20 Shore Road, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 9HX

A three-storey Georgian townhouse built around 1830, forming one of a terrace of four. The building is two bays wide, rectangular on plan with a two-storey return to the rear. It is constructed with a pitched natural slate roof and rendered chimneystack. The walling is smooth painted render with shallow rustication to the ground floor.

The principal east-facing elevation retains largely intact architectural detailing. Windows are timber-framed sliding sash: the ground and first floors have 6/6 panes with painted masonry projecting sills and moulded surrounds (the latter to first floor only); the second floor has diminutive 3/3 timber-framed sliding sash windows. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods are mounted on drive-in brackets. The entrance door to the left of the elevation is a replacement timber door with plain fanlight, accessed by a tiled step. The rear windows are timber replacements. The south elevation is abutted by the adjoining building. The west (rear) elevation has two window openings to the second floor and is abutted at first floor by a gabled return. The exposed section of this return has two openings to each floor and a gable with a single opening at first floor. The north elevation is abutted by the adjoining building. Ground floor to the rear is concealed.

The house is set back from the road with a paved garden to the front, bounded by a painted masonry wall with gate pier to the north. The rear garden is enclosed with a masonry wall and hedgerow.

The building retains group value as an early terrace and it is probable that the interior preserves its historic floor plan and fabric, though no access to the rear was available for inspection.

Historical Context

Shore Road, formerly known as Shore Street, was one of the original Holywood thoroughfares, developed during the early seventeenth century and consisting largely of thatched cabins until redevelopment began at the start of the nineteenth century. As Holywood grew in popularity as a resort and commuter town, professional and mercantile classes established their homes here, drawn by the opportunity to escape the dirt and noise of Belfast. The upper part of the road near the maypole remained devoted to commerce, whilst Shore Street became a genteel residential area.

This terrace dates from around 1830 and appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834. The Townland Valuation of 1834 lists the four houses and offices, all valued at £10 and owned by Dr Brison. This is likely Samuel Bryson (1776–1853), an apothecary of High Street, Belfast, who lived in Ballymacarrett, where Bryson Street was subsequently named after him. Bryson was the son of a Presbyterian minister and was a distinguished collector and translator of Irish language manuscripts. He published "Remains of the Irish Bards" in 1805 and was recognised as a talented scribe and scholar of Irish, promoting the study of the Irish language and literature. His manuscript collection is now housed in Belfast Public Library. He was born and is buried in Holywood.

According to Griffith's Valuation (1828–40), which lists four houses of almost identical dimensions, No. 20 was occupied by Jane Sinclair and leased from Olivia Bryson. It is described as a house, yard and small garden with buildings valued at £17, later raised to £18, with rent of £22. Samuel Bryson, linen merchant of Woodbank, became the lessor in 1884, at which point the valuation was lowered to £16. Subsequent occupiers included Sarah Mulligan (who, according to local records, ran a private school on the premises), Margaret Allen (1890), John Woodside M.D. (1892), William Stewart Steele (1905), Matthew Gibson (1912), Anna Hawthorne (1916) and Letitia McKelvey (1919). Mary Bryson, widow of Samuel, became the immediate lessor in 1924. The building has remained in continuous use as a domestic dwelling.