148 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 and uPVC conservatory 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 smooth painted render to rear elevation. 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 and rear.

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

The north elevation is abutted by adjoining building (HB23/19/006D)

The east (rear) elevation has a window to left at all floors and is abutted to right by lower three-storey return. Return has window to first and second floor at gable and is abutted at ground floor by uPVC conservatory. Exposed section to right not visible (see surveyor’s comments).

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

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. Paved and gravelled garden to rear enclosed to north and east by high brick wall; accessed by large double-leaf timber gate. Small paved garden to front enclosed by simple cast-iron railings and gate.

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

Historical information

The houses are first shown on the second edition ordnance survey map, captioned ‘Walmer Terrace’. According to Merrick, 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 William W Millar. It is a house, yard and small garden valued at £27, later raised to £29. Rent is £34 ‘about’ plus taxes. Dimensions are given for a house and return. Ann Martin (1880) and John Hodge (1900) are the next tenants.

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.
The valuation is reduced to £28 in 189 and £27 in 1891 and £22.10s in 1904 following a complaint about the valuation. 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.

Subsequent tenants are James Jenkins (1904), Elizabeth Farrington (1913) and Albert E Calvert (1917). The valuation was reduced to £17 in 1912. William Keenan became the immediate lessor in 1926.

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

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
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. 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