14 Raglan Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey with attic three-bay Victorian semi-detached villa built c.1880. Rectangular floor plan with rear return and side extension. Located in the Bangor West area, adjacent to the junction with Downshire Road.

Pitched natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles; uPVC replacement rainwater goods. Smooth rendered chimney stack with moulded dentilled cornice with clay pots over. Ruled -and-lined stucco rendered walling; projected plain plinth; string and cill courses; plain panelling between ground and first floor; dentilled cornice course to overhanging eaves. 2/2 segmental-arched timber sliding sash windows; chamfered plain surrounds; key block to ground floor. Front door removed. (Entrance re-located to side extension.)

The principal elevation faces east and forms the right half of a symmetrical façade shared with the adjoining dwelling (HB23/14/015B). Gabled projecting left bay has two storey breakfront; paired windows to each floor with attic level over comprising decorative timber gable barge board over a pair of small round-arched attic windows. Central bay comprises abutting single-storey flat-roofed former porch with moulded string and parapet coping; single round-arched window over with flat roofed dormer; glazed east face, partially glazed and timber sheeted north and south faces. North face of porch altered with blocked-up former front entrance; fan-light opening and surrounds remain; additional small rectangular window installed below fan-light. East face of the porch has a tall round-arched window with matching surrounds; west face blank.
Right bay has a single window to each floor (that to first floor is a replacement fixed pane).

The left gable is abutted by adjoining dwelling (HB23/14/015B).

The rear elevation faces west and is asymmetrically arranged. Right bay ground floor obscured; single window to first floor with flat roofed canted dormer above left of centre. Left bay is abutted at ground floor by flat roofed addition (of no interest); single window to first floor. Central bay is abutted entirely by two-storey subservient return; ridge level below eaves of main block; modern rooflight above on main roof.

Rear return north face is abutted at ground floor by flat roofed addition; two square-headed windows to first floor. West gable comprises two square-headed windows to ground floor (openings altered c.1960). South face ground floor obscured; two square-headed windows to first floor.

The north elevation is asymmetrical and comprises two storey canted bay to left; windows to each face on each floor. Right bay comprises a single window to first floor and is largely abutted at ground floor by a single-storey flat-roofed extension returning to the rear; built c.1960 and forming a flat roofed canopy over repositioned entrance with modern glazed timber door and side screen to left. North elevation has hipped roof with chimney positioned slightly right of centre half way up hip slope.

Setting

The front of the site is bounded by a rubble masonry wall with former pedestrian access flanked by a pair of yellow-brick piers, now blocked up. The piers are surmounted by moulded copings, inscribed with “Marine” and “Villa”. New vehicular access is on the north side, via a modern gated entrance; adjacent to a modern single-storey flat-roofed garage. Small swimming pool to the rear of the site with various sections of paved and lawn garden. The general surroundings are two-storey detached/semi-detached dwellings.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Render
Windows: Timber
RWG: uPVC replacement

Historical information

The house is one of a semi-detached pair, first shown on the third edition OS map of 1901. The area west of Bangor first began to be developed in the late nineteenth century as the town increased in size and status following the arrival of the railway line in 1865. The houses were built by James Cochran, ‘gentleman’, who lived at number 14, known as ‘Marine Villa’ and let number 16, ‘Sunnyside Villa’ to the minister of Bangor Second Presbyterian church, the Rev William Clarke. (Will of James Cochran) The houses enter valuation records in 1880 valued at £70 for Marine Villa and £69 for Sunnyside Villa, although the valuations were reduced, following complaints, to £40 and £39 respectively by the 1890s.(Annual Revisions; History of Congregations)

James Cochran died in 1889 and the Rev William Clarke in 1892. The houses remained in the Cochran family for some time with James’ widow, Jane Cochran noted to be resident in Sunnyside Villa at the time of the 1901 census. (Will of James Cochran; History of Congregations; 1901 census)

Marine Villa was occupied in 1901 by Emily Connor, who appears to have been the daughter of Foster Connor, linen manufacturer and builder of Seacourt (HB23/14/005A). When Foster Connor died in 1881, Seacourt passed to his son Charles Connor and c.1890 a house, Glenbank (HB23/14/016) was built for Emily Connor on the plot beside Seacourt. By 1901 Glenbank had been taken over by William Corry, aerated water manufacturer and Emily Connor had moved to the current property. (Will of Emmeline Elizabeth Thomson; Will of Margaret Connor) Emily Connor, known as ‘Bangor’s Lady Bountiful’ was active in her local community and is noted to have opened Bangor Golf Club in 1904 and laid the foundation stone of Bangor Hospital in 1909, where a wing was named after her. (Haines, p.139; Wilson, p.60) She lived in the house with a lady’s companion from Portsmouth, Annie Green, and a staff of three, a housemaid, a cook and a parlour maid. (1901 census) She and Annie Green were still resident at the time of the 1911 census, the only change in circumstances being the reduction of her staff to two. (1911 census)

By 1917 Marine Villa had been taken over by Henry L Wright and in 1925 it is noted to be the home of Rev James A Carey, the rector of Bangor parish. It was due to the efforts of Rev Carey that Bangor Abbey (HB23/07/004), which had lain unused for around thirty years, was restored and re-opened. (Clergy of Down and Dromore, p.53) The house thus became the parish rectory and on the death of Rev Carey was occupied by the following incumbent, Rev Canon Arthur William Barton who was in residence until at least 1930, later becoming Bishop of Kilmore. (Clergy of Down and Dromore, p.97) Marine Villa was extended in the 1950s/60s and altered internally, the original porch being closed up and an alternative porch created at the side of the building. It has remained in use as a domestic dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/2/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901
2. PRONI OS/6/3/2/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-26
3. PRONI OS/6/3/2/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/23/7A-K – Annual Revisions (1866-99)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/23/9A-S – Annual Revisions (1900-1930)
6. PRONI Will of James Cochrane, died 8/10/1889
7. PRONI Will of Margaret Connor, died 30/6/1889
8. PRONI Will of Emmeline Elizabeth Thomson, died 30/7/1897
9. PRONI Will of James Johnston, died 15/9/1897
10. 1901 census online
11. 1911 census online

Secondary Sources

1. “A History of Congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 1610-1982” authorised by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, 1982 (available at www.presbyterianhistoryireland.com)
2. Haines, K “North Down Memories, Photographs 1860s-1960s” Belfast: Blackstaff Press, 2000 Rankin, F., Leslie, Canon, J.B., Swanzy, Dean H.B. “Clergy of Down and Dromore” Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1996
3. Wilson, I “Bangor, Historic Photographs of the County Down town” Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1992

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two/three-storey Victorian semi-detached villa built c.1880. Together with its pair, it is of good original character, typical of the style and proportion of the architecture of its time. Although No 14 has undergone significant alteration, as a pair they are a good example of the type of substantial house that was developed as the suburbs of Bangor grew in the late Nineteenth century.

General comments

Within Bangor West Area of Townscape Character