Mount Royal House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Derelict two storey late Victorian villa of c.1890 set back from the W side of Marine Drive, to the SE of Donaghadee town centre.

This house is informal in style and roughly square in plan. To the front E facade there is a large full height projecting gabled bay the to the left and a flat roofed two storey corner bay to the right. Between these is a single storey flat roofed porch which contains the entrance.

To the S facade is a further full height gabled bay, but the N and rear facades are much plainer. The window openings are generally tall and narrow with segmental and elliptical arch heads, moulded architraves, keystones and fluted pilasters. Most of the ground floor openings are now boarded and the rest sport PVC frames. The entrance doorway repeats the styling of the window openings and there is a very large window opening to the ground floor of the gabled bay to the front, but both the doorway and this window are among those boarded.

The entire facade is finished in plain render with moulded cill courses, parapets with cornicing and a moulded ‘roundel’ with labelling to the gable of the front projecting bay.

The roof is gabled and has Bangor blue slates and red clay ridge tiles with cresting and remains of finials. There are two rendered chimney stacks with corbelling.

This building is now derelic.

Historical information

This house probably dates from c.1890, but the architect is not known. The property was occupied until recently.

Secondary sources.

1. Hugh Dixon et al Historic buildings, groups of buildings, buildings of architectural importance in Donaghadee and Portpatrick (UAHS 1977), p.20.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Informal late Victorian two storey villa of c.1890, with projecting gabled and flat roofed bays, and arched openings with moulded surrounds. This house is now derelict