5 The Square

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

End of terrace two-storey rendered former house, built c.1850, with pair of shopfronts to the ground floor. Rectangular on plan with two-storey rendered return and series of attached two-storey extensions.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles and two redbrick chimneystacks. Cast-iron guttering on iron brackets and cast-iron downpipe. Painted rendered walling with smooth render plinth course. Square-headed window openings with painted masonry sills and replacement tripartite timber sash windows to first floor, fixed-pane timber display windows to ground floor.
Two-storey front elevation, three windows wide with pair of symmetrical shopfronts to the ground floor having modern fascia signs to each. Central square-headed door opening to both shopfronts with replacement timber panelled and glazed doors with overlights opening onto concrete steps to the street.

North side gable is blank with rear access running between this gable and boundary wall to Hillsborough Fort.
Rear elevation abutted by two-storey return and two-storey lean-to extension, with a single tripartite timber sash window to the rear elevation. The north elevation to the return has three 6/6 timber sash windows to the first floor and a door opening accessed by steel steps.

South elevation abutted by adjoining building No.6 (HB19/05/036).

Setting:
Terminating a terrace of three houses on the north end, facing west on the east side of The Square overlooking the former Market House. Long narrow rear plot partly occupied by two two-storey rendered extensions attached to the return, with the remainder given over to car parking.

Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Render
Windows Replacement timber sash

Historical information

This building appears to have undergone successive phases of rebuilding or remodelling but valuation records suggest that the current building dates from the mid-nineteenth century. There are no buildings shown on this side of the Square on an estate map of 1777, but on a 1788 map a row of houses is schematically represented. These houses are shown in more detail on a map of c.1800. A house occupying the site of the current building is the residence of ‘Renyson’. It is rectangular on plan with a large return that has been extended during the lifetime of the map. Outbuildings are also shown in the yard.

This building was initially two separate dwellings, one large building with a substantial return to the south and a much smaller structure to the north. In the Townland Valuation (1828-40), the latter is listed as a house and yard valued at £4.18s and occupied by William Blythe and the former is a house, office and yard, occupied by Henry Biggs and exempted due to its low value.

By the time of Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) these buildings, although occupying substantially the same plan, appear to have been remodelled or rebuilt, as their valuation has now substantially increased. The larger of the two is now occupied by Joseph Lavery who leases the property from Thomas McIleary. It is a public house with office, yard and small garden valued at £16.15s, later raised to £17. Dimensions are given for a house, outoffice and shed and the rent is £22. The smaller property is occupied by William Walker but later falls vacant. It is a house, office, yard and small garden valued at £6.5s, later raised to £6.10s. The valuer refers to the premises having been a shop but the note is unclear. The rent of £10 is deemed to be ‘high’.

In 1873 the listing is altered to make the two properties into one, which is occupied by Joseph Gibson. The valuation, initially £25, is later reduced to £20. In 1886 the valuation is reduced again as the property is ‘in bad repair’. In 1891 it is again noted that the property is a public house, Ellen Gibson becoming proprietor in 1901. A number of tenants follow: John Huston in 1922, Thomas Patterson (1925) and the McClughan family from 1926 who also occupied other properties in the Square.

The first survey photograph shows that large steel picture windows had been installed in the front elevation. These were subsequenty replaced wiith the current tri-partite type more in keeping with the Conservation Area.

The building subsequently reverted to living accommodation but in the 1980s it became offices and then an antique shop. In 1990 a request was made to use the building as an ice cream parlour. (NIEA file)

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/14/1 – First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/14/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
3. PRONI OS/6/3/14/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1902-3
4. PRONI OS/6/3/14/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-20
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/344A-B – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/1/D/3/5 – Townland Valuation Town Plan (c.1834)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/45A-C – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14/A-E – Annual Revisions (1864-1930)
9. PRONI VAL/12/E/102/1/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan ([c.1864]-1909)
10. D671/M/8/2 – Map of Hillsborough, 1771
11. T3153/1 – Map of Hillsborough, 1788
12. D671/M/8/25 – Map of Hillsborough c.1800
13. D671/M/8/57 – Map of Hillsborough 1803
14. NIEA file – HB19/05/035

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

End of terrace two-storey rendered building, built c.1850. This former house was once a public house and is now a café. The front elevation of this building was substantially degraded by the 1960's and subsequent changes have resulted in the removal of most of its historic fabric, detailing and layout resulting in a building that contributes to the Hillsborough Conservation Area but does not meet the test as a building of special interest.