82 Sandown Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Semi-detached two-bay, two-storey with dormer attic asymmetrical Tudor-Revival brick and render building built in 1897, having three-storey projecting square tower to south-west, projecting ground floor to south, two-storey oriel window to west, with three-storey rear extension to north built c.2001. Building now forms part of an apartment complex ‘Sandown Court’ along with 9 Sandown Park (HB26/14/002B) adjoining.
The apartment complex is located within its own grounds with tarmac parking to south and west, pathways and lawn to north and east with boundary fence. Tree-lined and hedge boundary to south along private road to Sandown Park and west to Sandown Road. Square brick pillars to entrance gates.

Pitched slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles, overhanging eaves with exposed rafter ends. Ogee moulded metal guttering and circular downpipes. Hipped slate roof to south and west dormers with leaded ridge. Pitched slate roof to oriel window. Projecting two-stage chamfered brick chimney stack to west and north; central stack adjoining 9 Sandown Park (HB26/14/002B) having corbelled eaves to flat coping with octagonal terracotta chimney pots. Red brick castellated battlement parapet to tower with sandstone tapered copings. Segmental arched and square-headed openings with one over one timber sliding sash windows throughout, unless otherwise stated.

South elevation: Red brick ground floor on rock-faced squared and snecked sandstone plinth with smooth rendered first floor having red brick quoins. Projecting smooth sandstone sill course to ground floor and red brick course to first floor. Ovolo brick mould to first floor string course with sandstone projecting string course to second floor of tower with corner gargoyles. Niche to ground floor. Square-headed ground floor windows with smooth sandstone lintel. Segment-headed windows openings to first and second floor. Timber sliding sash windows with casement windows to dormer. Hipped roof to canted bay and mono-pitch roof to ground floor bay with dentil brick eaves course.

West elevation: Projecting chimney stack with projecting angled single-storey corner bay window to north. Tudor style central oriel window on ornate timber painted brackets with half-timbered walls. Corner window to first floor to south, abutting chimney stack. Square-headed window openings. Elliptical-headed opening to entrance door with carved sandstone header set within square-headed opening with dressed stone surround and decorative foliate carvings to spandrel.

East elevation is attached to 9 Sandown Park (HB26/14/002B).

North elevation: Rough-cast rendered walls on cement plinth course with brick ovolo moulding, brick quoins and string course to first floor. Square-headed openings with brick headers and concrete sills. Timber casement windows.

Setting: The building is attached to 9 Sandown Park (HB26/14/002B) and, along with this building, has been extended to form an apartment complex 'Sandown Court’ which is located within its own grounds having tarmac parking to south and west, pathways and lawn to north and east with perimeter fencing. Tree-lined and hedge boundary to south along private road to Sandown Park and west to Sandown Road. Square brick pillars to metal entrance gates.

Materials:
Roof: Slate
RWG: Metal painted
Walls: Red Brick and Render
Windows: Replacement double-glazed timber sliding sash to south and timber casement to rear.

Historical information

No. 82 Sandown Road and No. 9 Sandown Park, a pair of two-and-three-storey semi-detached houses located in the townland of Ballycloghan, were constructed in 1897. The pair were constructed on land owned by Sir. Robert E. Ward, a prominent local magistrate and landlord who resided at Bangor Castle, who also leased the adjoining No. 84 Sandown Road (Sandown House – HB26/14/004). The architect of the semi-detached houses is not known with certainty although the Tudoresque style of the buildings led the First Survey (1984) to suggest Vincent Craig as a likely candidate. Craig (1869-1925) was a local architect who was brother to James Craig (Northern Ireland’s first Prime Minister) and established his independent practice in the city in 1891. A progressive architect, Craig embraced the popular new styles that emerged in Europe at the turn of the 20th century and became the most prominent advocate of the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements in Ulster (UTD; DIA).

The Annual Revisions note that the semi-detached houses were known as Victoria Villas and that No. 82 Sandown Road (the westernmost building which possesses a three-storey castellated tower) was valued at £50 upon its completion. The house was initially occupied by Sarah Hogg, an Englishwoman who derived her income from dividends. The layout of No. 82 Sandown Road and No. 9 Sandown Park was altered in c. 2001 when the current three-storey extension was added to the rear of the buildings but the Annual Revisions Town Plan (1895-1905) shows that each building originally possessed a rear return. The 1901 census described No. 82 Sandown Road as a 1st class building that consisted of 10 rooms. Sarah Hogg had vacated the house by 1911 when the Presbyterian clergyman Rev. George M. Gibson was recorded as occupant. Gibson remained at the property until his death in 1926 and by the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the house was occupied by Lt. Col. C. F. Potter. The valuer noted that ownership of the houses had passed to a Mrs. McFerran and that the value of No. 82 Sandown Road had been increased to £66. In 1969 the private dwelling was purchased by the Cecil Stewart Evangelical Association which converted the building into a nursing home. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the value of No. 82 Sandown Road had been increased to £128.

No. 82 Sandown Road and No. 9 Sandown Park were listed in 1987. The NIEA HB Records note that both buildings were utilised as a nursing home by at least the 1990s. The nursing home had vacated the site in 1995 when the buildings fell vacant. In c. 2001 the former dwellings were converted into a number of self-contained apartments. As part of the alteration work, modern three-storey extensions were added to the rear of both properties, replacing the original rear returns (NIEA HB Records).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/4/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map (1902)
2. PRONI OS/6/3/4/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map (1920-21)
3. PRONI OS/6/3/4/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey map (1931)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/4/6 – Sixth Edition Ordnance Survey map (1938)
5. PRONI VAL/12/E/192/H/46B/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (1895-1905)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/17/2G – Annual Revisions (1891-1897)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/L/1-11 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/12 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
9. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/29 – 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 (25 May 1926)
13. First Survey Record – HB26/14/002 (1984)
14. NIEA HB Records – HB26/14/002A-B

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects website - http://www.dia.ie/

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An impressive Tudor-Revival building built in 1897 and thought to have been designed by Vincent Craig who was known to have embraced the new Arts & Craft style emerging at the turn of the 20th century. Together with the adjoining 9 Sandown Park (HB26/14/002B), the building was originally known as Victoria Villas and was built on land owned by Sir Robert E Ward, a prominent local magistrate who lived at Bangor Castle. It has retained much of its character including the elaborate brickwork to chimneys, square tower, carved stonework above the entrance door and half-timbered projecting bay. Despite the rear extension added c.2001, when it was converted into residential apartments, the scale and complexity of the original structure is still evident to the south and west elevations. The building is of historic interest within the local area with past owners including clergymen and high-ranking military personnel.