1 Park Lane

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Attached two-storey rendered house, built c.1800. L-shape on plan facing east on the west side of Park Lane abutting the northeast corner of The Shambles (HB19/05/149A) and incorporating a room forming part of The Shambles.

Pitched natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles and central tall rendered chimneystack with clay pots. Cast-iron guttering on iron brackets to cavetto-moulded eaves course. Painted ruled and lined rendered walling with rusticated render quoins. Square-headed window openings with original timber casement windows having cylinder glass and sandstone sills.

Front elevation three windows wide with square-headed door opening having smooth render surround and flat-panelled timber door opening onto concrete step directly to the street.

Gabled south side elevation abutted by The Shambles with rendered wall outlining the section incoporated into No.1 Park Lane. Pair of three-centred arch window openings formed in redbrick with fixed pane glazing and set within rubblestone wall and double-backed brick coping.

Rear elevation abutted by one and half-storey projection to south and single-storey structure to north. Rear elevation is clad in creeper with some original 2/2 timber sash windows, the remainder being replacement timber casement windows.

Gabled north elevation has a single square-headed window opening to the upper floor with an original 2/2 timber sash window. Abutting the rear elevation is a tall rubblestone screen wall enclosing the rear yard with natural slate coping containing a square-headed door opening with replacement timber sheeted door opening onto the cobbled rear access lane.

Setting:
Located on the west side of Park Lane fronting onto the street with a cobbled lane running along the north gable giving access to the rear, The Shambles and terrace of small houses nos. 1-4 Inns Court, Park Lane(HB19/05/064A-D).

Roof Natural slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Ruled and lined render
Windows Original timber casement

Historical information

An 1803 plan of Hillsborough shows a building on the current site of 1 Park Lane (then called West Lane), however, whether this is the present building or not is not clear, it is likely that the current building predated the adjoining Shambles (HB19/05/149A) which were constructed in 1829 after the enclosing of the Castle grounds and the diversion of the Moira Road.

The Townland Valuation Map for Hillsborough shows 1 Park Lane as a small square building adjoining the rear wall of the Shambles, separated from the buildings to its north on West Lane by a path leading to an entrance to the Shambles. In 1834 the building is exempt from valuation as it is below the minimum value of £5.0.0. The owner is not listed at this time but by the period of Griffith’s Valuation Robert Johnston is registered as the occupant. The House at that time was valued at £4.10.0. and remained in his name until his death on 6th January 1894. His widow Eliza Johnston occupied the house until her own death in 1909 aged 84 years (Graveyard Inscriptions, p. 71).

Robert and Eliza Johnston had a sad history at this address losing three of their children at a young age. Their daughter Annie M. Johnston died in 1898 at the age of 28 not long after her father’s death. The 1901 Census records that Eliza Johnston was born in England and at the age of 75 was working as a seamstress. She lived with her Son Robert Johnston a 48 year old Carpenter. In that year the house building return recorded 1 Park Lane as a 2nd Class dwelling consisting of five rooms, four windows in front and possessing no out-offices. By 1911, after the death of Eliza Johnston, the house was occupied by a Mary Johnston (cannot substantiate if relation to previous family, although it is likely) and her young sons Robert, a Tailor’s apprentice, and Thomas. Mary was also a widow, her husband James Johnston having died in April 1904 (Graveyard Inscriptions, p. 71). The 1911 Census shows no change to the description of the house apart from the addition of a wood house and a coal house.

On 10 July 1923 Arthur Hill, the 7th Marquis of Downshire, sold the ‘6 perches of land’ that constituted the building to an Edward Johnston for £150 through the Trustees of his estate. It appears that Mary Johnston had vacated the house for a time before 1923 as the house was described as already in Edward Johnston’s possession.

The recorder believes that this building was constructed c.1800 and predated the adjoining shambles. When the shambles fell into disuse the occupant of 1 Park Lane purchased one of its rooms and turned it into a personal studio. The current occupant has lived in the house for around 25 years; in poor condition when she bought it, she has renovated the interior.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI D671/M/8/25 – Hillsborough Map c.1800
2. PRONI D671/M/8/57/1 – Hillsborough Illustrated Map 1803
3. PRONI VAL/1/B/344 A-B – Townland Valuations 1834
4. PRONI VAL/1/D/3/5 – Town Plan 1834
5. PRONI OS/6/3/14/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834
6. PRONI OS/6/3/14/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1858
7. PRONI OS/6/3/14/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1902-1903
8. PRONI OS/6/3/14/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-1920
9. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/45A-C – Griffith’s Valuation 1856-64
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14A – Annual Revisions 1864-1879
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14B – Annual Revisions 1880-1889
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14C – Annual Revisions 1890-1908
13. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14D – Annual Revisions 1909-1928
14. PRONI VAL/12/B/20/14E – Annual Revisions 1928-1930
15. PRONI D671/D/8/8/350 – Copy Conveyance.

Secondary Sources

1. ‘Gravestone Inscriptions: Vol. 18 Co. Down’ Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1979.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Attached two-storey rendered house, built c.1800, located on the west side of Park Lane off The Square. The modest scale and discreet location of this house renders it almost vernacular in character. Set south of Inn Court, a small terrace with enclosed cobbled laneway, (HB19/05/064A-D) and abutting the northeast corner of The Shambles (HB19/05/149A), it forms part of the essential character of Park Lane. With its façade detailing intact and its original interior it also incorporates a room originally forming part of The Shambles.

General comments

This record has been re-numbered, formerly HB19/05/073A.
Criteria R and S also apply.