533 Antrim Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey with attic end-terrace late Victorian house dating from 1879. Rectilinear plan form with shallow two-storey return to rear. The building is part of a group of three similar houses (HB26.46.012 G-I) located within a terrace of nine buildings to the E side of Antrim Road between Glandore Gardens and Glandore Avenue.

Pitched natural slate roof with projecting eaves and black-clay angled ridge tiles. Ogee cast iron guttering discharging to rectangular section downpipes. Rectangular section chimney stack with corbelled coping and clay chimney pots. Wall-head dormer window with moulded timber barge boards on decorative brackets with timber finial. Modern roof lights to front and rear elevation.

Principal Elevation:
Two-bay wide asymmetric principal elevation faces W. Red brick walling laid to Flemish bond with blue brick banding to cill, impost and eaves level. Segmental-arched window openings to GF and FF with pairs of red and blue brick soldier courses forming headers topped by projecting hood moulds comprised of alternating angular blue bricks. Painted projecting cills and 1/1 panes to double-hung timber sash windows. Wall head dormers having round-arched window with 1/1 panes to double-hung timber sash window.

Pointed arch door opening to centre on colonnettes with floriated caps supported on stepped plinth. Red and blue brick decorated arch formed in alternating bands of three soldier courses with painted moulded hood on floriated label stops. Square-headed timber panelled door with glazed pointed arch fanlight above. The door opens onto a single stone step. Two-storey canted bay to S.

The gabled N elevation is two-bays wide with a single-storey canted bay window to E. Overhanging verge with bracketed timber bargeboard; blue brick banding as front elevation.

The S elevation is adjoined to the neighbouring properties No. 531 (HB26.46.012 H).

No access to E elevation. Rear elevation is red brick with a two-storey lean-to return. Elevation to main building is blank at upper levels (where seen) except for square headed opening above return with 2/2 panes to sash windows. Arched windows to FF of return.

Setting:
Tarmaced parking to front. Red brick walling to rear with a square-headed opening having a modern metal door opening on to a narrow alley accessed from Glandore Gardens. The N side of the yard is enclosed by red brick walling divided into five by brick piers with stop-chamfer edge detail. Recessed panels between each pier are tapered brick at the base and corbelled at the top to a dentilled brick with blue band and canted brick coping.

Materials:
Roof : Natural slate
RWG; Cast iron
Walling: Red brick laid to Flemish bond with blue brick dressings
Windows : Original 1/1 panes to double-hung timber sash windows

Historical information

Nos 529-533 Antrim Road, a terrace of three two-and-a-half-storey red-brick dwellings, were constructed in 1879. 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 517-533 Antrim Road were constructed on the former grounds of Ashfield House, the dwelling of solicitor Thomas McClelland (UTD). Ashfield House was demolished at the turn of the 20th century but the majority of its former grounds were built over during the 1870s and 1880s.

The terrace of nine buildings was originally known as Castleton Terrace and was constructed in three phases. The three Gothic-style dwellings at nos 529-533 Antrim Road were constructed in 1879, a year after the erection of the five Georgian-style houses at nos 519-527 Antrim Road (No. 517 Antrim Road was constructed in 1883). All nine structures along the row 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 note that the houses were constructed for John Smith, a local builder and contractor (UTD). The architect of nos 529-533 Antrim Road is not known, although it is likely that the adjoining nos 519-527 was designed by Redfern Kelly (1845-1928), a Belfast-based engineer who predominantly carried out contracts for the Belfast Harbour Commissioners (DIA).

No. 533 Antrim Road was initially valued at £40 and was first occupied by John Smith who owned the terrace. By 1901 the house was occupied by a Ms. Sarah Nolan and in 1911 was described by the census building return of that year as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 16 rooms. The Smith family continued to own No. 533 Antrim Road until the 1970s. During the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the house was increased in value to £47 and was occupied by a Dr. John Scott who continued to reside at the address until the 1970s. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the value of No. 533 Antrim Road had been decreased to £44.

Nos 517-533 Antrim Road were listed in 1987. The NIEA HB Records note that No. 533 Antrim Road was used as office premises by 1985 but in 2014 an application was put forward for the building to be converted into a children’s crèche (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/7-25 – Annual Revisions (1863-1905)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/F/4-7 – Annual Revisions (1905-1930)
7. PRONI VAL/3/C/3/10- First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-56)
8. PRONI VAL/4/B/7/13 - 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 – HB26/46/012 (1985)
12. NIEA HB Records – HB26/46/012I

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

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity

Evaluation

A two-storey with attic end-terrace late Victorian house dating from 1879 and built in red brick with blue brick dressings; the name of the architect is unknown. Part of a terrace of nine houses (HB26.46.012 A-I) located on the E side of Antrim Road between Glandore Gardens and Glandore Avenue that was constructed in three distinct phases. No.533 Antrim Road is particularly similar to the two adjoining houses immediately to the South (HB26.46.012 G and H), which were developed at the same time and share Ruskinian detailing around the doorcase and windows. The townland of Skegoneil swiftly became one of the most affluent areas in Belfast following the development of the shipbuilding, rope-making and textiles industries in the city by the mid-19th century. This terrace comprises merchant’s houses and its well-articulated fenestration and skilful brickwork make it a good example from this period. The front and side elevations, together with the less formal gabled rear return, original brick wall enclosing the yard and a substantial amount of both external and internal features survive in good order. The building has group value with the other listed buildings in this terrace.