26 Warren Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial, two and a half storey late Victorian terrace house of c.1895 with large full height conical roofed bay, half dormer, mannerist mouldings and large three level return etc; one of a block of four matching properties set on a slight rise overlooking the coastline north of Donaghadee. The terrace is located to the W of Warren Road, N of Donaghadee town centre.

No.26 is to the second house from S in the terrace. Its asymmetric front elevation faces E. To the left on the ground floor is the main entrance which consists of a panelled timber door with (almost) semicircular arched fanlight. The entrance has a moulded surround with plain relatively plain pilasters and architrave with keystone. Steps to doorway.

Directly above the doorway (to first floor) is a window set within a segmental headed opening with slightly ‘mannerist’ moulded surround with keystone and shoulder and base blocks. This window (and most of the others throughout the house) has a sash frame. Above this window (to attic level) is similar but much smaller window set within a gabled half-dormer.

The large curved bay to the right of the elevation has three windows to ground and first floor as first floor left. Both sets of windows rest on a sill course with further moulded courses above window level to each floor, and a bracketed eaves course. All of these courses continue across the entire front elevation of the whole terrace. The bay is topped with a slated conical roof with finial.

The front façade is finished in painted rusticated render at ground floor level with painted plain render above this. There is a bevelled base course and prominent eaves course.

To the right of the rear elevation is a large three storey gabled return. To the S face of the return there is a window to right on the first floor and one to right on the second floor. To the (W facing) gable of the return there are two windows to the first floor and one to the second floor. To the ground floor a modern conservatory extension has been added. To the N face there is a doorway to left on ground floor with two windows to right. Between the door and first window there is an original looking pump attached to the wall. There is a window to far left on the on the first floor and to far left on the second floor.

To the narrow exposed section of the rear façade of the main house (to left of the return) there is a window to the ground floor, one to the first floor and another much smaller window to the attic floor, set in a gabled half-dormer.

The rear elevation and return are finished in painted render. The gabled roof is slated with saw tooth ridge tiles and a tall rendered chimney stack to N with cornice course. The return roof is also slated. The RW goods appear to be mainly cast iron.

Historical information

This terrace is shown on the OS map of 1901 and was probably built in c.1895 (one resident suggests 1899).

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/8/8/2//1-3 OS town plan of Donaghadee, 1901
2 PRONI VAL/12E/121/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1908-35
3 PRONI VAL/3G/69/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1932-56
4 PRONI VAL/3G/69/1/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1934-43

Secondary sources
1 Hugh Dixon, Ken Kenmuir and Jill Kennett, ‘Historic buildings…Donaghadee and Portpatrick (Belfast, 1977), p.25

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Substantial, two and a half storey late Victorian terrace house of c.1895 with large full height conical roofed bay, half dormer, ‘mannerist’ mouldings and large three level return etc; one of a block of four matching properties set on a slight rise overlooking the coastline north of Donaghadee.