24 Victoria Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey-with-attic, three-bay semi-detached Victorian house with neoclassical detailing, built c.1850 and located to the north side of Victoria Road, Holywood. L-shaped on plan with single-storey flat-roof extension to rear; original entrance porch to west abutted to left by conservatory and to right by entrance lobby. The conservatory is modern and of no interest; it replaces an original greenhouse; the lobby is 20th century addition.

Pitched natural slate roof with chimneystacks having clay pots on moulded plinth. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on deep overhanging eaves with timber soffits and paired corbel brackets. Walling is painted roughcast render with smooth render raised plat-band. Windows are mainly 2/2 margin paned sliding sash; those to first floor are in moulded surrounds with lugs and pediment (rounded pediment to window above canted bay); canted bay with dividing Doric pilasters surmounted by moulded architrave with plain entablature and cornice.

The principal (entrance) elevation faces southwest. To centre is original projecting entrance porch opening to south flanked by lean-to conservatory to left and entrance lobby to right. Porch has large window with moulded architrave and is detailed with corner pilasters surmounted by plain entablature and cornice. It is surmounted at first floor level by a neoclassical styled niche with bead moulded surround, panelled pilasters and decorative scrolled console brackets surmounted by ovolo moulded dentilled cornice. To either side of niche is a single window. Original timber entrance door has four raised-and-fielded panels, beaded muntin and brass door furniture surmounted by transom light; moulded architrave framed by corner pilasters.

The southeast(rear) elevation has, to gable, a segmental-headed multi-paned window to attic, a window to first floor and a replacement timber-framed window to ground floor. Right bay has a segmental-headed multi-paned stairwell window.

The northeast elevation is abutted by adjoining building(HB23/20/062A).

The northwest elevation is two openings wide with slightly projecting gabled bay to right; canted bay to ground floor and diminutive segmental-headed multi-paned window to attic.

Modern outbuilding to south, of no interest.

Setting

Set back from Victoria Road and accessed via Victoria Lane to northwest with tarmacadamed driveway; original entrance from Victoria Road to west with squared stone gate piers. Lawned garden to north and small yard to south. Enclosed to north and west by rough-cast boundary wall and mature hedgerow.

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

Historical information

After the opening of the railway in 1848, Holywood became increasingly attractive to prosperous merchants, professionals and developers, who began to build homes set in spacious grounds in the immediate surroundings of the town. In the early 1850’s William Bankhead Esq built three structures on this High Holywood plot. According to Auld, Thomas Turner was the architect engaged to design the buildings, which were initially intended to comprise a mansion, outbuildings and porters lodge. Correspondence of 1854 between Thomas Turner and William Bankhead is referred to by Auld, and the Dictionary of Irish Architects also refers to documents of 1852 held by PRONI which show that Thomas Turner supplied designs for alterations to Hillbrook including the addition of outbuildings. (Auld, p.51; www.dia.ie)

All the structures on the site were initially known as ‘Hillbrook’, two later became known as ‘Glenburn’ and ‘Donnybrook’, the remaining structure retaining the name ‘Hillbrook’. The three buildings are first shown on the second edition OS map of 1858, captioned, ‘Hillbrook’. According to Merrick, Hillbrook was used as a school in the 1850s and 60s by John Turpin, however, given the changes of name, it is not clear that the school was in the present house. Auld suggests that the school may have been in the neighbouring house, now called ‘Glenburn’. (Merrick, p.58, Auld, p.51)

Auld states that the current house was the mansion designed by Turner and that it was later divided into two semi-detached dwellings. (Auld, p.51) As a result of the confusion surrounding the house names some uncertainty attaches to the occupiers, but as far as could be determined the occupiers were as follows.

Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the occupier as John Anderson who leases the property from William Bankhead. The house, offices and yard are valued at £42. The valuation was reduced to £37 in 1885 and by 1887 the house had fallen vacant. John Anderson was a Justice of the Peace and partner in the firm Young & Anderson, manufacturers and wholesale warehousemen with premises in Donegall Street. (Belfast and Ulster Directory; Will of Robert Armour) The house was noted to be vacant in 1901 and no census return could be identified. The valuation was reduced to £22 in 1903. Robert Erskine Junior was resident in 1908 and by 1909, Robert L Kemp. In 1911 it was the home of Thomas Little Kemp, a steamship manager and his wife. The couple kept a general domestic servant from Monaghan. (1911 census) A very large rise in the valuation took place in 1922 to £51.10s, probably as the result of improvements to the building including the addition of garages to the rear. Additional land appears to have been added to the plot of this house at around the same time. The valuation was reduced to £45 in 1924, most likely following an appeal. (Annual Revisions)

According to Auld, Hillbrook was, until his death in 1955, the home of Claud Henfrey, an ice-cream manufacturer who introduced choc-ices to Ireland and was also a collector of early Holywood photographs. However, it is not certain which of the two semi-detached houses was his home. (Auld, p.51)

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/12/B/17/10A-G – Annual Revisions (1867-1930)
6. PRONI Will of Robert Armour, died 29th January 1875
7. Belfast and Ulster Directory, 1861
8. Griffith’s Valuation online
9. 1901 census online
10. 1911 census online

Secondary Sources

1. Auld, C.”Forgotten Houses of Holywood, Co Down” Holywood: Con Auld, 2002
2. Merrick, Tony “Buildings of Holywood” Holywood: Holywood Advertiser, 1986
3. www.dia.ie – Dictionary of Irish Architects online

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two-storey-with-attic, three-bay semi-detached Victorian house with neoclassical detailing, built c.1850. Forming a pair with HB23/20/062A, which is similarly preserved, the two are not among the best examples of the type built for the professional classes during Holywood’s expansion in the mid 19th century. The setting has been compromised by the recent construction of a group of 2-storey dwellings to north, to which the houses now share access, and the imminent development of the land to west.