Glenada House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Set on the coast, just to the south of the town centre, Glenada House is a large and relatively plain two storey hipped roof residence of c.1890, in Mourne granite with projecting two and single storey bays. The building is now a hotel/conference centre and was much extended in 1993.

The original entrance was set on the N façade, but this is now obscured, along with most of the façade’s W side, by a large modern extension. The E side of the N façade is has a single storey flat roofed projecting bay. To its E face has a single PVC window. To its N face are three evenly spaced windows as before but with the outer windows being slightly narrower. To the first floor are three evenly spaced windows.

The front E façade is symmetrical and is set on a small projecting and slightly battered base. Between the ground and first floor is a continuous projecting string course. The string course and the dressed surrounds to the windows are finished in a honey coloured smooth granite while the main wall face is finished in a blue/grey rock faced granite. To the centre is a two storey projecting chamfered bay with a single window to each face on each floor. To either side of the bay are two evenly spaced windows each to the first and ground floors. Windows are all modern, top-hung PVC.

The S façade has three (smaller than before) unevenly spaced windows to ground floor. To first floor is on large semicircular headed sash window with margins. The large panes are obscure glass while the margin panes are coloured glass with a stylised etched floral design. The main wall is finished in rough cast render. The SW corner has in/out quoins

The S side of the W façade of the original building is visible but now sports modern and enlarged windows to ground and first floors.

To the N and W is a large, recent single and two storey extension. It obscures much of the N and W façades. Little effort has been taken to attempt to blend this modern section with the original building.

The main roof is hipped, as is the roof to the projecting bay, and has an overhang with boxed-in eaves To the centre and set on the ridge line are two chimney stacks finished in granite. PVC rw goods.

Historical information

The site is shown occupied on the OS map of 1859 by a building marked ‘Glenada Hotel’, however, a photograph probably dating from c.1890 shows the site to be unoccupied and Bassett’s directory of 1886 makes no mention of the building. A building closely resembling the present original building is shown on the OS map of 1901, which a street directory of the same year records as the residence of a local Methodist minister, Rev. W. Mc Williams. The building therefore probably dates from the mid 1890s and may have been built as a Methodist manse. The YWCA appears to have acquired the property some time prior to 1910 and has retained ownership to the present. The modern extension was added in c.1993 and the building is now run as a temperance hotel / conference centre.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/49/2 OS map, first rev., Co. Down 49.
2 PRONI Second (‘Griffith’s) valuation, Kilcoo, 1863.
3 PRONI VAL/12E/111/1 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1864-1906.
4 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ]).
5 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.161-165.
6 PRONI OS/8/136/1-4 OS plans of Newcastle, 1901.

Secondary sources
1 Grenfell Morton ‘Victorian and Edwardian Newcastle’ (Belfast 1988).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Large plain two storey hipped roof residence of c.1890, in Mourne granite with projecting two and single storey bays. The building is now a hotel/conference centre and was much extended in 1993. The original building, probably built as a Methodist manse, retains some historic detailing and interest and as such, merits recording. The substantial modern extension and external alterations do not, however, enhance its character.