6 Marino Villas

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached, symmetrical three-bay two-storey Tudor-Revival villa, built c.1830 to designs by John Millar. Rectangular on plan with central octagonal entrance tower. Formerly the central block in a group of three, facing south, and abutted by its original neighbour (HB23/18/036B) at right and a modern terrace at left.

Pitched natural slate roof, roll-moulded black clay ridge tiles, lead hips to pavilion roof on tower; cast-iron rainwater goods on iron drive-through brackets. Rendered chimneystack with octagonal white pots. Masonry coping to tower parapet, which rises to a series of plain gablets, and to gabled wall-head dormers. Walling is rendered, painted white beneath a projecting plinth course, decorative flying buttresses to each angle of tower rise to just above ground floor level which projects slightly over an offset string. Decorative blind panels and hood moulding to the east elevation. Windows are set in chamfered surrounds with label moulds to ground floor; uPVC casements to ground floor; triangular-headed replacement timber lattice casements to dormers. Tower has slender triangular-headed loops to each face. uPVC and timber casements to rear.

Principal elevation faces south and has a window to each floor symmetrically arranged about the central tower. Ground floor openings to tower are each set in an arch-headed recess and comprise central Tudor-arch timber door with vertical panels accessed by five stone steps enclosed to either side by segmental-headed dwarf walls, flanked by a loop opening to either side.

Side elevations are abutted by adjoining buildings (HB23/18/036B at right and modern terrace to left).

Rear elevation is screened by a tall yard wall with saddleback coping containing two Tudor-arch-headed timber sheeted street doors. There are two windows visible to first floor; right side is gabled with fractable.

Setting

The house is fronted by a small paved and terraced garden accessed by a gravel drive from Marino Park at southeast. The yard opens directly onto the street at Old Quay Road.

Roof: natural slate
Walling: render
Windows: timber and uPVC
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

This is one of a pair of semi-detached houses that were part of an interlocked trio of villas built c1830 to designs by John Millar for Thomas Ward.

The buildings are shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1834) among a number of villas within a single plot. These are all listed in the Townland Valuation (1828-40), the current building being described as ‘three houses and offices’, the property of Mr Thomas Ward, and valued at £19.8s.

In his 1837 publication, Samuel Lewis writes, “There are several good lodging-houses in the village and its environs; and from the increasing number of visiters [sic], several houses in detached situations and chiefly in the Elizabethan style of architecture are now in progress on the Cultra estate, by Thomas Ward Esq, after designs by Millar. These houses are sheltered with thriving plantations and beautifully situated on a gentle eminence commanding a richly diversified and extensive prospect of Carrickfergus bay, the Black mountain, Cave hill, the Carnmoney mountains and the town and castle of Carrickfergus, the view terminating with the basaltic columns of Black Head.” However, it appears these observations were made some time before publication, as the OS Memoirs records the houses as already complete in 1834. The memoirs notes that they “have been built for the bathing season, when they are generally filled from Belfast.” (Lewis, Vol II, p.6; OS Memoirs, p.74)

The second edition OS map (1858) shows the villas uncaptioned. Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) of this period gives the occupiers of the current dwelling as Henry George Burnell. Dimensions are given for the three dwellings and they are all valued at £19. A sketch plan is drawn in the margin. The valuer comments of the whole property, ‘very neat cottage, always likely to let well.’

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century the houses were increasingly left unlet and became less attractive rental propositions – perhaps because of the growth and popularity of Bangor as a seaside destination once the railway reached it in 1865.

The house was occupied by Thomas Walkington in 1863, then Catherine Wilson in 1880. GM Payne, on taking over the house in 1897 asked for a reduction in the valuation which was granted, the value being reduced to £12.10s. The valuer noted that the house was ‘very old without modern conveniences’.
y 1933 the house had passed to John William Myles who leased it from Henry J Harris. The valuation was increased to £14. There are two receptions, a kitchen, two bedrooms, a turret bedroom, a bathroom and WC. The house is supplied with gas and has a well with pump, but drinking water has to be fetched from 5 Marino Villas.

A portion of gable wall remains from the third house in the trio, which was formerly attached to the north and was demolished in the post-war period. (Brett, p.178)

References:

Primary Sources

1.PRONI OS/6/3/1/1 – First Edition OS Map 1834
2.PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
3.PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
4.PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
5.PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
6.PRONI VAL/1/A/3/1 – Townland Valuation Map (1828-40)
7.PRONI VAL/1/B/318 – Townland Valuation (1828-40)
8.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/1 – Griffith’s Valuation Map (1856-64)
9.PRONI VAL/2/B/3/18B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
10.PRONI VAL/12/A/3/17 – Annual Revisions Valuers’ notebook (1897-99)
11.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
12.PRONI VAL/12/B/17/11A-C – Annual Revisions (1888-1930)
13.PRONI VAL/3D/4/4/A/4 – Valuers RV Binder 1933-57
14.Day, A. and P. McWilliams, eds. “OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Down II, 1832-4, 1837, Vol. 7.” Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1991.

Secondary Sources

1.Brett, C.E.B. “Buildings of North County Down” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2002
2.Lewis, Samuel. “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate, Market, and Post Towns, Parishes, and Villages, With Historical and Statistical Descriptions; Embellished with Engravings of the Arms of the Cities, Bishopricks, Corporate Towns, and Boroughs; Of the Seals of the Several Municipal Corporations.” London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

A picturesque Tudor-style terraced house, built c.1830 to designs by John Millar, which once formed part of a terrace of three houses that together gave the illusion of a Tudor Mansion. They form part of a group of similarly styled dwellings, built as bathing villas, that represent both the beginnings of speculative development in this part of the North Down coast and the increasing popularity of coastal leisure pursuits among the wealthy merchant classes. The north end of the terrace has long been demolished and replaced by a pair of oversized dwellings that have borrowed the raised gables and chamfered window surrounds from the intact end.

The terrace is a significant element in the notable and unusual neo-Tudor character of the enclave.

General comments

Please note this record has been renumbered is was previously recorded as HB23/18/036