Abbotscroft Garden Village

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A late 1940s development of two-storey terraced houses with white painted rendered walls, flat roofs and some pedimented doorways, designed by E. Prentice Mawson & Sons for Ulster Garden Villages, Ltd. The development was not listed during the First Survey and is still not of sufficient historical or architectural interest to be included. Many windows have been altered and façade colour changes have spoiled the unity of the group, although the layout remains intact.

The First Survey card states:

'A housing development comprising a number of two-storey flat roofed semi-detached houses (in Modern Movement style except for pedimented doorways) and 'civic' area consisting of three large four-storey blocks of flats or apartments with shops to the ground floor laid out in a formal manner fronting the main road. May of the original windows in the development (small paned) have been replaced by other glazing patterns. Nevertheless this sis good piece of post-war housing design.

Designed and laid out by Thomas Mawson & Son for Ulster Garden Villages Ltd. In the late 1940s. The designer was specifically E. Prentice Mawson; his form operated from London and Lancaster. Built 1949 - 50.'

Historical information

See exterior description.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A late 1940s development of two-storey terraced houses and apartment blocks in the Modern style designed by E. Prentice Mawson & Sons for Ulster Garden Villages, Ltd. Although an interesting exercise if 20th century town planning, it is not of special historical or architectural interest. Its character has been compromised by alterations to the detailing of many of the buildings and it has lost a little of its architectural coherence.