1 Arthur Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Corner-sited single-storey roofless terraced stone and brick former pair of houses, built c.1825, facing north and west at the entrance to Arthur Street, with only the two facades remaining.

Rubble basalt walling with some galleting and cement pointing. Concrete coping to head of walls and squared granite quoins to both corners. Square-headed door and window openings formed in redbrick with granite sills having granite hood mouldings and rendered blocked up windows.

North elevation, three windows wide, with central door opening having vertically-sheeted timber door.

West elevation, five windows wide, with off-centre door opening, rendered over.

Cement render to inner side of walls and conrete paved yard occupying site of original houses.

Setting:
One of 23 similar houses in a cul-de-sac of former workers' cottages.

Roof None
Walling Rubble basalt
Rainwater goods None
Windows None

Historical information

The earliest houses in this terrace were built by 1833, Brett suggesting that they may date from the late 1820s and that they were built as low-cost housing for workers on the Downshire estate. The map and field evidence does not point to a clear date for the remainder of the terrace, but it was certainly in place by 1858. (Brett, p.216)

Part of the terrace is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833. The valuation town plan of the same period shows houses 1 and 4 present, each with two small structures attached which may be numbers 3, 5, 6 and 8. The smaller structures are not listed in the Townland Valuation, perhaps because they were not of sufficient value. The first edition OS map of 1833 shows the two sides of the terrace as uneven in length and this suggests further houses may have been added since the valuation town plan.

Field inspection of the terrace suggests that it may have been built in at least three phases, with the earlier houses, numbers 1, 3, 5, 4, 6 and 8, dating from the late 1820s and the remainder being added after that date but before the second edition in 1858. The earliest houses are of random rubble masonry with granite used for the mouldings and arched alleyways. Numbers 7, 9, 10 and 12 use sandstone instead of granite and the walling is of squared galletted rubble. The remainder are of a more regular cut stone laid to courses.

All the houses on the street were built with a yard to the rear, a ‘pit’ for household waste and a dry toilet. The coal was typically stored in a hole under the stairs adjacent to the living room and the water was supplied from either a tap located at the top of Arthur Street, or a pump at the end of Wapping Street. (Hillsborough Old Guard)

The current house is listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40) as a house, offices and yard, the residence of John Hamilton and valued at £5.12s. A separate fieldbook entry notes the dimensions of the house and outbuildings and states that part of the building is used as a ‘smith’s shop’.

By the time of the second edition OS map (1858) the whole terrace is shown and has been named ‘Arthur Street’. In Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) the house is occupied by Abel Hamilton and leased from the Marquess of Downshire. It is a house, forge and yard valued at £9, with dimensions given for the house, forge and an outbuilding. Various changes of occupier ensue, but the buildings remains a forge throughout the period of annual revisions and NIEA files state that it was in use as a forge until 1965.

The building was listed in 1974 and photographs from the 1970’s are held in NIEA files, when it was beginning to fall into disrepair. By 1983 the building had reached an advanced state of dereliction and it was substantially demolished leaving only two external walls.

References:

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. Belfast and Ulster Street Directory, 1896
11. NIEA file – HB19/05/050
12. Ulster Star September 27th, 1974

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002
2. Hillsborough Old Guard “Beloved of my Heart – Little Hillsborough Town” 2009

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Single-storey roofless stone former pair of workers' houses built by the Downshire estate c1825, framing the west side of the entrance to Arthur Street. All that remains now are 2 walls; the other 2 walls roof and interior having been demolished in the early 1980's. Although substantially demolished, along with No 4 Arthur Street this building is important as it forms the entrance to Arthur Street and has group value with the other adjacent listed houses. Arthur Street is an important component of the Hillsborough Conservation Area.