10-12 Downs Road,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Picturesque block of two one and a half storey late Victorian houses with decoratively gabled half dormers, set on the W side of Downs Road, Newcastle.

Both houses have identically arranged front facades with a central porch with a panelled and glazed door to the N face and a PVC window to the E (gable) face. Either side of the porch is a PVC window and above are two gabled half dormers with PVC windows. The gables to the porches and dormers all have decorative barge boards with finials, deocative barges to eaves as well.

Both N and S gables are blank. The rear of both properties each have an modern single storey extension with modern windows and doors (extension to No.10 is to the S side and No.12s is to the N). To the inner side of each extension (on the main side of each property) is a single modern window. To the first floor of each are two gabled dormers with modern windows and plain barges and another single window between (on No.12 this window appears to have been reduced in size as a result of the building of the extension).

The facades of both properties are rendered and painted, apart from the the rear of No.10 which is covered in rough cast and unpainted. The roof of the whole block is covered in natural slate with red clay ridge tiles. The roof has an overhang to the eaves, with plain barges to the rear. Two chimney stacks, that to the N (No.12) appears original whilst that to the S is much simpler and may have been rebuilt. Mixture of cast iron and PVC rw goods.

Historical information

Downs Road appears to have been laid out c.1880, though it is conceivable that these houses predate this. They are not shown on the OS map of 1859, however. Their overall styling suggests they could have been built in the 1870s or slightly later.

No.12 was converted to a dental surgery recently.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/49/2 OS maps 1st rev. 1858, Down 49.
2 PRONI D.1854 Annesley Papers.

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.77.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Picturesque one and a half storey block of two houses of perhaps c.1870s-80s or later, with gabled half dormers and front porches. Both properties now have modern doors and window frames and modern rear extensions. No.12 is now a dental suregry.