9 Railway Street,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Awkwardly narrow looking two storey terrace house of c.1880 set near the N end of the W side of Railway Street.

Front (E) façade has a panelled door to the left with a window with modern frame to the right. The doorway has a segmental arch head. Similar windows to the first floor. The façade is finished in lined render and painted. There is an odd moulded ‘band’ above the ground floor openings and above the first floor window.

To the left at the rear is a large, two storey extension with a mono-pitched roof and modern windows and door, Above this (to the main rear façade) are two tiny, squat, windows. The rear is finished in unpainted plain render.

The roof is covered in asbestos slates to the front and (mainly) Bangor blues to the rear. Rendered chimney stack. Velux window to the front. PVC rw goods. Unsuitable ‘balustrade’ wall to front.

This house is very narrow and looks almost as though it was either created by commandeering part of its neighbour to the N (No.7), or simply added some time after its neighbours were built, filling in a narrow gap in the terrace.

Historical information

As its name suggests, Railway Street was laid out in the wake of the arrival of the BCDR line in 1850. By 1858 the northern half of the street itself had appeared as far as where the present No.45 now stands, but no building along it had occurred. Judging by the style of the present terraces, most (if not all) of the construction work took place after 1870 and, with the exception of the semi-detached Andrew’s mill supervisors dwellings at the south end, was complete by 1901.

This house, with its small footprint and strangely function-less mouldings to the front, looks awkward- almost as if it was created by commandeering part of its neighbour to the north (No.7).

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/10/3 OS map 1st rev. 1858-60, Down 10.
2 PRONI OS/2/3/10/3 OS map 2nd ed. 1901, Down 10.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Odd two storey terrace house of perhaps c.1880 or later, whose small footprint and odd, seemingly redundant, mouldings to the front may indicate that this property was once part of it large neighbour. The windows now have modern frames and there is a large modern extension to the rear.