43 Victoria Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay two–storey-over-basement end terrace townhouse, built c. 1850 and located to the south of Victoria Road, Holywood. Square-on-plan with two-storey gabled return to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof with rectangular rendered chimneystacks having terracotta pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods with hopper on bracketed eaves; plastic rainwater goods to rear return. Windows are 1/1 timber framed sliding sash (segmental-headed to first floor), with projecting continuous sill. First floor windows have moulded architrave surround with keyblock detail, apron panels and corbel brackets under sills. Walling is painted smooth render; ground floor having band rustication with elongated keyblock detail over windows; reticulated block Gibbs surround to entrance door with plain keyblock detail.

The principal elevation faces north and is three equally spaced openings wide. Entrance door to right accessed by two stone steps, comprising six raised-and-fielded panel timber door with carved detail and brass door furniture surmounted by plain transom light.

The east elevation is abutted to ground floor by adjoining property.

The south (rear) elevation has asymmetrical openings to ground and first floor. Basement level has replacement timber window and timber door to right, accessed by two stone steps. Exposed section of rear return single opening to first floor and two openings to ground floor. Gable is blank.

The west elevation is abutted by adjoining building; HB23/20/057B.

Setting

The entrance is up two stone steps with decorative cast-iron railings to front. The terrace is set back slightly from the road, with a small garden to front, bounded to road by hedgerow and fencing. To east is a masonry wall and to rear there is a large mature garden.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: render
Windows: timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

Victoria Road in Holywood began to be developed from around 1850 to provide homes for merchants and professional people who were attracted by the opening of the railway in 1848, affording easy access to Belfast. This mercantile and professional class was experiencing increasing prosperity and sought healthier and more attractive surroundings. Merrick states that these houses were built in 1858. (Merrick, p.5)

The terrace is first shown on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858, captioned ‘Martello Terrace’. It is listed in Griffith’s Valuation as a terrace of three houses with returns having identical dimensions, 6½x9?x2? for the house and 3x4½x2 for the return. The terrace is shown on the valuation town plan with L-shaped returns.

House 24 is the residence of Margaret Ward and is valued at £20 later raised to £22. The rent is £25. In c.1880 the name of the terrace was changed to ‘Martello Crescent' and in 1887 the valuation was reduced to £19. A further name change, to ‘Lower Martello Crescent’ took place in 1899. In 1895 the valuation was lowered to £15. The other two terraces had their returns raised and a bathroom installed in the late nineteenth century but this house was not altered at the same time. However, in 1891 valuer’s notes tell us that the tenant had been in the house for 30 years and that the rent was now £20. There is a Margaret Ward listed in the street directory for 1880 as a grocer of 71 Verner Street, Belfast. She died, unmarried, in 1904, and is therefore a potential candidate as the occupant of this house.

A succession of tenants follow: Selina McHugh (1910), John Hawthorne (1915), Samuel Hawthorne (1921), Minnie Hawthorne (1923), Patrick Hawthorne (1925) and Hannah Query in 1927. The lessor is Margaret McHugh from 1924.

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/3/18A – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
7. PRONI VAL/12/E/123/1/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1860-c1866)
8. PRONI VAL/12/E/123/2/1-6 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c1867-1900)
9. Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory, 1880
10. PRONI Letter of Aministration, death of Margaret Ward on 9th April 1904

Secondary Sources

1. Merrick, Tony “Buildings of Holywood” Holywood: Holywood Advertiser, 1986

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two storey-over-basement end terrace townhouse, built c.1850. Architectural detailing is of good quality for a townhouse of this type, and is largely intact. Number 39 has group value given that it is part of a terrace of three, all equally well-preserved, and retaining much character. They are of interest as part of the development of Holywood after the railways arrived.

General comments

Please note this record has been renumbered, it was previously recorded as HB23/20/057