21 Arthur Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

End-terrace single-storey with attic, Tudor-style Victorian workers house built c.1850; rectangular in plan form with a two-storey modern extension to the rear. Located off Ballynahinch Street, north of St Malachi’s Parish Church. (HB19/05/001)

Pitched natural slate with clay ridge tiles over; dormer window centrally located, cast-iron rain water goods. Brick chimneystack shared with adjoining building with two clay pots. Walling is coursed rubble masonry with sandstone quoins and red brick surrounds to doors and windows. Windows are modern top hung, double glazed, uPVC casement, white with lattice lead applied to face; sandstone cill with cement repairs; single-brick flat arch over with, robust half circle cement rendered label moulding. Replacement timber front door.

The front elevation faces east and is asymmetrically arranged with the ground floor window on the right of the front door. Quoins to left hand side.

The left gable end has no openings.

The rear elevation is abutted by a two-storey modern extension.

The right elevation abuts the adjoining dwelling number 19 (HB19/05/050I)

Setting:

The buildings forms part of a pair of matching terraces lining the street. The street is accessed by a single entrance of the Ballynahinch Street; the other end of the street closed in by a large rubble masonry wall. An arched opening in the wall has since been infilled.

Roofing Natural Slate
Walling Coursed Rubble with brick and sandstone surrounds
Windows uPVC casement
RWG Cast-iron

Historical information

The OS maps indicate that Arthur Street was built at various stages throughout the first half of the 19th century. Brett (p.216) suggests that the earliest houses that appear on the 1833 OS map date from 1820s and were erected primarily to accommodate workers and tenants of the Downshire Estate. Although the individual valuation of each building was not high enough to warrant an entry in the Townland Valuation 1828-40, the town plan c.1834, clearly identifies 6 dwellings on the street. By the second edition OS map of 1858, the remainder of the street, as it appears today, is shown.

Field evidence supports the OS map evidence which identifies the earliest part of the street to be constructed using random rubble masonry with granite moulding and arched alleyways. A second phase comprising four more dwellings, may have been erected later where sandstone is used in place of granite and the walling changes to squared galletted rubble; the later part constructed c.1850 (Walker p.39) is from a more regular cut stone laid to courses.

Number 11 appears to be part of the later half of the street owning to its location and masonry type, built c.1850. Griffiths Valuation 1862 identifies the owner as John Smith and values the house and yard at £2 15s. The valuer comments that the rents are ‘moderate’. This house claims ownership of the passageway and enjoys an additional bedroom located over, hence valued slightly higher than the neighbouring house. Various changes of occupier ensue.

All the houses on the street were instated 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)

11 Arthur Street was listed in 1974 and has undergone various 20th century alterations and additions, including replacement of dormers in 1990 and the installation skylights in 1999, which has unfortunately contributed much to the loss of its original features. (NIEA File)

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 – HB19/05/050E

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002
2. Walker, Simon “Hillsborough – An Illustrated History and Companion”, Cottage Publications 1994
3. Hillsborough Old Guard “Beloved Of My Heart – Little Hillsborough Town”, 2009

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

A Victorian end-terrace, single-storey with attic workers-cottage built c.1850 to house workers and tenants of the Downshire Estate. Displaying its original façade with stone hood mouldings, the building retains its original modest style and proportions. Despite having lost its original doors and windows and having had many original materials replaced internally during recent renovations, it constitutes an important part of the overall character of Arthur Street, (HB19/05/050A-V).