427 Beersbridge Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey five-bay late-Victorian house built in 1894-95. Hipped and pitched natural slate roof, rendered walls with textured masonry paint finish, mix of timber and uPVC windows. House orientated north-west/south-east and located on the south side of Beersbridge Road at the junction with Sagimor Gardens on a level site bounded by hedging.

Hipped and pitched natural slate roof with gabled projections over east two bays and west two bays to front elevation. Smaller gabled projection over middle bay, front elevation. All gables with ornate fretted timber bargeboards and tall carved finials at apex. Interlocking ridge tiles to ridge. Pitched natural slate roof to rear return. Mix of cast-iron and uPVC rainwater goods.

Main elevation faces north-west. Two bay projecting gabled square bays flank central section, also with gable. To west, projecting bay has two segmental arched window openings to ground floor level and two round arched windows to first floor. East projecting bay identical. Walls smooth rendered with plain coursed rustication to ground floor level with quoins to two storeys, either end. Applied motif to apex of gables of projecting bays. Moulded architraves to windows with decorated keystone and continuous cill course. Windows 1/1 timber sliding sash with horns. Central gabled section has timber and glazed entrance door to ground floor level, set in timber and glazed screen with moulded architrave comprising fluted pilasters, panelled reveals and ornate keystone. Tiled step to entrance. Round arched window with timber 1/1 sliding sash to first floor level. All walls now have textured masonry paint finish.

North-west elevation has ornate fretted bargeboard to gable and plain rendered walls with quoins to north end only. No openings. Single storey extension to length with flat roof and smooth rendered walls. North-west elevation of return has two single segmental arched window openings to first floor with uPVC windows, two modern square and rectangular openings to ground floor with fixed timber windows; recent single-storey projecting porch with mono-pitch roof with artificial slates, uPVC gutter, timber fascias and rendered walls. Single timber and glazed door with attached window opening with uPVC window. Timber clad section with modern timber door to south end. uPVC conservatory to south end at first floor level with polycarbonate hipped roof and top-hung opening lights with stained glass detail.

South east elevation, to west end, has small gabled dormer rising from main wall with ornate fretted bargeboard, moulded surround and uPVC window to first floor. Quoins to both storeys. Angled bay window to ground floor with flat roof, moulded cornice and uPVC windows. Central return with pitched natural slate roof with modern uPVC conservatory to gable end at first floor level. To east end, small gabled dormer rising from main wall with ornate fretted bargeboard and uPVC window to first floor level. Single square-headed opening to ground floor with uPVC window.

South-west elevation has ornate fretted bargeboard to gable, smooth rendered walls with quoins to both ends and single window opening with moulded surround to centre at ground floor level. Timber 1/1 sliding sash window. Continuous cill course. South-west elevation of return has single window opening to first floor level with timber 1/1 sliding sash window and modern square headed opening with uPVC window to ground floor, both at north end. Quoins to south end. Modern uPVC conservatory to first floor level at south end of return.

Setting:

Late-Victorian house built in 1894-95 , orientated north-west/south-east and located on the south side of Beersbridge Road at the junction with Sagimor Gardens on a level site bounded by hedging to north, east and west. To south, rendered wall with square-headed opening with modern metal 'up-and-over' garage door provides shared boundary between rear yard and access lane from Sagimor Gardens to Martinez Avenue. Access to front of house from gateway comprising redbrick gate piers with projecting plinth, stone capping and modern metal gates located on Beersbridge Road and separate vehicular access to rear from metal gates and gateposts in Sagimor Gardens.

Materials:

Roof : Natural slate/ artificial slate
RWGs : Cast-iron and uPVC
Walls : Rendered with textured masonry paint finish
Windows: Timber sliding sash and uPVC

Historical information

No. 427 Beersbridge Road, a two-storey five-bay late-Victorian house located in the townland of Ballyhackamore, was originally constructed in 1894-95. The second edition Ordnance Survey map (1858) records that the townland of Ballyhackamore remained predominantly rural in character in the mid-19th century and was occupied by only a small number of gentlemen’s manors that included Bloomfield House and Greenville House. By the 1870s the industrial expansion of Belfast, coupled with the development of the Belfast & County Down Railway, resulted in the development of new streets and housing in the townland. The Annual Revisions record that No. 427 Beersbridge Road No. 82 North Road was constructed for the Bloomfield Land & Building Co. Ltd., which was formed by the landowning Boyd family in 1874 to secure leases for building projects in the East Belfast townlands of Ballyhackamore and Ballycloghan.

The Annual Revisions note that No. 427 Beersbridge Road was constructed between 1894 and 1895 along with the adjoining nos 429-435 Beersbridge Road (Poplar and Oakland Villas). No. 427 Beersbridge Road was also known as ‘Shamrock Cottage’ and was initially valued at £25. The first occupant of the house was Charles Ritchie, a local builder and contractor who held business premises on the Newtownards Road (UTD). In 1901 the census building return described No. 427 Beersbridge Road as a 2nd class dwelling that consisted of nine rooms. Ritchie vacated Shamrock Cottage in c. 1905 when the house passed to the Rev. James Ervine, a retired minister who had previously served at Bloomfield Presbyterian Church (HB26/14/019). Following Ervine’s death in 1915 (PRONI Wills) Shamrock Cottage was occupied by a Mr. J. Cunningham.

Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of the house had been increased to £44. The valuer noted that No. 427 Beersbridge Road was occupied by a Ms. Martha M. Roberts in the 1930s. Roberts purchased the house outright in c. 1956 and continued to reside at the address until at least the 1970s. The value of the house was increased to £44 and remained at this rate by the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72). Field inspection of the site carried out as part of the Second Survey has found that No. 427 Beersbridge Road continues to be utilised as a private dwelling.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/4/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (1858)
2. PRONI OS/6/3/4/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map (1902)
3. PRONI OS/6/3/4/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map (1920-21)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/4/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey map (1931)
5. PRONI OS/6/3/4/6 – Sixth Edition Ordnance Survey map (1938)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/2F – Annual Revisions (1891-1897)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/L/1-10 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/19 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
9. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/25 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
10. Ulster Town Directories (1890-1943)
11. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
12. PRONI Wills Catalogue (18 May 1915)
13. Ordnance Survey Map 130-15SW3 (1987)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A well-proportioned and detailed late-Victorian house built in 1894-95, originally known as 'Shamrock Cottage'. The building retains some original features to the front elevation including decorated bargeboards, finials and some plaster mouldings. Although of some interest there are better examples of its type and it is not considered of sufficient architectural and historic interest to merit listing.