2 Malone Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A corner-sited three-storey two-bay over basement red brick former house, built c.1890, now in commercial use, terminating at the north end of Malone Road Lower and Stranmillis Road. The plan form is irregular and complex, ostensibly V-shaped to fit into the wedge-shaped site, comprising north and east bays extended by a slightly lower return extending south from the east bay; the north bay is topped by a cruciform roof plan, finished at north by a wall-head dormer. The north and east bays are separated by an acute angle; the west elevation has a canted projecting entrance porch, surmounted by a conservatory, set into the re-entrant angle with the adjoining building (No 4 Malone Road; HB26.17.084), with which it forms a group; there are two-storey canted bays to each principal elevation.

The roof is steeply hipped over the principal northern bay, and pitched to the rear; it is generally natural slate, with some asbestos tiled replacement areas, having a mix of angled blue/black and original terracotta ridge tiles. Original profile cast iron rainwater goods with hoppers rest on a projecting brick cornice embellished with quadrant and egg-and-dart cornicing over a painted Lombardic frieze. Tall feature redbrick chimneystacks to east have been partially rebuilt, having deep stepped caps and multiple pots; there is a lozenge shaped stack to west, which appears to be original. Walling is red/orange brick in Flemish bond, having a variety of gauged brick, red sandstone and terracotta embellishments; windows rest on continuous painted masonry cills, each extended to form a string course, and each bay window is finished with a decorative gauged brick cornice extended to form a string course. Basement walling is rock-faced sandstone. There is a terracotta panel depicting sunflowers to either side of the north first floor bay window. Windows are replacement uPVC casements with pole-moulded sandstone surrounds and raised keystones. Those to first floor are segmental headed; those to ground floor and rear elevation are square-headed.

The principal (entrance) elevation faces west and is dominated by the two-storey porch; it comprises a three-sided neo-Baroque styled ground floor entrance, surmounted by a timber-framed conservatory accessed at first floor, having a glazed pavilion roof. The porch has a painted masonry surround, having entrance at the front and ornate stained and leaded windows to either side; there is an original timber door with four raised panels and original cast-iron door furniture, surmounted by a plain segmental fanlight topped by an open scrolled pediment with anthemion, over egg and dart cornicing, scrolled brackets and neoclassical panelled spandrels. The conservatory is fully glazed over a brick plinth, with three vertically divided windows each spanned by a replacement wire-glazed rectangular toplight; each window is framed by slender colonnettes with foliated capitals, and the roof has dentil cornicing. To right of the porch is a two-storey canted bay window. Above, a break in the string course and a variation in brick indicates the likely presence of a former window, now infilled. Original street signage is affixed to the left margin at ground floor; at first floor is a name plaque: ‘Abbotsford’.

The north elevation has a two-storey canted bay, centrally placed, surmounted at attic level by a stylized dormer having a Dutch gable embellished with three tall finials, string courses and volutes. It is lit by a pair of segmental-headed windows having small keyblocks.

The east elevation comprises the east side of the north bay, which is set back behind the projecting east bay, with an acute angle between infilled at ground level by a projecting canted later extension. Above the extension, the north and and inner cheek of the east bay are blank. The east bay is lit to east by a two-storey projecting canted bay having a pair of square-headed windows over. To its left the return sits flush with the east elevation; its shares cornice detailing but is otherwise plainly detailed with a single enlarged window opening to first and second floor, and a projecting box bay to ground floor; there are painted masonry lintels over each window.

The rear elevation is plainly detailed with two staggered windows to each floor.

Setting:
Occupying a prominent location in Queen’s Conservation Area, at the junction of Malone Road and Stranmillis Road, opposite Methodist College to west and the Ulster Museum to east. The building is set slightly back from street level surrounded by a raised platform, laid with concrete flagstones and bounded by a modern timber fence, accommodating a café seating area. The area is accessed at north-west by a set of modern paved steps flanked by dwarf brick piers with profiled tops. Abutting to south on the Malone Road side is a taller former dwelling, No.4 Malone Road (HB26.17.084), which is contemporary with No. 2 and shares some detailing.

Materials
Roof - Natural slate
Walls - Red brick with terracotta & sandstone detailing
Windows - uPVC
RWG - Cast-iron

Historical information

First shown on the third edition OS map (1901), Abbotsford house was built c.1888 to the designs of James J. Phillips, who was also responsible for the similar yet more plainly styled ‘Ashestiel’ at No.4 (built c. 1890).

