Sullivan Upper School Preparatory Department, Dromkeen House, Alexandra Park, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 9ET

A detached red brick three-bay two-storey-with-attic house, now school, built c.1890 and located on the corner of Alexandra Park and My Lady’s Mile in the centre of Holywood. Square on plan with L-shaped toilet block to south and full width single-storey extension to rear (1953), further abutted by a large single-storey-over-basement extension (c.1990). Pitched natural slate roof with decorative terracotta ridge tiles. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods with square hoppers on projecting egg-and-dart frieze. Walling is English garden wall-bonded red brick on chamfered plinth with dog-tooth band between floors and egg-and-dart frieze to gables. Windows are segmental-headed 1/1 timber sliding sash with horns having voussoired heads and projecting masonry sills; breakfront with leaded and stained glass windows. The principal (entrance) elevation faces southeast and is dominated by a central breakfront rising to pediment above eaves line, framed by a window to each side. Oversized leaded and stained glass windows at first floor are flanked and divided by red-brick pilasters having two decoratively carved tiled panels to entablature and outer pilaster heads (also above entrance). Pediment has egg-and-dart and dog-tooth frieze with central diamond shaped carved panel. Entrance has replacement timber-sheeted door flanked by two slender windows and accessed by a stone step. Ground floor is abutted to left by a single-storey flat-roof extension. The southwest elevation has paired windows to attic; first floor has window to left, modern double-leaf timber doors with sidelight and window at right with oculus over; ground floor with modern timber door with transom light to left; window at right, abutted to far right by single-storey flat-roof extension. Raised flue at left of centre and attached steel fire escape. The northwest elevation has two dormer windows; paired windows to first floor right and left; to centre is blind window. Abutted to ground floor by flat-roof extension having metal doors with transom light to southwest and northeast elevations. Further abutted by large single-storey-over-basement modern extension (of no interest). The northeast elevation has small breakfront to centre; to left and right of breakfront are windows to ground and first floor with small oculus to attic at left. Breakfront has paired windows to attic with a window to first and ground floor. Setting Set on a large mature site in a mainly residential area, surrounded by detached Victorian houses with the main Sullivan Upper School to northwest. Tarmacadam driveway to front with asphalt pitch. To south is a modern single-storey block of classrooms. Large sloping garden to northeast enclosed by mature trees. Bounded to road by mature hedgerow with modern steel entrance gates. Roof: Natural slate Walling: brickk Windows: timber RWG: Cast-iron