Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/44/028 A

Address :
344 Antrim Road Belfast Co. Antrim BT15 5AE

Townland:
Skegoneill

---

Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
08/10/1987 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
House - Terrace

Former Use
House - Terrace

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
Demolished

---

OS Map No:
130-5

IG Ref:
J3319 7691

---

Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

End of terrace two-bay two-storey with attic-storey red brick former house, built c.1877, with full-height bay window, two-storey bay window to side elevation and replacement two-storey red brick return, built c.2000. Rectilinear on plan and terminating the south end of a terrace of four similar houses on the west side of Antrim Road with enclosed front garden and gabled south side elevation fronting onto Hopefield Avenue. A further two houses abut the opposite end of the terrace that are of similar height and width. Pitched natural slate roof with black clay ridge tiles, lead valleys and uPVC rainwater goods to timber box fascia having decorative timber brackets. Tall profiled and corbelled out red brick chimney stack with clay pots rising from external chimney breast to the south gable. Red brick 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 course with chamfered sandstone trim that has been painted. Square-headed window openings with original single-pane timber sash windows that have ogee horns, painted sandstone ashlar cills and flush lintels, with the latter having bowtel mouldings. Two-bay east front elevation with canted bay window to left rising to attic level as rectangular gabled oriel window. Designed as a half-timbered bay, the timbers have been largely replaced with steel. Tripartite window with single-pane timber sash windows and decorative timber brackets moulded and curved to support projecting eaves, with timber sheeting to the underside, and timber bargeboard. Shouldered principal entrance to the right with painted sandstone ashlar lintel having foliate and floral carvings. Replacement timber panelled door and plain fanlight with door opening onto two nosed sandstone steps, with sandstone walling to the left hand side and concrete paved footpath. Gabled south side elevation having two-storey canted bay window to the left, central square-headed door opening with the right hand side largely dominated by the slightly advanced red brick chimney stack, corbelled at first floor level to align with chimney top where it also corbels to support a sandstone cap and three circular pots. The bay window has a flat roof with a moulded redbrick parapet wall. At attic level is a pair of asymmetrically-placed round-headed window openings, formed in brick headers, with single-pane timber sash windows. The central door opening is a later insertion (c.2000) with timber panelled door, painted cement rendered surround and two concrete steps opening into paved area. West rear elevation is blank and abutted by a two-storey red brick return, built c.2000, with square-headed window openings to the ground floor and round-headed window openings to the first floor having timber sash windows. The moulded brick string course returns from the S elevation to the point where the new extension starts on the W elevation. A slightly advanced brick bay, possible a former chimney stack, also remains. North elevation abutted by adjoining building No.246 (HB26/44/028B). Roof Natural slate RWG UPVC Walling Red brick with ashlar sandstone dressings Windows Original timber sash Setting: Terminating the south end 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 modern steel railing. Steel pedestrian gate hung on replacement red brick pillars with salvaged terracotta capstones. Cobble-lock parking area to the south side elevation and a shared bitmac rear alleyway opening onto Hopefield Avenue.

Architects

Young & Mackenzie

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. 344 Antrim Road at £48 in 1877. The first recorded occupant of the building was a Mr. T. Kelly, a local linen merchant. By the 1911 census the house was occupied by William Aird, an oil merchant. In that year the census building return described No. 344 Antrim Road as a 1st class dwelling that consisted of 13 rooms and possessed a wash house and coal house as its sole outbuildings. The Aird family continued to reside at the property until the 1950s. 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 and that the value of No. 344 had been slightly decreased to £47. During the Second World War No. 344 Antrim Road was one of a number of buildings in the area that was requisitioned for the war effort and occupied by H. M. Government (UTD). In 1965 the site was purchased by a Mr. T. Dunseith who converted the building into a number of self-contained apartments which were valued at £73 by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72). No's 344-354 Antrim Road were listed in 1987. During the Second Survey No. 344 Antrim Road continued to be used as private apartments (NIEA HB Records). Resources Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1858)

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation K. Group value

Historic Interest

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

Evaluation

End of terrace two-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; two-storey bay window to side elevation and replacement two-storey red brick return. The former house appears to have been extensively refurbished c.2000 and subdivided into approximately seven units, when the replacement return was built. While some alterations detract from the building, namely the demolition of the original outhouses and the replacement return, front door and railings, the original roof slates, timber sash windows, sandstone dressings, Tudoresque half-timbered gable and tall corbelled chimney stack as a whole contribute to the character of the building. It is one of a terrace of four similar houses (HB 26.44.028 B, 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.

General Comments

Previously HB26/4/028

Date of Survey

22 July 2014