30 Wellington Park

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey with attic semi-detached former dwelling, built 1866 to designs by Robert Young, later of Young and Mackenzie. Facing north on Wellington Park, a tree-lined street that runs E-W between Malone and Lisburn Roads, two main arterial routes south of Belfast city centre. Paired with No.28 (HB26.28.055A), principal façade appears symmetrical with gabled ends, however, the two interlock in plan, both roughly L-shaped with two-storey mono-pitched returns – No.28 wider to front (N) and No.30 wider to rear (S). Distinctive grey-white brick embellished with polychromatic brick detailing and vermiculated toothed stone quoins; the pair are largely characterised by jettied dormers on two-storey canted bays, a device used on other Young and Mackenzie houses (HB26.27.064E-F & HB26.44.028A-D). Converted to offices. Within Malone Conservation Area, at corner with Wellington Park Terrace; rear yard overlooks HB26.28.068A-K, Grade B1 terraced houses.

Natural slate roof (Bangor Blue) with black clay ridge tiles, including rear return and gabled dormer; latter has fish-scale bands of same slate. Natural slate hip-roofed dormer with boxed eaves and modern skylight to rear slope. Three grey-white brick chimneys with octagonal yellow clay pots: one centred on gable of main roof with red brick red brick string course and detailing, corbelled cap in brick specials and four pots; same centred on ridge to left of entrance with three pots; and third on tapered red brick base rising from eaves at rear elevation, also with three pots. Projecting painted timber eaves board on corbelled eaves to front, in red brick and comprised of two rows cogging, one row stretchers and one row chamfered dentils, all on deep zigzag band with blue brick headers at regular intervals. Raised sandstone copings to gable end, terminating in curved sandstone kneelers, painted to match quoins. Simpler eaves detail to rear in corbelled grey brick comprised of one row stretchers and one row alternating headers and stretchers (except at chimney).

Materials:
ROOF: Natural slate, including dormers.
RWG: Cast iron ogee gutters, and uPVC RWPs.
WALLS: Brick, in Flemish bond: grey-white (N); red (W); brownish-red (S) with polychromatic details.
WINDOWS: Single glazed double hung single glazed sliding sash with 1/1 panes, unless otherwise described.

Front Elevation (N):
Formally arranged, all openings are square headed. Full-height canted bay to right; and entrance to left with single window aligned overhead. Tooled sandstone dressings, all painted: projecting base plinth with chamfered top; window cills and lintels, continuous at bay with red brick string course between cills and soldier coursed red and blue brick heads to other windows; stop-chamfered reveals. Timberwork to dormer painted to match lintel at second floor bay windows; decorative carved timber pendant below cantilevered square edges. Single replacement timber window centred on dormer, with metal bars fitted across external reveal; projecting eaves and bargeboard, with exposed rafter and scrolled purlin ends, all painted. Square headed six-panelled timber framed door with central bead to resemble double doors and brass ironmongery (lion-head knocker, letterbox and handles); plain glass over-light recessed in concentric chamfered brick surround; and painted stone hood mould with dentils and foliated label stops.

Gable (W) Elevation:
Plainly detailed compared to front. Red brick in Flemish bond. Raised stone copings and carved kneelers as described above, with toothed quoins returned from north elevation; stone plinth and brick soldier coursed window heads string courses also continued from front – latter changed to grey-white brick. Openings less formally arranged: two windows offset to right at both ground and first floors; and a further two windows at attic level, one each side of central chimney stack. Blue brick accent in lozenge motif to blank wall space at ground and first floor levels. Gable abutted by original red brick boundary wall to south, with rounded terracotta cap and quarter-round curve at drop in height; single timber framed casement window within same wall with polychrome head and painted stone cill suggesting this opening to be original.
West face of two-storey return: brownish-red variegated brick to match rear (S) elevation; ground floor concealed by single-storey lean-to; upper floor openings bricked up; clipped eaves.

Rear Elevation (S):
Three bays wide, with two-storey shallow return built at half-landing level centrally placed; one opening each at ground and first floor to right; and blank to left side, bar chimney. Brownish-red variegated brick with some red returned from gable; and grey-white brick corbelled eaves as described above. South face of return has two small timber framed casement windows with thin concrete cills and lintels at first floor and wide opening at ground floor concealed by metal roller shutter with surface mounted shutter-box. Single opening above return: uPVC double-glazed casement, with thin concrete lintel and stone cill; opening thought to be original (despite replacement window). Replacement uPVC windows to hipped roof dormer. Soldier coursed heads and tooled stone cills to first floor uPVC top-hung casement window; ground floor opening below has same head and width matches that to No28, filled with two courses newer red brick and remainder concealed by roller shutter.

East elevation:
No.30 abuts east elevation of main building; east face of return detailed as south: soldier coursed heads and tooled stone cills remain at two first floor windows; one larger than other, both uPVC replacements; ground floor opening concealed by roller shutter.
East face of single-storey lean-to: clipped eaves, simple timber lintel over sheeted timber door and window; deep stone cill below window. Lean-to mirrored by similar structure with roughcast rendered walling and no openings; latter retained by walling with rounded terracotta cap along south face.

Elevated above pavement level, set apart from predominantly red brick or rendered housing on Wellington Park; front gardens bound by matching grey-white brick low walling and corner piers with carved sandstone copings retaining indent of former railings. Stepped lawn either side of central path with three stone steps rising to upper level and decorative cast iron boot-scraper on bull-nosed sandstone entrance step. Rear yard comprised of tarmacked car park, shared with No.28 and bound by red brick walling to west and hit-and-miss timber fencing to south. Red brick raised planters, concrete paving flags and some gravelled area immediately adjacent to rear exit.

