156 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A semi-detached three-bay two-storey with dormered attic red-brick Victorian house, built c.1860 and located east of Old Belfast Road on the outskirt of Holywood town centre. Square on plan with two-storey extension to rear under cat-slide roof; canted and box bay to front.

Pitched natural slate roof with decorative terracotta ridge tiles and red brick chimneystacks; timber eaves board on bracketed eaves and decorative bargeboard to gable. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods with decorative cast-iron hopper. Walling is Flemish-bonded red brick; continuous sill to first floor. Windows are 1/1 timber sliding sash; segmental-headed to first floor with voussoir heads; bay windows have continuous painted stone lintels and continuous sills topped by moulded architraves and cornice; two shaped Dutch-style gabled dormers with ball finials.

The principal elevation faces west and is symmetrically arranged. Paired windows to first floor left and right, over box bay to right and canted bay to left. Single window to centre over entrance comprising six-panelled timber door having brass door furniture and surmounted by plain fanlight; door surround is recessed with brick voussoirs over, comprising two polished granite colonnettes with moulded stone bands to wall and supported on stepped stone plinth; surmounted by round-headed arch with stone detailing and moulded plinths; carved stops at springing level. Entrance accessed by four masonry steps enclosed by dwarf wall.

The north elevation has paired windows to left and window to right at ground and first floor and two round-headed windows to attic. To right is raised chimney flue terminating in decorative corbel bracket at right attic window.

The east (rear) elevation has two-storey extension under cat-slide roof (concealed).

The west elevation is abutted by adjoining building; HB23/19/026A.

Setting

Set on a slightly elevated site with lawned garden to front and rear enclosed by mature hedgerow. Entrance has replacement boundary wall, gate piers and cast-iron gates. Detached garage to rear with modern timber gate leading to rear garden. Rear yard is enclosed by red-brick partially stepped wall having modern timber-sheeted door.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: brick
Windows: timber
RWG: cast-iron

Historical information

The area to the south of Holywood first began to be developed towards the end of the nineteenth century and a number of large houses in spacious grounds are shown for the first time on the third edition map of 1900-02 including the current semi-detached pair. The present building could not be located in valuation records before 1900, but appears on visual inspection to date from c1890.

The present house was formerly known as ‘Baythorpe’ and is listed under this name in valuation records. The first occupier to be noted is David Morrow in 1900, when the house was valued at £43. By 1901 Thomas E Farrington is resident and his census return reveals that he was a retired ‘collector’ for the Inland Revenue. He lived with his wife and grown-up daughter, the whole family having originated in England. Thomas E Farrington died in July 1910 and the house was vacant at the time of the 1911 census but by 1912 Elizabeth Farrington, his widow, was in residence. (1901, 1911 census; Will of Thomas E Farrington) In 1913 the occupier was Robert A Dawson and by 1922 David A Fee, a surgeon and magistrate, whose son, an apprentice at Harland and Wolff, was later killed in the Second World War. David A Fee becomes the immediate lessor the same year. Margaretta J Fee is resident in 1925 and a motor shed is added to the site the same year raising the valuation to £50. Isabella Mulholland was occupier by 1929 and in the 1940s the house was the residence of E W Scales, the father of twin sons who were pupils at Campbell College. (Annual Revisions; Campbell College Register)

The house remains in use as a domestic dwelling.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/1/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1900-02
2. PRONI OS/6/3/1/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1919-31
3. PRONI OS/6/3/1/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1938-41
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
5. PRONI VAL/12/E/93/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1919-c1935)
6. PRONI Will of Thomas E Farrington, died 29th July 1910
7. Campbell College Register 1894-1954 (available at www.lennonwylie.co.uk)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A semi-detached three-bay two-storey-with-attic, red-brick Victorian house, built c.1860. The exterior has proportions and detailing typical of the Victorian style. Although worthy of record but it is of a late date and not of special interest.