5-25 South Promenade

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two terrace blocks with 11 houses in all, all dating from c.1885-1910. The block to the N is composed of six large three storey sea front houses, built in three distinct pairs, all with large bays and all with a degree of Free Style ornateness. The block to the S contains five two storey houses, also with bays, but overall much plainer than their neighbours.

Nos.5-7 are a pair of large three storey houses of c.1900 with gabled roofs, rendered facades and large unidentical returns to rear. To the front they are handed, and each has a full height, hipped roof, canted bay, large flat roofed entrance porch and arched windows, most of which appear to have retained their original sashes. The front façade also has various string and cill courses, with a moulded surround to the entrance. The roofs of both are covered in natural slate with tall rendered chimney stacks. No.5 has a large hipped roof oriel window to first floor on its N gable.

Nos.9-11 also date to c.1900 and were built as a pair, though not handed. Both are three storey with large, full height bays to front with conical roofs and ornate ‘balcony’ hoods above the main entrances. Both have various string and cill courses, with scrolled pediment-like mouldings above the ground floor bay windows. Front façades are finished in an unusual pebbledash with relatively large, uniform rounded pebbles. A tall gabled return to the rear of both; these retain most of their original sliding sash windows. Tall brick chimney stacks.

Nos.13-15 are pair of slightly smaller three storey houses of c.1895. Their front facades are handed and each has a large two storey canted bay with castellated parapet, with a similar parapet to their projecting entrance porches. The facades each culminate in a large gable. Both are finished in lined render. Modern window frames. To the rear, each house has a large two storey return, with that to no.13 flat roofed and the other gabled. Both the main gabled roofs appear to be covered in natural slate. The upper floor of the bay to no.15 was rebuilt in recent years.

Nos.17-25 are five plain, two storey houses of perhaps c.1885-90 all mainly finished in lined render with natural slate to the gabled roofs. The outer two pairs are largely identical, though both pairs are handed. Each has a large and smaller gable to front and each has a two storey, hipped roof canted bay underneath the larger gable. No.21, in the centre of the group is the exception, as it is symmetrical, having two bays and two large gables. Each has large two storey gabled returns to rear. The window openings, several of which appear to have been enlarged in modern times, are all flat headed, with modern windows to all except nos.21 and 23 which have retained their original sash windows.

Historical information

Though this site is largely shown occupied on the OS maps of 1834 and 1859, the present houses all date from c.1885-1910. The plainer southern half of the group (collectively known as ‘Glenada Terrace’) is slightly older and may have been built c.1885-90. Of those to the northern half, nos.13-15 appear to be the oldest, perhaps dating from c.1895.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/1/3/49 OS map, first ed., Co. Down 49.
2 PRONI OS/6/3/49/2 OS map, first rev., Co. Down 49.
3 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ]).
4 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.161-165.
5 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.74.
2 Grenfell Morton ‘Victorian and Edwardian Newcastle’ (Belfast 1988). [This book includes some early 20th century photographs of this stretch of terrace (before and after the present buildings were erected), mainly from the Laurence Collection held at PRONI.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two terrace blocks with 11 houses, all built between c.1885 and c.1910. The block to the north is composed of six large three storey sea front houses, built in three distinct pairs, all with large bays and all with a degree of Free Style ornateness. The slightly older block to the S contains five two storey houses, also with bays to the front, but overall much plainer than their neighbours. The buildings are not list-worthy individually but as a group merit recording.