173 South Promenade ('Widows' Row')

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Small, picturesque two storey house, one of a terrace of 12 (‘Widows’ Row’), built in 1843. The terrace is set on the SW side of South Promenade at the southern extremity of Newcastle, and was built for the families of local fishermen who perished in a storm off the coast in January 1843.

No.173 is set in the middle of the terrace. The front (NE) façade has a timber sheeted stable door to the right on the ground floor. To the left of this is a multi-pane (‘vernacular Georgian’) frame with upper opening. To the first floor left is a similar window set within a gabled half-dormer. The front façade is finished in rough cast render and painted.

To the rear there is a small single storey lean-to extension with corrugated iron roof and timber sheeted door, all in poor condition. To the immediate SE of this is a single storey ‘shed’ with mono-pitched slated roof. The exposed upper section of the main rear façade is blank and finished in rough cast.

The gabled roof has an overhang (to front) and is covered in natural slate to front with asbestos ‘slate’ to rear. The rafter ends (to front) are exposed. Single rendered chimney stack (shared with neighbour to S). Cast iron rw goods. Low stone wall enclosing small garden to front.

Historical information

‘Widows’ Row’ was built in 1843 for the families of local fishermen who perished in a fierce storm off the coast in January of that year. In all 46 Newcastle men were drowned, leaving behind 27 widows, 118 orphans and 21 dependants. An appeal, and a substantial donation from the trustees of the Annesley Estate, raised enough money to build these 12 small houses, henceforth known as ‘Widows’ Row’.

Each house originally consisted of two rooms, one to each floor, but in recent years most of the properties have been greatly enlarged with the addition of modern two storey extensions to the rear.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.1503 Annesley Papers.
2 PRONI OS/6/3/49/2 OS map, first rev., Co. Down 49.
3 PRONI Second (‘Griffith’s) valuation, Kilcoo, 1863.
4 PRONI VAL/12E/111/1 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1864-1906.
5 PRONI OS/8/136/1-4 OS plans of Newcastle, 1901.

Secondary sources
1 Mourne Observer (1962) “Newcastle fishing disaster of 1843”. [Newspaper article- exact date of publication not known.]
2 P.J. Rankin, 'Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in the Mourne Area of South Down', (Belfast UAHS 1975), pp.74-76.
3 Grenfell Morton ‘Victorian and Edwardian Newcastle’ (Belfast 1988), pp.14-15.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

One of a terrace ('Widows' Row') of 12 small, picturesque two storey houses built in 1843 for the dependants of local fishermen who drowned in a disaster of that year. Although substantially altered to the rear, the terrace as a whole retains significant original character and detailing, including the gabled half-dormers to each dwelling, 'vernacular Georgian' multi-paned windows and the low stone boundary wall enclosing individual gardens to the front.

This house appears to be the least altered of the terrace.