Historical information

Commencing around 1852, Wellington Park was the earliest of the public thoroughfares to be laid out across the Malone ridge between the present Lisburn and Malone Roads. It marked the beginning of the suburbanisation of this part south Belfast, with the extensive semi-rural grounds of the early 19th century (and earlier) villas and gentrified farmhouses along the ridge gradually opened-up to development as the business and professional classes moved out from the confines of the crowded town centre. Consisting of terraces, semis and detached dwellings, building work was initially confined to the southern side of the new street, with nos.14-16 dating from 1852-53, nos.4-12 and 18-22 following in 1854-56, and nos.24 and 26 in 1863 and 1865 respectively.

Nos.28-30, another pair of semis, were designed in 1866 by Robert Young (later of Young & MacKenzie) for Thomas Fraser.
Fraser was the manager of the Ferguslie [Paisley] Fireclay Works depot at Queen’s Quay, a firm described in the 1866 Belfast directory as a ‘Manufacturer of white fire bricks for facing buildings’, so it is highly likely he supplied the (largely white) bricks for the polychrome front facade. The design of the houses themselves, (particularly the jettied half-dormers), are similar to the near contemporary houses by Young & MacKenzie in College Park East (nos.5-6, built 1868-69) and nos.344-350 Antrim Road (built 1877).

No.30 Thomas Fraser himself occupied no.30 until sometime between 1887 and 1890, when a Mrs Cargin became resident, who in turn was followed in c.1898 by John Megaw. The 1901 census records the house as a first class dwelling with 13 rooms occupied by Mr Megaw (a ‘retired merchant’), his wife, Jane, a visitor, Elizabeth Scott, and a domestic servant, Rebecca Gallaher. By 1907 Rev. R. Crawford Johnson, a Methodist minister, is noted as the householder, and in the 1911 census he is recorded as living there with his wife, Susanna Rosamund, their grown-up son, Alfred William, a relative, Wesley Johnston, visitor, Annie Crone and two domestic servants. John Graham (‘Inspector of Ulster Bank Ltd.’) is named as the occupant in the 1914 directory, remaining there until c.1933, by which time he had risen to the position of Director of the bank. By 1935 the property had become a nursing home, run by a Miss Strickland, continuing as such until the early 1950s. Miss Strickland was still in residence in 1960, but the building appears to have reverted to a private residence once again by this point. R.P. Napier, an estate agent, acquired No.30 between 1960 and 1964 and was still there is 1969, but by 1974 the property had become vacant. J McCammon appears to have been the last to occupy the building as a private resident moving in at some point before 1980 and staying on until at least 1986.

After this the history of the property is somewhat confusing, for no number 30 Wellington Park appears in the 1990s directories (which cease publication in 1996), so the building neither become part of the accountants B.J. McAlister & Co. Who are noted at this time as occupying no.28, or the architects and engineering firm of W.D.R. & R.T. Taggart, who are listed as based in nos.32-34. By 2008 the building had become an office for Christian Aid, but appears to have been vacant (or occupied only on very short term leases) since at least mid-2012.

References – Primary sources
1 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Street Directory’, (Belfast News-Letter, Belfast), various dates from 1866 to 1996
2 PRONI VAL12B/43D/7 annual valuation revision book, 1862-82
3 PRONI VAL12B/43D/7 annual valuation revision book, 1882-96
4 PRONI OS8/30/3/53 OS town plan of Belfast, 1883-84
5 PRONI OS8/30/4/49 OS town plan of Belfast, 1896
6 PRONI VAL12B/43D/36, 1897-1905
7 PRONI VAL7B/14/15 valuation of Belfast, 1900
8 Census of Ireland, 1901, 1911 [online]
9 PRONI OS8/30/5/49 OS town plan of Belfast, 1903
10 PRONI VAL12B/43P/3, 1906-15
11 PRONI VAL12B/43P/7, 1916-30
12 OS maps various sheets at 1:1250/2500 scale, 1920-85 [online]

Secondary sources
1 Carleton, S.T., ‘The growth of South Belfast’, (unpublished QUB MA thesis), 1967
2 Rowan, A.J. And Brett, C.E.B., ‘Historic Buildings...Queens University of Belfast’, (UAHS, 1968), p.44
3 Larmour, Paul, ‘The Architectural Heritage of Malone & Stranmillis’, (UAHS, 1991), p.179
4 http://www.scottishbrickhistory.co.uk/robert-brown-1810-1895/ [accessed 2017.02.14]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Two-storey with attic semi-detached former dwelling, built 1866 to designs by Robert Young, later of Young and Mackenzie. Facing north on Wellington Park, it has group value with No.28 (HB26.28.055A); the pair stand apart within the Malone Conservation Area as a very good example of High Victorian architecture. Of note due to the connection with local brick manufacturing; in particular the grey-white bricks on the main façade, embellished with polychromatic detailing and dressed sandstone (now painted); the gable ends and rear elevation are faced in bricks more commonly found in Belfast. Also distinguished by jettied dormers, vaguely Tudor in style, on two-storey canted bays at each end, a device used elsewhere in the city by Young and Mackenzie (HB26.27.064E-F & HB26.44.028A-D). Together the pair are well proportioned and appear symmetrical, however, the plans interlock, each one roughly L-shaped with original two-storey returns. Although converted to offices, the interior plan form of No.30 and a good deal of historic detailing appears largely intact.
Elevated above pavement level, matching grey-white brick boundary walling and corner piers with stone copings, coupled with stone entrance steps and an authentic cast iron boot-scraper, significantly enhance the character of their setting.