190 Belmont Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Semi-detached asymmetric three-bay, two-storey with attic red-brick late-Victorian house dating from 1897 having three-storey central tower to south and single-storey rendered extension to north. ‘L-shaped’ plan with projecting pediment gable and dormer to south and gabled return to north elevation. The house is located on the N side of Belmont Road and attached to No. 192 Belmont Road (HB26/12/036B). It is set back from the main road with dwarf wall and hedge boundary to south and tree-lined boundary to west and north enclosing gardens to south and north.

Pitched slate roof with saw-tooth terracotta ridge tiles, projecting eaves course with dog-tooth and egg and dart brick cornice. Ogee moulded uPVC guttering and downpipes. Pyramidal slate roof to tower with cast-iron finial. Red brick chimney with corbelling and recessed coping, terracotta chimney pots.

South front elevation with two-story canted bay with hipped leaded roof. Projecting smooth rendered plinth. Red brick walling with torus brick string course between ground and first floor, dog-tooth string course at impose level to first floor windows and moulded string course between first and second floor. Half-dormer window on egg and dart moulded bracket. Square-headed openings with projecting painted stone sill course to canted bay. Round-headed openings to second storey. One over one timber sliding sash windows throughout having moulded horns. Square-headed door opening to east elevation of tower with drip mould over and floral label stops. Five-panelled timber entrance door with fan-light over. Three steps to entrance with terracotta tiles.

West elevation has single-storey projecting bay with leaded flat roof and moulded brick eaves course. Smooth rendered panel to north-west ground floor.

North elevation has asymmetrical pitched roof to brick-built rear return with square-headed windows facing north and east, rendered to ground floor. Blank elevation to rear wall of main house. Single-storey smooth rendered gabled extension.

East elevation is attached to adjacent property, No. 192 Belmont Road (HB26/12/036B)

Roof : Natural slate
RWG: Upvc
Walling: Red brick
Windows : One over one timber sliding sash (single-pane)

Setting:
Located to the north side of Belmont Road, 190 Belmont Road forms one part of a pair of semi-detached red brick late-Victorian buildings. The building is set back from the road, with a dwarf red brick wall and formal hedge to south and a pair of brick entrance piers with flat rendered coping and decorative painted mild steel metal gateway. Elevated brick planting beds to front with bitmac parking area to west and north and lawns and garden to north. Rendered wall enclosing rear yard contains a single square-headed door opening with diagonally sheeted door.

Historical information

Nos 190-192 Belmont Road, a pair of semi-detached red-brick late-Victorian dwellings located in the townland of Strandtown, were constructed in 1897. The second edition Ordnance Survey map (1858) records that the townland of Strandtown was predominantly rural in character in the mid-19th century. The development of the area and the construction of mansions for Belfast’s prominent politicians and merchants took place from the 1860s. The land on which nos 190-192 Belmont Road were constructed was originally part of Strathearn, a two-storey manor that was constructed in 1864 for William and Robert Mullan (Strathearn School History).

With the rapid expansion of Belfast during the late-19th century and the subsequent establishment of a middle-class suburb in the Belmont area, land to the south of the Strathearn estate (bordering the Belmont Road) was leased out for the construction of new dwellings. The third edition Ordnance Survey map (1902) records that nos 190-192 Belmont Road were the first dwellings to be constructed on the plot of land between Wandsworth Drive and Pembridge Court (aside from the gate lodge to Strathearn). The pair of three-storey red-brick buildings were constructed in 1897 and were initially leased to tenants by James Bennett, a bank manager who resided in the neighbouring Belavon House (located to the north-east of the dwellings).

No. 190 Belmont Road was originally known as ‘Barden Towers’ and was occupied by Henry Hirsch, a local schoolmaster. The Annual Revisions set the total rateable value of the building at £27 and 10 shillings whilst the 1901 census building return described the house as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of nine rooms. Hirsch vacated No. 190 Belmont Road by 1911. In that year the census noted that a Ms. Annie Fleming Dodds, the principal of a local private preparatory school for boys, had taken possession of the premises. By the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) ownership of No. 190 Belmont Road had passed to G. F. N. Davison (who continued to hold the house until at least the 1970s) and the house was increased in value to £45. The Ulster Town Directories note that during the Second World War the house was occupied by C. S. Ritchie, a local chemist but in the 1950s the building was inhabited by a Mr. F. R. Kirkwood. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the value of the house had been further increased to £50. During the Second Survey No. 190 Belmont Road continued 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/43/N1-9 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/31 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
8. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/45 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
9. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1943)
10. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
11. First Survey Record – HB26/12/036 (1991)

Online Resources
1. Strathearn School website - http://strathearn.org.uk/our_school/history.php

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A well proportioned building constructed in a late-Victorian Style, with interesting architectural features such as the central three-storey entrance tower, projecting gables and dormer to the principle elevation. Along with the adjoining house (HB26/12/036B) and the enclosed gardens, the buildings make a contribution to the character of the area. Although of some interest it is not considered of special architectural and historic interest.