Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB18/18/022 B

Address :
88 Saul Street (Betsy's Terrace) Downpatrick Co Down BT30 6NQ

Townland:
Downpatrick

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Survey 2:
Record Only

Date of Listing:
20/10/1982 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:
25/06/2002 00:00:00

Current Use:
House - Terrace

Former Use
House - Terrace

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
224/8

IG Ref:
J4885 4488

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Owner Category

Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Three storey terrace house of c.1820, one of a block of five (originally) identical dwellings which, due to the steep rise in ground level, are two storey to the front. The house is situated close to the SW end of the block, and, (like its neighbours) is set on the squint. The terrace itself in on the NW side of Saul Street, to the NE of Downpatrick town centre. The front façade faces SE. To the left on the ground floor is a timber sheeted door with (almost) semicircular fanlight with ‘spoke’ tracery. To the right of the door is a sash window with Georgian panes (6/6). To the first floor are two similar windows. The front façade is finished in lined render and painted. At ground (‘basement’) level left on the rear façade is a sash window, as front. To the right of this a partly glazed door. There is another window (as before) to the left on the two upper floors above this. To the right is a similar window set at stair half landing level. The rear façade of the main house is covered in unpainted lined render. The gabled roof is slated and has a concrete brick chimney stack. Velux window to rear. Cast iron and PVC rw goods. Low rendered wall to front.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

[Note- More comprehensive history, (with valuations etc.), to follow with next (Seaforde) ward.] The short terrace to which this house belongs is shown on the OS map of 1834 and may date from c.1820. The name ‘Betsy’s Terrace’ is said locally to refer to Betsy Gray (of 1798 Rising fame), whom- one theory suggests -came from Downpatrick. Whether this theory is true or not is debatable, and what connection (if any) she had with this area of Saul Street is unknown. If she did have some connection with the actual terrace it would suggest that the houses may be late 18th rather than early 19th century, though this seems doubtful. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI OS/6/3/37/1 OS map, 1834 2 PRONI OS/6/3/37/2 OS map, 1859 3 PRONI OS/6/3/37/3 OS map, 1901 4 PRONI OS/6/3/37/4 OS map, 1920 Secondary sources 1 R.H. Buchanan and Anthony Wilson ‘Irish historic towns atlas No.8- Downpatrick’ (Royal Irish Academy, 1997) 2 Bill Wilsdon ‘The sites of the 1798 rising in Antrim and Down’, pp.135-6, 160, 172 [Betsy Gray etc.]

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Not listed

Historic Interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Three storey terrace house of c.1820, one of a block of five identical dwellings which (due to the steep rise in ground level) are two storey to the front. The windows all have Georgian paned sash frames.

General Comments

Date of Survey

26 June 2000