420 Antrim Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Terraced two-bay three-storey with attic red brick and stucco former house, built in 1872, to the designs of R. Kelly, as one of seven similar houses (HB26/44/029A-G). Rectangular on plan facing east with flat-roofed replacement rear return. Set back on the west side of Antrim Road with a shared bitmac driveway behind a low rendered wall and screened by a row of mature trees. Small enclosed front area and enclosed rear yard. Now subdivided into flats.

Pitched artificial slate roof with full-span flat-roofed dormer windows to front and rear; front dormer set behind stucco parapet wall with deep moulded cornice and plain frieze. Replacement painted rendered chimney stack with painted pots to north party wall. Concealed parapet guttering to front discharging to uPVC downpipes. Red brick walling laid in Flemish bond with cement pointing, continuous moulded string courses at first and second floor sill levels. Rough-cast cement rendered walling to the rear elevation and return. Square-headed window openings with decorative stucco surrounds, moulded sills and replacement single-pane timber sash windows with ogee horns (unless otherwise stated).

Two-bay three-storey east front elevation has rendered three-sided canted bay window to the ground floor with continuous masonry sill, plat band and shallow cornice to parapet. Decorative painted lugged architrave surrounds to the second floor with bracketed sills. First floor windows are framed by scrolled foliate console brackets supporting hood cornice and moulded sill supported on stepped brackets. Gauged brick to round-headed door opening to the left bay with projecting bull-nosed surround. Replacement painted timber panelled door flanked by fluted Ionic columns supporting dentilated lintel cornice with plain glazed fanlight. Door opens onto concrete paved platform and three concrete nosed steps, a further concrete paved platform and a further two nosed steps. Front area enclosed by replacement red brick wall with steel railings.

South elevation abutted by adjoining house No.418 (HB26/44/029B).

Rear elevation has a flat-roofed three-storey cement rendered return, built c.2000, having square-headed window openings with precast concrete sills and uPVC casement windows. The return has uPVC French doors with steel balconettes.

North side elevation abutted by adjoining house No.422 (HB26/44/029D).

Roof Artificial slate
RWG uPVC
Walling Redbrick / Stucco
Windows Replacement timber sash

Historical information

Nos 416-428 Antrim Road, a terrace of seven three-storey red-brick buildings located along the west side of the Antrim Road, were constructed 1872. 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. Nos 416-428 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 (nos 344-354 Antrim Road were also constructed on this parcel of land in 1877 – see HB26/44/028A-F).

Nos 416-428 Antrim Road was known as ‘Fortwilliam Terrace.’ The Annual Revisions note that the terrace was leased by Samuel Lawther, the manager of Samuel Lawther & Co. (local coal importers, ship and insurance brokers with business premises on Corporation Square) who resided on Duncairn Street (UTD). The terrace was designed by Redfern Kelly (1845-1928), a Belfast-based engineer who predominantly carried out contracts for the Belfast Harbour Commissioners. The Dictionary of Irish Architects notes that Kelly was responsible for the deepening of the Victoria Channel, the reconstruction of the Alexandra Graving Dock (following its collapse in 1905) and the construction of the Thompson Graving Dock. Despite the predominance of industrial contracts, Kelly also designed a Masonic Hall in Larne and the Murlough Cottages in Dundrum (DIA).

The Annual Revisions record that No. 420 Antrim Road was initially valued at £40 and was first occupied by James Gallagher, a local grain merchant. The terrace was 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. Gallagher had vacated No. 420 Antrim Road by 1901 when John Burke, a local magistrate and the consul to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was recorded as occupant in the Census of Ireland. The census building return described Burke’s house as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 14 rooms. Burke vacated No. 420 Antrim Road by the 1930s when Thomas Mayne, a local iron founder, took possession of the building. The value of the house was increased to £48 under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57). In 1963 ownership of No. 420 Antrim Road passed to a Mr. J. Bradley who converted the building into a number of offices which were valued at £78 by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72). Nos 416-428 Antrim Road were listed in 1987. The building is currently in use as a number of self-contained apartments.

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/7-25 – 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. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
11. First Survey Record – HB26/44/029 (No Date)
12. NIEA HB Records – HB26/44/029C

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
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

Mid terrace two-bay three-storey with attic red brick and stucco mid-Victorian house, built in 1872, as one of seven similar houses that were originally known as 'Fortwilliam Terrace' (HB26/44/029A-G) and designed by Redfern Kelly, a prominent engineer known for his work on behalf of Belfast Harbour Commissioners. The slightly elevated terrace is set back on the west side of Antrim Road and screened by a series of mature trees behind a low wall. Although no longer in single occupancy, the exterior of this distinctive mid nineteenth-century house, with its vertical emphasis, graduated fenestration and restrained neo-classical stucco mouldings exemplifies the formal aesthetics sought after at the time. Prior to its development, the surrounding area of Skegoneil had been rural but following a period of rapid industrial expansion and population growth, many merchants were persuaded to live outside of the overcrowded inner city. A similar terrace, also thought to have been designed by Kelly, formerly known as Castleton Terrace (HB26.46.012 B-F) and built in 1878, sits almost directly opposite on the east side of the Antrim Road. Despite the flat-roofed attic dormers to both the front and back and the replacement flat-roofed rear return, this house presents a largely intact front elevation and has group value with the other listed houses in this terrace.