207 Belmont Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

One of a pair of semi-detached houses, three-bay, two-storey over basement with double pile roof, built in 1870. Principal elevation faces north and the property is set behind a low brick wall with hedging and cast-iron pedestrian gate on the south side of Belmont Road. Attached on the east side to 209 Belmont Road (HB26/14/022B).

Double pile roof with natural slate and black terracotta ridge tiles to main ridge, return has natural slate with lead covered ridges. Cast metal rainwater goods, ogee shaped gutters to main elevation supported on paired console brackets, half-round uPVC gutters to rear on timber fascia. Overhanging eaves to gable with exposed purlin detail. Red-brick chimneystacks with three band corbelling set at gable end of each pile and centrally on ridge, all with modern clay pots.

Principal elevation faces north. Walls constructed in red-brick in Flemish bond with canted bays either side of entrance having smooth rendered finish. Continuous painted cill course to ground and first floor. Wall below continuous cill and to basement level has smooth rendered finish with slightly projecting band at floor level. Canted bays have shallow lead covered hipped roof behind moulded ogee parapet. All windows uPVC. First floor: pair of windows, with segmental arched head and lower sash opening out, to east end of property, single window to centre over door opening, pair of windows as before to west end. Ground floor: square-headed window opening to each side of canted bay with bays placed either side of entrance door. Basement: single square-headed window to front face of bay. Centrally placed door opening to ground floor, accessed by inclined ramp with handrails spanning open area beneath. Door opening has arched moulded surround in smooth render, plain arched fanlight and painted timber door with circular panel detail. Door to basement level directly beneath main entrance.

East elevation attached to 209 Belmont Road (HB26/14/022B).

South elevation has smooth rendered finish to walls with centrally placed return with hipped slate roof with lead ridges at slightly lower level to main roof. Square-headed uPVC windows throughout.

West elevation has red-brick and smooth rendered finish as before, with two windows on the first floor, both uPVC with segmental arched heads.

Materials:

Roof : Natural slate
RWG : Cast iron
Walling : Brick and render
Windows : uPVC

Setting:
One of a pair of semi-detached houses including 209 Belmont Road (HB26/14/022B), located on the south side of the Belmont Road, with a low brick wall and hedging bounding garden area. Pedestrian gate to front entrance door with pair of large timber vehicular gates to west boundary.

Historical information

Nos 207-209 Belmont Road, a pair of two-storey double-pile red-brick semi-detached houses located on the south side of the Belmont Road, were constructed in 1870. The second edition of the Ordnance Survey maps for the area (1858) record that the townland of Strandtown remained predominantly rural in character during 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 construction of terraced rows of houses soon followed his initial development and by the turn of the 20th century the upper part of the Belmont Road had become one of Belfast’s most affluent residential areas, inhabited by the city’s merchant and professional classes. Nos 207-209 Belmont Road were constructed on land owned by Sir. Thomas McClure of Belmont House, a local gentleman who held much of the land in the townland of Strandtown (UTD).

The Annual Revisions record that Nos 207-209 Belmont Road were constructed by 1870. The architect of the pair is not known. The valuer noted that each house was valued at £46 and that No. 207 was originally known as ‘Marlborough House.’ The first occupant of No. 207 Belmont Road was John Trueman, a commission and insurance agent who held business premises on King Street. Trueman continued to reside at Marlborough House until 1881 when the property was occupied by William Pyper, the principal of Belmont Academy. Pyper vacated the house by 1901 when the census recorded a chemist named John Harper Shaw as occupant. In that year the census building return described No. 207 Belmont Road as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 13 rooms and possessed a stable and coach house as its out offices (UTD).

Nos 207-209 Belmont Road appeared on the third edition Ordnance Survey map (1902) which depicted the pair along their current layouts and noted that few neighbouring buildings had been constructed next to the semi-detached houses by the early 20th century (although Belmont Primary School had been constructed to the east side of the houses in 1889-92 – see HB26/14/001). Upon Shaw’s death in 1916, Marlborough House continued to be occupied by his widow Catherine until the 1920s. The house was occupied in 1928 by W. G. Johnston, a local builder, whose family continued to reside there until at least the 1970s. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the house neighboured a petrol filling station (now demolished and replaced with Kingsley Court) and had been increased in value to £90. The valuer recorded that No. 207 Belmont Road was owned by Robert and James Pierce, local building contractors, between the 1930s and 1970s. A Mr. S. Johnston, an engineer, resided at Marlborough House by the end of the Second Revaluation which increased the value of the house (and adjoining filling station and stores) to £322. The 1954 Ordnance Survey map records that the building originally possessed a rear outbuilding but this has been demolished. A photograph of the building included in Aidan Campbell’s Belmont shows that No. 207 also possessed an ornate timber porch to its side gable. This original porch was removed by at least 1954 as it was not depicted on the Ordnance Survey map of the building. During the Second Survey No. 207 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/17/2B-2H – Annual Revisions (1867-1897)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/N1-9 – Annual Revisions (1897-1930)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/31 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
9. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/45 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
10. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1943)
11. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
12. PRONI Wills Catalogue (31 Mar 1916)
13. Ordnance Survey Map – 130-15 (1954)

Secondary Sources
1. Campbell, A., ‘Belmont’ Belfast: Marie Curie, 2013.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

One of a pair of well-proportioned and detailed semi-detached houses, built in 1870, attached to 209 Belmont Road (HB26/14/022B). Three-bay, two-storey over basement with double pile roof, overhanging eaves and canted bays at ground level. Located on the south side of the Belmont Road with a garden area to front, bounded by a low brick wall and hedging. The houses, although of some character, are not considered of special architectural or historic interest.