16 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. 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. Replacement timber front door and fanlight over; moulded surrounds to arch with key block.

The principal elevation faces east and forms the left half of a symmetrical façade shared with the adjoining dwelling (HB23/14/015A). Gabled projecting right bay has two storey breakfront; paired windows to each floor with attic level over comprising decorative timber gable barge board over a pair of diminished round-arched attic windows. Central bay comprises abutting single-storey flat-roofed porch with moulded string and parapet coping; single round-arched window over with rooflight above. North face of porch is blank. South face comprises principal round-arched entrance with chamfered reveals and mouldings at impost, arch surround and key block; six panelled replacement timber door and fanlight over. East face of the porch has a tall round-arched window with matching surrounds. Left bay has a single window to each floor.

The right gable is abutted by adjoining dwelling (HB23/14/015A).

The rear elevation faces west and is asymmetrical Left bay comprises single window to each floor with two rooflights above. Right bay is blank. Central bay is abutted entirely by two-storey subservient return; ridge level below eaves of main block; rooflight above on main roof.

Rear return north face comprises square-headed openings; timber door to left single window to right on ground floor, two windows to first floor. West gable blank. South face comprises two square-headed windows to ground floor with continuous cill; square-headed window to left on first floor, large segmental-arched window to right with margin panes and coloured glass.

The south elevation is asymmetrically arranged and comprises two storey canted bay to right; windows to each face on each floor. Left bay comprises large square-headed opening with modern timber framed doors with side and over lights; single window to first floor. South elevation has hipped roof with chimney positioned slightly left of centre half way up hip slope with rooflight behind.

Setting

The front of the site is bounded by a rubble masonry wall; yellow brick chamfered piers surmounted by moulded copings, inscribed with “Cortmerron”. Large rear garden including a detached garage located adjacent to the return. Garage is rendered with slate roof; timber bi-folding door; timber sliding sash windows. 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. 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. (James Cochran; 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. She was living with her unmarried daughter Agnes on the ‘income from house property, and by 1911 with just a paid companion, Charlotte McLean. (1901, 1911 census) By 1917 the house was occupied by James Hope Johnston, an insurance inspector and by 1924 by Noel S Smith who added a motor house. This addition increased the valuation to £46.10s in 1924. William B Mullan was the occupier from 1928 until at least 1930. (Will of James Johnston; Annual Revisions) Sunnyside Villa has remained in use as a domestic dwelling and was restored c20 years ago.

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 Cochran, died 8/10/1889
7. PRONI Will of James Johnston, died 15/9/1897
8. 1901 census online
9. 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)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
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. No 14 survives with much original detail and 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