217 Holywood Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached three-bay two-storey with dormer-attic red brick former rectory, built c.1887, now in use as offices for a number of youth organisations, located on the eastern side of Holywood Road. The plan form is irregular with full-height projecting gabled bays to the principal elevation (west) and to the eastern and southern elevations. A canted bay window abuts to the south elevation and a gable-fronted porch to the central bay of the principal elevation. The north elevation is abutted by a two-storey L-plan return, which adjoins to single-storey red brick outbuildings to the northeast.

GENERAL -
The roof is pitched, largely natural slate with artificial asbestos-cement tiles to rear (E) pitch, angled terracotta ridge-tiles. Full-height gabled bays project to east and west; partially hipped roof to north-west of L-plan return. Multiple red brick chimneystacks with stepped brick coping and largely yellow clay pots. uPVC gutters mounted on overhanging eaves (some cast-iron soil-pipes/downpipes retained with decorative brackets), corbelled brackets to purlin ends at gabled-bays, concealed behind painted timber bargeboards. Walling is red brick laid in Flemish bond over offset plinth with variety of projecting brick string courses to upper floors; ashlar red sandstone dressings including flush lintels (with segmental relieving arch over formed in brick), projecting cills and cinquefoil roundels with shield motif to some gable apexes. Windows are generally original flat-arched 1/1 timber sashes with horns (unless otherwise described) and some historic glazing; pointed-arched original fixed-pane timber window to porch. Ground floor windows largely concealed behind externally mounted metal roller shutters or wire-mesh screens. A number of first floor openings are paired. Basket-arched door opening to north side of entrance porch, having red sandstone lintel over a raised-and-fielded nine-panelled timber door with circular brass/bronze lions-headed door handle.

WEST ELEVATION -
The principal elevation faces west and comprises a two-storey central bay with paired pointed-arched windows over projecting porch, flanked by full-height gabled bays, that to right projects. Stepped sandstone string course extends from central first floor window cill to that of left bay. North of porch approached by single step to raised sandstone platform.

NORTH ELEVATION -
The north elevation contains a segmental-arched window to attic level and a diminutive timber casement to right-side of ground floor, with splayed sandstone plinth extending below cill. Remaining elevation abutted by two-storey L-plan return, detailed as main building with blank north gable; right (W) cheek contains single ground floor window with cinquefoil roundel to second floor; two-bay wide left (E) cheek, with single window to ground and first floor to left and a half-gabled first floor window over a tripartite metal casement window concealed by wire mesh with replacement concrete surrounds to right. Short axis of return abuts to right-side of north elevation of main building having paired windows to first floor (diminutive to right-cheek) and two ground floor windows. North gable of return abutted by single-storey gabled outbuilding with raised brick verges, artificial slate roof and sashes concealed by wire mesh; matching outbuilding to east forming enclosed yard accessed via timber-sheeted door to north red brick perimeter wall.

EAST ELEVATION -
East elevation features a single-bay to the left with projecting gabled bay to the right, having paired windows to first floor, tripartite opening to ground floor and single openings to left-cheek including a flat-arched French door concealed behind metal roller shutter.

SOUTH ELEVATION -
Two-bay south elevation, gabled to right bay with paired first floor windows over a canted bay window, with brick parapet and sandstone coping (ground floor openings concealed by metal roller shutters).

SETTING -
Located on the Holywood Road between St Mark’s Church (HB26/12/017A) to the north and the associated Heyn Memorial Hall (HB26/12/037B) to the south, close to the junction with Sydenham Avenue. Set back from street level with vehicular entrance to north shared with church and pedestrian path to south shared with the hall. Site bound to west by a sandstone dwarf wall with chamfered coping topped by arrow-headed mild-steel railings and flower heads to standards having dog-leg support. Rectangular plan ashlar sandstone piers with chamfered coping at regular intervals. Concrete paved hardstandings to perimeter, bitmac paving to north and west, surrounded by garden with mature trees and planting to western perimeter.

MATERIALS -
Roof; Natural slate & some artificial slates to rear (E) slope
Walling; Red brick with red sandstone dressings
RWG; uPVC
Windows Timber 1/1 sliding sashes (with horns), some timber fixed-light and metal casements

Historical information

St Mark's Rectory was constructed c.1887 to the designs of the architect S.P. Close, as a rectory for the associated St Mark’s Church to the north (HB/26/12/017). The modern Parish of Dundela was created during the 1860s by the Belfast Church Extension and Endowment Society. Prior to the construction of the present church, which was built c. 1878 to the designs of the renowned English architect William Butterfield, the congregation first met in the coach house of a Henry Smyth in Park Avenue, and then in a small chapel, which had been constructed as a school in 1863 (now demolished).

