bay.

Left gable is cement rendered with large fascia at second floor advertising the occupant; two modern up-lighters are attached below. Right gable forms party wall with the adjacent property. Rear walls are as front but painted up to the meeting rail of the first floor windows. Right bay is abutted by a three storey gabled return. Ground floor wall at left on main block has a modern timber half door within a coach arch. Directly above, at first floor, is an exposed box 6/6 sliding sash window and at second floor is a similar 6/3 window. Neither has a cill and top window is diminished in height.

Return has a gabled artificial slate roof, with the rendered stump of a chimney rising from the wall head of its right cheek. Rainwater goods are half round metal. Left cheek walls are as rear of main block. At ground floor left on this cheek is a modern five-panel painted door with three-pane transom over. Immediate to its right (and sharing timber frame) is a 6/6 sliding sash window. Door and window are set within a segmental brick headed arch, which is infilled with random rubble. At right on ground floor are two 6/6 sliding sash windows. Just above ground level and in line with these windows are two three-paned fixed windows which light basement. At first floor are three 6/6 sliding sashes, and at second floor three diminished height 6/3 sashes, all in line with ground floor openings. All windows to this elevation have shallow segmental brick heads/arches over but no cills. Right cheek of return is dashed. It has a 6/3 sash window at half landing between first and second floors, and a three paned window on the upper half landing to attic; the left two panes of the latter window are in a sliding timber frame. Gable is unpainted random granite rubble and is abutted at right by a slightly lower three storey gabled return (shares its right cheek and right roof pitch with the first return). Exposed section of wall on the first return is blank but for a three-paned quarter-oriel at ground floor. The walls of this oriel are rendered and painted and contain three modern fixed windows with top hung transoms. It is supported on a metal I beam embedded in the gable. Directly below is a t+g basement door accessed by a flight of steps.

The second return has a gabled artificial slate roof, half-round metal rainwater goods and random granite rubble walls. To ground floor right of left cheek is a 1/1 modern fixed timber window. There is a 1/1 sash to each floor above; the top one is diminished in height. Both windows have segmental brick heads but no cills. Gable and right cheek of return are both dashed and without openings.

Yard is enclosed at back by a modern timber and sheet metal outbuilding.

Historical information

A building, possibly this one, is shown on John Rocque’s 1760 town map. Definitely shown on 1838 valuation map, when valued as a house and store at £30. Depicted on 1861 OS map along with its returns. Described as three and one third storeys high in 1863 valuation; this entry noted it as a “large concern with a large yard but seems to be doing little or no business.”

Primary Sources:

1. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1D/3/8C (1838 valuation map)
2. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 1B/389, p.99 (1838 valuation book).
3. Valuation revision books, 1866-1930, PRONI - VAL 2B/3/69H, p.149 (1863 valuation book).
4. J. Rocque ‘Map of Newry ’1760.

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
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

One of a terrace of three three-storey (+ basement and attic) early Georgian classical town houses. Retaining most original features. Well proportioned and elegant.