131-159 Central Promenade

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long two and three storey broken terrace, mainly made up of large ‘Free Style’
late Victorian and Edwardian sea front houses of c.1890-1910, with two, notably smaller dwellings dating from the early 1800s. The terrace is situated on the W side of the S end of Central Promenade, to the S of Newcastle town centre.

The houses to the N end of the terrace are fairly typical large residences of the late Victorian/Edwardian period, apart from no.131 which is a modern rebuild.

Nos.133 and 135, known as ‘Fuschia Terrace’, were built as a pair c.1895. They are three storey with large full height canted, hipped roof bays, and large returns to the rear. Both have been completely modernised recently and are subdivided into apartments. Their facades are rendered, the window frames PVC and the roofs are covered in artificial slate.

Nos.137 and 139 were also built as a pair in 1897. They are tall three storey houses, also with large full height canted, hipped roof, bays, large returns and steeply pitched roofs. Rendered façades. Modern replacement windows. Roofs have retained their natural slate covering and tall rendered chimney stacks.

No.141 is a large, two and a half storey, double fronted house which is now derelict. It also probably dates from around c.1895 and has two, two storey flat roofed bays to front, two large attic gabled dormers and a small central dormer. To the rear there is a large gabled return. The façade is pebbledashed and the windows boarded up. Natural slate to the roof.

No.143 is also two and a half storey and probably contemporary with no.141, but appears to have begun life as two properties, a house and a shop. It has a much plainer front façade than the previous properties with long rows of windows to each floor and large attic gabled dormers. To first floor right there is a very large picture window where there was once a shop front. Windows are all modern. To the rear there is a large gabled return. The façade is rendered with moulded surrounds to front openings. The roof is covered in natural slate.

Nos.145 and 147 may date from the early 1900s and though they appear to have been built as a pair, they are not identical. Both are two and a half storey and have large gabled hoods above their front entrances and two storey canted bays. No.145, however, has a large jettied gable on top of its bay whereas No.147’s bay merely culminates in a flat roof. The front facades of both are rendered, with decorative moulded panels to front. Window frames are modern. Roofs are covered in natural slate with decorative red clay ridge tiles. No.147 has two gabled dormers to front, one very small and more of a rooflight than a dormer, with a small dormer to no.145. Large two storey gabled returns to rear.

To the S end of the terrace the properties are more varied in terms of style and age.

No.149 is a plain two storey house with full height, hipped roof canted bays to front, modern rough-cast finish and modern window frames. Photographic evidence and the large, somewhat roughly hewn slates to the roof suggest that it is an early to mid 19th century dwelling with bays added c.1900. To the rear there is a narrow, full height gabled return, flanked by single storey lean-tos.

No.151 is an unusual, two storey dwelling, with asymmetrical front façade, of perhaps c.1880s. To the right on the front façade is a two storey canted bay, whose hipped roof is topped with an awkward looking gable. To the left of this is a large entrance doorscreen with unusually outsized, moulded pilaster surround. To the rear there is a large, full height, gabled return. Rendered façade; modern, replacement windows; artificial slate to front; and natural slate to the rear.

Nos.153 and 155 are a pair of tall, narrow three storey houses of c.1900. They are identical with a single two storey, canted bay to front and topped with a large gabled dormer. The roofs of the bays act as balconies and the dormers each have large patio doors where windows were previously. Large returns to the rear, which have been extended in recent times as both properties have been modernised and subdivided into apartments. The façade of each is rendered, with rough-cast to rear. Modern, replacement windows. The roof has been altered and now has hipped ends instead of gables. It is covered in artificial slate.

No.157 is probably the oldest house in this grouping and may date from c.1840. It is a low, two storey gabled house, with late Regency character. The front façade is largely symmetrical with a central timber panelled door, elliptical fanlight and sidelights. To the left of this is a window with unusual margin paned casement frame. To the right is an enlarged picture window. To the first floor are three windows as ground floor left. The N gable is blank and to the rear there is a low two storey extension whose windows all appear to be sash (one to the ground floor has 8 over 8 Georgian panes). The front façade is finished in lined render with rough-cast to rear. The roof is covered in natural slate with two rendered chimney stacks. Cast iron rw goods.

No.159 is a plain two storey house of perhaps c.1890. The front façade is symmetrical with two canted outer bays with hipped roofs and sash windows. Between these is a modern glazed entrance porch set underneath an unadorned first floor balcony. The façade is rendered and the gabled roof covered in natural slate.

Historical information

Though this site is shown largely occupied on the OS maps of 1834 and 1859, most of the houses we see today are late Victorian and Edwardian, dating mainly from c.1890 to c.1910. Nos.149 and 157 are much older dwellings, however. The valuation records appear to indicate that no.157 may have been standing in 1834, but given the fact that it is difficult to tally modern OS maps with the slightly less accurate first valuation map, it is difficult to be certain on this point. No.149 may date from the 1830s also, however its present appearance, with canted bays to front is the result of a c.1900 makeover. No.131, originally a large two storey house, may also have dated from the mid 1800s though it was later added to. It was demolished in 1987.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.1503 Annesley Papers.
2 PRONI VAL/1B/362 First valuation, Kilcoo, c.1834-38.
3 PRONI OS/1/3/49 OS map, first ed., Co. Down 49.
4 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.3: Parishes of County Down I’, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB1990), p.43.
5 PRONI VAL/1D/3/10 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1838.
6 PRONI OS/6/3/49/2 OS map, first rev., Co. Down 49.
7 PRONI Second (‘Griffith’s) valuation, Kilcoo, 1863.
8 PRONI VAL/12E/111/1 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1864-1906.
9 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ]).
10 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.161-165.
11 PRONI OS/8/136/1-4 OS plans of Newcastle, 1901.

Secondary sources
1 P.J. Rankin, 'Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in the Mourne Area of South Down', (Belfast UAHS 1975), p.73.
2 Grenfell Morton ‘Victorian and Edwardian Newcastle’ (Belfast 1988). [This book includes some early 20th century photographs of this stretch of terrace, mainly from the Laurence Collection held at PRONI.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Long two and three storey broken terrace, mainly made up of large 'Free Style' late Victorian and Edwardian sea front houses of c.1890-1910, with two, notably smaller dwellings probably dating from the early to mid 1800s.