Although the church was consecrated and opened for worship in 1878, construction of the chancel and transepts of Butterfield’s design was postponed by the Select Vestry (until 1891), as they regarded the provision of a suitable residence for the rector to be a more pressing issue. In anticipation of this requirement, a plot to the south of the church had been acquired in 1880 but due to the financial situation of the parish, construction of the rectory building did not commence until the summer of 1886 (Beckett). Built to the designs of the Belfast-based architect Samuel Patrick Close, the contract was undertaken by the local building firm H & J Martin (who were also responsible for completion of the church chapel and transepts in 1891), while the grounds were laid out by H. Dickson of Belmont Nurseries. The value of the contract amounted to over £1,700, but this also included the erection of the cast-iron railings, which line the front of both the glebe house and the church itself. Completed in the spring of 1887, the rectory was first occupied by the Rev. Hamilton, who was the first rector of St Mark’s. Prior to completion a house in the nearby Park Avenue, called “Ravensdale” had temporarily been utilised as a rectory (Hayes).
First shown on the third edition OS map (1902) captioned “Rectory”, modern maps illustrate that the footprint of the building has remained unchanged since this time. The Annual Revision records (1887-91) show that the house was initially listed as vacant in 1887 but by 1888 St Mark’s Rectory, which comprised a house, yard and an acre of land was noted as being occupied by the Rev Thomas Hamilton who repaid the Church Body. A rateable value of £53 was given and a cost of £1,500 was noted. In the Belfast Revaluations (c.1900), the valuer noted that this was an excellent house and the valuation was increased to £70 but upon appeal from the Select Vestry this figure was later reduced to £65 (c. 1903). A sketch plan contained in the valuer’s field book (1900) illustrates that despite this increase in value, the overall footprint had remained unchanged. The increase was likely a result of the district being affected by the introduction of higher city taxation rates, compared to the previously applied county rates. By the First Annual Revision (1935), the occupier was a Canon Ernest Hayes and the valuation had increased to £87, however this is not reflective of any alterations to the rectory building but instead incorporates the church hall at No.2 Sydenham Avenue (Heyn Memorial Hall), which was built c. 1929 to the designs of Henry Seaver (HB26/12/037).

By the start of 1974, the Select Vestry of St Mark’s deemed that the rectory building was no longer a suitable residence and the function was subsequently transferred to a house in Norwood Gardens, which was later replaced by the current rectory building at No. 4 Sydenham Road, which was gifted to the church in 1978. The original rectory building, known as the ‘Old Rectory’, is now in use as church offices.

As with St Mark’s Church, the former rectory has strong associations with the noted Belfast-born writer C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), who lived nearby in 'Little Lea' on the Circular Road (HB26/12/051), until he was sent to an English boarding school following the death of his mother in 1908. The first rector of the church was Rev. Thomas Hamilton, who was also Lewis’ maternal grandfather and subsequently baptized Lewis in the font of the church on 29th January 1899. Appointed as curate of St Mark’s in January 1874, the Rev. Hamilton was ordained in 1849, prior to his appointment at St Mark’s he was chaplain to the Royal Navy from 1854-70, and then was chaplain to the Holy Trinity Church in Rome. Hamilton’s unorthodox wife, Mary Warren and their children, including Lewis’ mother Flora, resided with him in Rome before coming to live in Belfast.

The Hamilton family lived in the rectory from its construction in 1887 until the retirement of the Rev Hamilton in early 1900. Hamilton died in 1905, aged 79 and he was commemorated by the erection of a stained glass window in the church c.1906.

The Door handle of the ‘Old Rectory’ is in the shape of a lion’s head and it has subsequently been suggested that this may have inspired the young “Jack” (Lewis’s preferred childhood name) in the creation of the key character of Aslan in his seminal work “The Chronicles of Narnia”.

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/6/3/4/7 – Seventh Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1938)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/2C-2H - Annual Revisions (1879-1897)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/N/2-8 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930)
7. PRONI VAL/7/B/13/12 – Belfast Revaluations, Valuer’s Notebook (1900)
8. PRONI VAL/7/B/13/12 – Belfast Revaluations (1902-3)
9. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/19 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935)

Secondary Sources
1. Beckett, J.C. ‘The Lion on the Hill; A History of St Mark’s Church Dundela 1878-1998’ Belfast (1998)
2. Hayes, E. C., ‘St. Mark’s Dundela: Its annals and archives’ Great Britain: Billing & Sons Ltd, (1932)
3. Edwards, Bruce ‘C.S. Lewis; An Examined Life’ Greenwood Publishing Group (2007)
4. Belfast Street Directories (1878-1943)

Online Sources

1. DIA (www.dia.ie)
2. St Mark’s Church (http://dundela.down.anglican.org/index.html)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A large detached late-Victorian former rectory, with a distinctive irregular form and multi-gabled arrangement, characteristic of domestic architecture from this period. The exterior is well articulated, built in red brick and embellished with red sandstone dressings; several tall red brick chimneystacks rise from its steep slate roofs and the attached outbuildings, which enclose a small yard to the rear, further enhance the quality of its setting. Gates and railings are also of interest. Despite some alterations to convert the building to offices, the fabric and detailing inside are largely intact. Set back from the Holywood Road the building shares mature landscaped grounds with St Mark’s Church (HB26/12/017A) and the early twentieth century Heyn Memorial Hall (HB26/12/037B) and the three buildings form a significant group, which is of architectural, cultural and historical merit. Important from a social perspective as a former rectory, the historical association the maternal grandfather of one of Belfast’s most notable literary figures, C.S. Lewis, also adds to its interest.

General comments

This record had originally been numbered as HB26/12/058