Merville Garden Village, Shore Road, Whitehouse, Co Antrim, BT37 9TH

Merville Garden Village is a planned mid-twentieth century housing estate comprising approximately 450 dwelling units, laid out in Garden Village style to designs by E. Prentice Mawson between 1947 and 1949. The estate is located on the west side of Shore Road in the grounds of Merville House, occupying an elevated upwardly sloping site.

The estate is screened at road level by a symmetrical multi-bay four-storey flat-roofed range containing shops at ground floor with flats above. This frontage range is rectangular on plan, facing east, with lower three-storey blocks (three windows wide) breaking forward to either end. The walling is dark red brick with a flat roof concealed behind a brick parapet. Openings are rectangular, some double-width, with cast-concrete sills and a variety of window treatments. The flats have ground floor access placed at intervals between shop fronts. All ground floor openings open directly onto a pavement with a cast-concrete canopy supported on painted paired cast-iron columns. Shared flats entrances are at equally spaced intervals, with doors set in projecting brick reveals and projecting pilaster strips to either side. Glazed top panels feature four vertically arranged panels, with the left side panel retaining original painted flat numbers and intercom. The rear elevation is plainly detailed, with each unit having a projecting cast-concrete balcony.

Access roads sweep around to either side, leading to the main body of the estate located to the rear of Merville House. The site slopes steeply upwards towards Merville House.

The dwellings consist of three main types: four-storey flat-roofed multi-occupancy blocks, cottage flats, and single dwellings arranged in terraces or semi-detached pairs. A number of flat units are laid out at the foot of the main estate. The remainder are laid out around a central spine formed from the original grassed avenue to Merville House, which runs down the centre and is still bounded by closely planted mature trees. This avenue contains an early circular rubble stone gate pier with a conical rubble cap. Two straight access roads flank this avenue, with dwellings laid parallel to the roadside or arranged in perpendicular cul-de-sacs to either side. All units have grassed areas to the front, undivided by hedges or boundaries. The single dwellings and cottage flats have small enclosed gardens. Vestiges of original former field boundaries remain in evidence, and an eighteenth century walled garden survives at the south end of the estate, now used as allotments.

The multi-occupancy blocks are rectangular on plan with flat roofs and gutters concealed behind parapets. Cast-iron downpipes with square hopper heads are positioned at regularly spaced intervals. Cement-rendered chimneystack with multiple pots rise above. White painted roughcast walling is set over a black painted smooth rendered plinth. Openings are regularly spaced to each floor. Communal entrance blocks have elongated windows with central vertical mullions; those to the first floor feature a projecting architrave with moulded drip stone and a concrete balconette enclosed by decorative mild steel railings. Communal entrance doors are set in neo-Georgian moulded cast-concrete surrounds with segmental pedimented entablature. The double-leaf timber doors consist of two bottom panels surmounted by an eight-pane glazed panel over, with original number plates set into the top panes. Access is by a bull-nosed terrazzo step.

The cottage flats are detached two-bay two-storey blocks located at cul-de-sac corners. They are rectangular on plan with hipped tiled roofs and overhanging eaves. Rendered chimneystack with four pots and half-round cast-iron rainwater goods are present. White painted rendered walling contrasts with a black painted plinth. A variety of window treatments is employed. Principal elevations facing the main artery are three windows wide to each floor, while elevations facing onto cul-de-sacs are two windows wide to each floor. All ground floor windows have louvred timber shutters. Each flat is accessed off an enclosed entry accessed by a screen wall with a round-headed arched opening. Round-headed entrance doors are set in smooth rendered surrounds with keyblocks and simple moulding at arch springing level. First floor flats are accessed by concrete steps, half-turning up the yard-facing elevation to a round-headed arched open vestibule.

The single dwellings have hipped tiled roofs with overhanging eaves, rendered chimneystack, and half-round cast-iron rainwater goods. White painted smooth rendered walling is employed. The majority of windows are uPVC replacements, replacing original multi-pane metal-framed side-hung casements, with cast-concrete sills and black-painted timber shutters. Principal elevations consist of two openings to each floor. Doors feature pedimented painted timber canopies on console brackets, accessed by concrete steps. Attached side gate access with boundary walls to rear yards sweeping upwards forms high gate piers on which simple pergolas are placed.