St. Catherine’s Priory

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey (plus basement) building of T plan, and of granite throughout. Gabled main façade to street with return at right and modern annex at rear in similar style. Located immediately south of St Catherine’s church on west side of Dominic Street (HB16/29/001A), to which it is attached by a link block.

All windows are 2/2 sliding sash (with horns), with finely dressed granite jambs/cills, and chamfered ashlar heads (incised with a Maltese cross at centre).

Main accommodation block has a pitched natural slate roof, cast-iron rainwater goods on projecting masonry brackets, and coped ashlar front gable (with moulded ashlar kneeler stones). Two instepped rock-faced granite chimneys with projecting moulded concrete copings along ridge.

Walls to street façade of rock-faced granite blocks in regular courses (with tooled margins to corner stones) over projecting chamfered base. Eight granite steps lead up to main entrance at first floor level in angle with return. Each of the two doors has four panels, and there are two transom lights above. The jambs and head are of chamfered ashlar granite (the latter with incised Maltese cross). There are three windows on each floor in the gable façade at left of door. A niche in the gable apex contains a statue and there is a stone cross finial at the end of the roof ridge. The south façade is of similar construction to the street façade, with four windows to each of its three floors (diminished on top floor), all with granite stringcourses at cill level.

The return has a hipped natural slate roof with granite chimneys (with projecting copings) above the eaves on the west and north walls. Its east-facing wall matches the main gable and has single windows at ground floor, first floor and second floor. Its north wall is of coursed random rubble with a pair of windows at first floor and single window at second floor. The return’s west-facing wall is of coursed rubble with two windows on first floor and second floor.

Abutting the rear gable of the main block is a modern annex of random granite rubble. Pitched natural slate roof with ashlar granite coping and moulded ashlar kneeler stone and cast-iron rainwater goods. The party wall between this annex and the original building retains its original window openings, several of which have been enlarged to create doorways. South wall of this annex has window on first floor and second floor. Gable has door at first floor (accessed over footbridge) with window at second floor. Another second floor window on north wall.

The angle between the return and modern annex contains a single storey (plus basement) kitchen with pyramidal natural slate roof with apex lantern light.

Historical information

Foundation stone laid 14 May 1881. Designed by J. Lennon and opened 28 July 1882. Annex added to west end in 1990s.

Source: St Catherine’s church centenary brochure, 1971.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Three storey (plus basement) building of T plan, and of granite throughout. With its simple rugged exterior and somewhat austere interior, this building is largely unaltered and well executed to a high standard. The later addition is in keeping and makes a positive contribution to the whole. This building complements the adjoining church and is one of the few Dominican priories in N. Ireland.