86 Saul Street (Betsy's Terrace)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey terrace house of c.1820, one of a block of five (originally) identical dwellings which, due to the steep rise in ground level, are two storey to the front. The house is situated at the SW end of the block, and, (like its neighbours) is set on the squint. The terrace itself in on the NW side of Saul Street, to the NE of Downpatrick town centre.

The front façade faces SE. To the left on the ground floor is a modern (partly glazed) door with (almost) semicircular fanlight with (relatively recent) ‘spoke’ tracery. To the right of the door is a sash window with Georgian panes (6/6). To the first floor are two similar windows. The front façade is finished in lined render and painted.

The SW gable is also line rendered, but has no openings and is unpainted .

To the right at the rear is a large, two storey, gabled return, (which is not original), with modern windows and door. At ground (‘basement’) level to the left on the façade of main house is a window with modern frame. There is another similar window to the floor above this, and another to the next floor. To the right is a similar window set at stair half landing level. The rear façade of the main house is covered in unpainted lined render. The return is dry dashed.

The gabled roof is slated and has a concrete brick chimney stack and a rendered one. The rendered stack (to SW) is a dummy. Velux window to rear. Cast iron and PVC rw goods. Low rendered wall to front (rebuilt is recent years).

Historical information

[Note- More comprehensive history, (with valuations etc.), to follow with next (Seaforde) ward.]

The short terrace to which this house belongs is shown on the OS map of 1834 and may date from c.1820. The name ‘Betsy’s Terrace’ is said locally to refer to Betsy Gray (of 1798 Rising fame), whom- one theory suggests -came from Downpatrick. Whether this theory is true or not is debatable, and what connection (if any) she had with this area of Saul Street is unknown. If she did have some connection with the actual terrace it would suggest that the houses may be late 18th rather than early 19th century, though this seems doubtful.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/37/1 OS map, 1834
2 PRONI OS/6/3/37/2 OS map, 1859
3 PRONI OS/6/3/37/3 OS map, 1901
4 PRONI OS/6/3/37/4 OS map, 1920

Secondary sources
1 R.H. Buchanan and Anthony Wilson ‘Irish historic towns atlas No.8- Downpatrick’ (Royal Irish Academy, 1997)
2 Bill Wilsdon ‘The sites of the 1798 rising in Antrim and Down’ (Belfast 1997), pp.135-6, 160, 172 [Betsy Gray etc.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Three storey terrace house of c.1820, one of a block of five identical dwellings which (due to the steep rise in ground level) are two storey to the front. To the rear there is a large two storey gabled return and the rear windows have modern frames.