The second edition OS map shows that the wedge-shaped site formerly contained a small house and garden occupied by a James Cunningham but this had been replaced by ‘Abbotsford’ house at No.2 by 1889, which was soon followed by the addition of No.4 in 1891 (Annual Revisions 1882-97). Each of the properties were noted as comprising a house, conservatory, yard and small garden, with No.2 valued at £67 and No.4 at £52. These Annual Revision records paired with the contemporary Belfast Street Directories show that both No.2 and No.4 were built for a Robert Walsh, who was a chartered accountant of Johnston and Walsh, in central Belfast (later Robert Walsh and Sons). Both houses appear to have remained vacant until c.1906, when Robert Walsh was noted as the occupier of ‘Ashestiel’ at No.4, and Abbotsford was occupied by a Thomas Kennedy and a Mrs Wheeler (Annual Revisions 1897-1915). The Annual Revision records show that both properties were subject to an increase in valuation in 1906, with No.2 rising to £82 and No.4 to £70, however no alterations to either of the buildings are noted in the valuation documents. No.2 remained as single residence until at least 1936, while No.4 had been subdivided into flats by 1936, as shown by the annual revision records of the First General Revaluation (1936-57). Street Directories show that by 1943 No.2 had been taken over for use by the H.M. Government and by 1951 the building was in use as preparatory and nursery school. The ground floor now operates as a café with counselling rooms on the upper floors.

As the old road leading south from Belfast, this area of the Malone Road was developed from the mid 19th century on, by wealthy citizens who sought to build their grand villas and residences away from the increasingly overcrowded and industrial nature of the city. The Annual Revision records c. 1930, show that this section of the Malone Road formed part of University Road until c.1931. Following the end of the Second World War the area experienced a change of function with a departure from residential use towards more office based accommodation for commercial, educational and institutional purposes.

Resources
Primary Resources
1. OS/6/1/60/2 Second edition OS map (1857)
2. OS/6/1/60/3 Third Edition OS map (1901)
3. OS/6/1/60/4 Fourth Edition OS map (1920-22)
4. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/A/14 Annual Revisions (1882-97)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/A/27 Annual Revisions (1897-1905)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/A/42 Annual Revisions (1906-15)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/A/45 Annual Revisions (1915-30)
8. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/1-2 First General Revaluation (1935)
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/7 Annual Revisions of First General Revaluation (1936-57)
10. Belfast Street Directories (1887-1970)

Secondary Sources
1. Dixon, Hugh, Evans, David “Historic Buildings and Groups of Buildings in the Vicinity of Queen’s University Belfast” UAHS, (1975)
2. Larmour, Paul “The Architectural Heritage of Malone and Stranmillis” UAHS (1991)
Online Sources
1. Dia.ie
2. CA Appraisal (http://www.planningni.gov.uk/index/policy/supplementary_guidance/conservation/conservation_map/conservation-queens.pdf)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

S. Authenticity
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
R. Age

Evaluation

2 Malone Road is a prominently located well-proportioned red brick former townhouse, built c.1890 as one of a pair with its neighbour No.4 as part of the ongoing development of south Belfast in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The group is particularly well-sited, located directly at the hub of south Belfast's three main thoroughfares - Stranmillis, Malone and University Roads. No.2 dominates the corner, with an axial outlook over University Road towards the city, making a considerable contribution, along with its neighbour, to the Queen’s Conservation Area. Dwarf red brick piers with profiled stone caps (painted black) flank the stepped entrance from the street and further augment this character. The wedge-shaped configuration of the building has resulted in a highly complex roof plan and internal layout, representative of the problems arising from redevelopment of existing plots to meet modern aesthetic standards. Despite this, the building maintains a fairly regular frontage, built in Belfast's characteristic red brick with red sandstone and terracotta detailing. Built as a pair with No.4, the group has some unifying features, but are individually detailed, to good architectural effect. The impact of conversion to commercial use has been contained to the ground floor, and although the subdivision of the ground floor entrance hall is regrettable, it has been carried out to basic standards and is reversible. Fittings and fixtures are of notably high quality, consistent with its neighbour, and decorative elements throughout are representative of the stock-source catalogue items that were popular at the time.