'Bright View'

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three bay two storey gabled dwelling of developed vernacular direct entry plan form, of likely pre 1834 origin, with vernacular, late Georgian character. The property is set on the SW side of King Street, on the slope of the Mournes to the S of Newcastle town centre.

The front (NE) façade is almost symmetrical as is typical of the developed vernacular plan form. A little off centre at ground level is a narrow timber sheeted folding door with an elliptical fanlight with ‘petal’ tracery over. To the left of the doorway is a sash window with 6 over 6 Georgian panes. To the right of the doorway is a similar window. To the first floor are three similar, but smaller, windows (6 panes over 3). A low, rendered wall extends from both ends of this façade to enclose a small front garden. The bushes in this garden obscure much of the front façade. The rere is accessed by an ancient pathway of stone steps running alongside the gable permitting access to the higher garden, now completely overgrown. The back of the house is accessed by steps down into a small yard to the back of the property hard against the rocky outcrop of garden behind. The rere elevation has six cast iron lattice pane windows throughout and a rudimentary lean-to porch providing shelter to the back door. Small projections of slate provide runoff from windows, with a curious recess above the ground floor window. All external walls beautifully whitewashed externally with remnants of yellow ochre wash just visible externally.

The front façade and gables are finished in rough cast lime render and largely limewashed . The roof is covered in natural slate with two rendered chimney stacks with a variety of pots. Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

A house is shown on this site on the OS map of 1834. This house may have been that recorded in the valuation of the same year as the two storey dwelling belonging to Mary Macken. Most dwellings in King Street at this stage were single storey. It is possible that this property later had its roof raised, a theory supported by the fact that the 1863 valuation indicates that the building which appears to have occupied this site was then under extension, and the fact that the façade, thoughalmost symmetrical, has an early vernacular character.

Local residents believe the building to be ‘200 years old’.
Local sources date the house from 1760-1770, and beleve it to be one of the oldest in the Harbour/King Street area. Local traditions associate it with a Mr King a builder/surveyor with the Annesley estate. Mention is made of the house in a local publication with the route through to the penal period mass rock in the back garden. According to an interview given in the Mourne Observor on 4th November 1960, a King Street resident Miss Mary Jane Gould identified no 63 as the house built by Sean McAree with King Street an anglicised version of his name. Local researcher Bernard Davey believes the name of the street derived from Mr King who lived at no 63. The rear garden was used by catholic worshippers prior to the construction of St Mary's Church. The path running up to King Street was known as the Mass pad as the Mass rock was located at the back of the house. The name Penny Lane is also linked to the pathway with Bernard Davey surmisng that it refered to the practise of worshippers giving a penny offering to the priest. A commemorative plaque marking 'Places that time forgot' has been erected by Newcastle Chamber of Commerce at this significant location- one of eleven throughout the town. The 'Places that Time forgot' publication outlines;
Mass Pad: the pathway that once linked South Promenade to King Street. It led to no 63, one of the oldest houses in the harbour area. The rear garden was used by catholic worshippers prior to the construction of St Mary's Church.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.1503 Annesley Papers.
2 PRONI VAL/1B/362 p.23 First valuation, Kilcoo, c.1834.
3 PRONI OS/1/3/49 OS map, first ed., Co Down 49.
4 PRONI VAL/1D/3/10 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1838.
5 PRONI OS/6/3/49/2 OS map, first rev., Co. Down 49.
6 PRONI Second (‘Griffith’s) valuation, Kilcoo, 1863.
7 PRONI VAL/12E/111/1 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1864-1906.
8 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ]).
9 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.161-165.
10 PRONI OS/8/136/1-4 OS plans of Newcastle, 1901.
11 Mourne Observor 4th November 1960
12 'Places that time forgot' Newcastle Chamber of Commerce.
13 Alan Gailey 'Rural Houses of the North Of Ireland', (Edinburgh 1984).
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.76.
2 Grenfell Morton ‘Victorian and Edwardian Newcastle’ (Belfast 1988).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
G. Innovatory Qualities
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Three bay two storey gabled dwelling of developed vernacular direct entry plan form, of likely pre 1834 origin, with survival of developed vernacular plan form materials and detailing, limewashed internally and externally. This is one of the very few pre 1830 buildings in Newcastle whose façade and interior is still largely intact.