Rockport School, 15 Rockport Road, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 0DD

A detached two-storey three-bay private school with basement and attic, built c.1815, substantially remodelled c.1870, and located at the north side of Glencraig, overlooking Belfast Lough. Rectangular on plan with single-storey classical porch and large twentieth-century extension to east (of no interest). Hipped natural slate roof with rolled leaded hips and central valley; plain rendered chimneystacks (rebuilt) to centre. Aluminium box gutter supported on series of profiled eaves brackets. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative fixings. Cement rendered walling with rusticated quoins, plinth and architrave with plain frieze; moulded cill course to each floor. Windows are timber sashes without horns, 6/6 to south entrance elevation, generally 6/1 to north and west elevations (except where stated). Ground floor windows have architrave surrounds, cills project over foliated brackets and panelled aprons, moulded canopy over on ornate scrolled console brackets. First floor windows have lugged architrave surrounds. All basement windows are timber casement replacements. Door is double-leaf timber with glazed top panels and semi-circular fanlight over. Principal elevation faces south and is symmetrical with five openings to each floor arranged about a central ashlar sandstone porch. The porch is classically styled, with cornice and blocking course, columns with decorative Ionic-style capitals flank main entrance and corresponding pilasters to either side of round-headed side openings, all over a pedestal course. West elevation has exposed basement with banded rustication. To right side is a modern timber basement door with undersized 3/3 sash over; landing has a round-headed 6/6 sash with spiderweb toplight. Left side has a window to each floor. North elevation has four equally spaced openings to each floor; no apron panels to ground floor windows, plain cill brackets rest on an ashlar sandstone platband. Basement windows are as stated above with the exception of a canted bay insertion to left side. East elevation is completely abutted by the extension. Setting The school is set in extensive grounds comprising lawns and playing fields. There are additional buildings on the site, dating from throughout the twentieth century and of no interest. The shore of Belfast Lough is accessed directly from the north side of the site, and it is bounded by mature trees. Accessed via a tarmacadam drive from south, with entrance marked by a pair of modern cement rendered piers. Roof: Natural slate Walling: Cement render Windows: 1/1 timber sash RWG: Concealed gutters, cast-iron downpipes