142 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay three-storey Victorian mid-terrace townhouse, built c.1855 and located to the south of High Street in Holywood town centre. Rectangular on plan with three-storey return to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with brick chimneys having terracotta pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on overhanging corbelled eaves with paired brackets. Walling is Flemish bonded red-brick with painted smooth render having band rustication to ground floor; smooth painted render to rear. Windows are a variety of timber framed sliding sash with flat brick arches; canted bay to ground floor is 2/2 (having horizontal glazing bars) with moulded window surround divided by Doric pilasters, plain entablature with dentilled frieze and corbelled eaves: segmental-headed 6/2 windows and continuous sill to first floor; 6/6 to second floor; timber-framed replacements to rear.

The principal elevation faces west and is two openings wide. To left is canted bay. Entrance is accessed by two stone steps; door has four raised-and-fielded panels with transom light; panelled pilaster surround with simple console brackets and corniced canopy.

The north gable is abutted by adjoining building (HB23/19/006A)

The east (rear) elevation has a window to right at all floors and is abutted to left by lower three-storey return. Return has window to all floors at gable. Exposed section to right has single opening to left at first and second floor; modern timber door to ground floor.

The south elevation is abutted by adjoining building (HB23/19/006C)

Setting

Situated to the south of High Street in Holywood town centre, with St Comcille’s Church and Tower (HB23/19/009) directly to south. Tarmacadamed car-park to east semi-enclosed with painted masonry wall. Small paved garden to front enclosed by simple cast-iron railings and gate. Rear yard is enclosed by painted masonry wall with modern cast-iron gate.

Roof: Natural Slate
Walling: red-brick and render
Windows: mber and uPVC
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The houses are first shown on the second edition ordnance survey map, captioned ‘Walmer Terrace’. Merrick states that they were built in 1856 and housed a variety of merchants and professional people who were attracted to Holywood, following the opening of the railway in 1848. (Merrick, p.29) The terrace was also home to at least three members of the clergy, a Catholic priest, a Presbyterian missionary and a Church of Ireland curate.

Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the houses as ‘Walmer Terrace’. They are all leased from Andrew Cowan who also owned the semi-detached pair of houses called ‘Mill Bank’ (HB23/20/056A-B) which was built at about the same time.

The current house is occupied by Alexander Finlay. It is a house, yard and small garden valued at £27 later raised to £29. The rent is £34 yearly plus taxes. Dimensions are given for a house and return.

Holywood entered something of a decline in the late nineteenth century due to several factors, including the arrival of trams in Belfast in the 1870s which meant that the mercantile and professional classes had many more residential areas to choose from. A number of tenants follow, Thomas Ward (1880) Mary J Thompson (1889) and Ellen McAfee in 1900 the valuation being reduced to £28 in 1889, £27 in 1891 and £22.10s in 1904 following a complaint. Valuer’s notes of this period give a plan and dimensions of the building and state that the rent is £30 reduced from £35 yearly. The houses have 5 bedrooms and 2 receptions, hot and cold water and a bathroom. The valuer comments that this house has been vacant for years.

Gerald SW Camphill (1906) is followed by Ernest Rumbold (1913) and the Rev Robert H White (1915). Rev White was curate of Holywood parish church from 1906 to 1915, leaving to become incumbent of Holy Trinity church, Belfast. The valuation was reduced to £17 in 1912. Elizabeth McCaw was resident by 1917and Thomas Elwood became the immediate lessor in 1927. A motor house was added in 1929. (Clergy of Down and Dromore, Part I, p.441)

The building is currently in use as offices.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/1/2 – Second Edition OS map 1858
2. PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
3. PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
4. PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/18B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
6. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/53 – Valuer’s Notebook (1900-06)
7. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/54 – Valuer’s Notebook (1906-12)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
9. PRONI VAL/12/E/123/1/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1860-c1866)
10. PRONI VAL/12/E/123/2/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1867-1900)

Secondary Sources

1. Merrick, Tony “Buildings of Holywood” Holywood: Holywood Advertiser, 1986
2. Rankin, F., Leslie, Canon, J.B., Swanzy, Dean H.B. “Clergy of Down and Dromore” Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1996

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-bay three-storey Victorian mid-terrace townhouse, built c.1855 and located to the south of High Street in Holywood town centre. The architectural detailing is largely intact on the main elevation. This building forms part of an important group, being one in a terrace of six. The terrace is good of its type and illustrates the ongoing growth of Holywood in the mid-19th century.

General comments

Please note this record has now been renumbered it was previously recorded as HB23/19/006