346 Antrim Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Terraced three-bay two-storey with attic-storey red brick former house, built c.1877, with full-height bay window and replacement two-storey red brick return, built c.1990, now in use as five flats. T-shaped on plan as one of a terrace of four similar houses on the west side of Antrim Road with enclosed front garden and rear yard. A further two houses abut the opposite end of the terrace that are of similar height and width.

Pitched artificial slate roof with synthetic ridge tiles, lead valleys and uPVC rainwater goods to timber box fascia having decorative timber brackets. Chimney removed. Redbrick walling laid in Flemish bond with cement pointing, moulded red brick string courses and painted flush sandstone ashlar dressings. Rock-faced uncoursed squared sandstone plinth with chamfered ashlar sandstone trim. Square-headed window openings with uPVC windows, painted sandstone ashlar cills and flush lintels, with the latter having bowtel mouldings.

Three-bay east front elevation with canted bay window to right rising to attic level as rectangular half-timbered gabled oriel window. UPVC window to oriel. Decorative timber brackets, moulded and curved to support projecting eaves, with timber sheeting to the underside, and timber bargeboard. Further wall-head dormer window to the left bay having hipped roof and paired square-headed window openings. Central shouldered principal entrance with painted sandstone ashlar lintel having foliate and floral carvings. Replacement timber panelled door and plain fanlight with door opening onto three replacement concrete steps and original flagstone paved footpath.

South side elevation abutted by adjoining house No.344 (HB26/44/028A).

West rear elevation has two casement windows and is covered in a dry-dash render. It also has a two-storey redbrick return, built c.1990, with uPVC windows.

North side elevation abutted by adjoining building No.348 (HB26/44/028C).

Roof Artificial slate
RWG UPVC
Walling Red brick with ashlar sandstone dressings
Windows uPVC

Setting:
Part of a terrace of four similar houses and set on the west side of Antrim Road, set back from the road with gravel front garden enclosed by replacement concrete plinth wall and steel railing. Steel pedestrian gate hung on replacement red brick pillars. Replacement tall red brick wall encloses rear yard with bitmac shared alleyway opening onto Hopefield Avenue.

Historical information

No's 344-354 Antrim Road, a terrace of six three-storey red-brick buildings located along the west side of the Antrim Road, were constructed in two phases with the first four buildings being constructed in 1877. The Antrim Road was originally laid out in 1830. The second edition Ordnance Survey map (1858) records that the land to the north of the Belfast Waterworks and the Limestone Road remained predominantly rural in character by the 1850s. With the increase in Belfast’s population and the development of the shipbuilding, rope-making and textiles industries in the town, by the mid-19th century a number of gentlemen’s mansions and wealthy merchant’s houses had been constructed in the townland of Skegoneill which swiftly became one of the most affluent areas in Belfast. No's 344-354 Antrim Road were constructed on the grounds of Hopefield House, a two-storey six-bay mansion that was occupied by the Sinclair family. The majority of the grounds were built over during the 1870s (no's 416-428 Antrim Road were also constructed on this parcel of land in 1872 – see HB26/44/029A-G).

No's 344-350 Antrim Road was known as ‘Clonsilla’. The four dwellings were constructed for Andrew Wright, a local pawn broker and clerk at the Belfast Loan Office (no's 49-51 Ann Street) who resided at No. 3 Cranston Place (UTD; PRONI Wills). The terrace was designed by Young & Mackenzie, an architectural partnership that had been formed between Robert Young and John Mackenzie in c. 1867. The Dictionary of Irish Architects noted that the firm were ‘the leading architects for the Presbyterian Church in the North-East and had also received some of the most important commercial commissions in the city.’ The firm also designed a large number of contemporary terraces throughout Belfast during the Victorian period (DIA). No's 352-354 Antrim Road were erected in 1899 in a similar style to the adjoining earlier buildings. The terrace were depicted on the third edition Ordnance Survey map (1901-02) which shows that the entire area had been developed with terraced streets by the turn of the 20th century.

The Annual Revisions set the total rateable value of No. 346 Antrim Road at £44 in 1877. The first recorded occupant of the building was a Mrs Norton but in c. 1890 the property was occupied by the Rev. James Maconaghie of Fortwilliam Park Presbyterian Church. By the 1911 Census No. 346 Antrim Road was occupied by James Hamilton, a ‘fancy box manufacturer.’ The census building return described the building as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 12 room and possessed a wash house and coal house as its sole outbuildings. The First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) records that ownership of no's 344-350 Antrim Road had passed to a Mr. Francis Curley by the 1930s. Curley briefly resided at No. 346 Antrim Road, which remained valued at £44, until 1938 when it was occupied by a Mr. Henry McFadden. By the 1950s ownership of the house had passed to a Mr. H. Crawford. At that time No. 346 Antrim Road was partially utilised as a private medical surgery and by the end of the Second Submission (1956-72) the value of the building had been increased to £63.

No's 344-354 Antrim Road were listed in 1987. The NIEA HB Records note No. 346 Antrim Road, along with the adjoining No. 348, had been converted into a number of self-contained apartments by 1990 (NIEA HB Records).

Resources

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1858)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1901-02)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/61/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1931)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1938)
5. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/C/7-25B – Annual Revisions (1863-1905)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/F/4-7 – Annual Revisions (1905-1930)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/3- First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-56)
8. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/1 - Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
9. Ulster Town Directories (1877-1943)
10. PRONI Wills Catalogue (26 May 1884)
11. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
12. First Survey Record – HB26/44/028 (No Date)
13. NIEA HB Records – HB26/44/028B

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

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Mid terrace three-bay two-storey with attic red brick former house, built c.1877 to designs by Young and Mackenzie. Half timbered gable rising from canted bay to front and replacement two-storey red brick return. The former house appears to have been extensively refurbished c.1990 and subdivided into five apartments, when the replacement return was built. Some alterations detract from the building, namely the demolition of the original outhouses, replacement uPVC windows, dry-dash render and new return to the rear and fibre cement roof slates. However, the retained sandstone dressings and Tudoresque half-timbered gable and original brick work dictate the character of the building at the front. It is one of a terrace of four similar houses (HB 26.44.028 A, C and D), originally named Clonsilla, with each having slight variations and a further two terraced dwellings attached at the N end (HB 26.44.028 E and F) that collectively form a coherent and distinctive row on the Antrim Road.