110 Seacliff Road, Bangor, Co Down, BT20 5EZ

110 Seacliff Road is a two-storey, three-bay Victorian mid-terrace dwelling, one of six houses that make up Clifton Terrace, built around 1855. The house is located on an elevated coastal site overlooking Belfast Lough, east of Eisenhower Pier, and is surrounded by Victorian and Edwardian terraces.

The building has a rectangular plan form with two two-storey rear returns and an enclosed yard. The roof is pitched with natural slate tiles and clay ridge tiles, with overhanging timber eaves and bargeboards. The walls are constructed of sandstone rubble with smooth rendered band course between floors and a smooth rendered canted bay. Rendered and yellow brick chimney-stacks with clay pots are shared with adjoining buildings. Cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted throughout.

The principal north-west elevation is asymmetrically arranged. A timber four-panel front door with brass ironmongery is centrally located, with a fixed light and margin panes above and a small lean-to canopy supported on masonry wall brackets. The door has red brick and plaster surrounds. The left side of the elevation rises to a shallow gable embracing a two-storey rendered canted bay with a leaded hipped roof. Windows are square-headed timber 2/2 sliding sash with horizontal division and margin panes, set within red brick surrounds with continuous cills to the canted bay. A small round-arched sash window sits directly above the front door on the first floor.

The rear elevation includes a pitched two-storey return on the left, shared with the adjoining building, and a two-storey L-shaped mono-pitched return comprising stairwell, upper floor accommodation and external storage. The right gable is abutted by a neighbouring listed building.

The setting comprises a front garden and rear garden with a large flagstone path leading to the front entrance, flanked by shoe scrapers. A car park has been constructed to the front.

Although modernised with the addition of a rear extension, the house retains its special character. Its style, proportion and architectural detail remain unaltered, and it possesses group value as part of the terrace while making a positive contribution to the coastal setting.

Historical context and development

Clifton Terrace represents an early phase of residential development along this stretch of coast. The terrace first appears captioned on the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858, at which time it was surrounded by open countryside. A photograph from around the 1870s shows it as one of very few developments along the coastline. By 1901, the area had filled with substantial properties occupied by professional and mercantile residents. The development accelerated following the arrival of the railway in 1865.

The terrace was built by William Cowan, a grocer and wine and spirit retailer with premises in Church Lane and Joy Street, Belfast. According to Griffith's Valuation (1856–64), Cowan was the owner with Robert E Ward as the immediate lessor and local landowner. Each property was described as a house, offices, yard and pleasure ground, valued at £20. The Belfast Newsletter reported in May 1857 that the terrace had been built "in the very best manner, embracing all modern improvements in ventilation, and every convenience that can be desired." Each house was stated to contain a large dining room, five bedrooms, servants' apartments, two water-closets, kitchen, scullery and two pantries, all well-enclosed with a good yard.

William Cowan died in 1862, a wealthy man. His company, William Cowan Ltd, became celebrated for the production of Cowan's No 4 Old Irish Whisky. One of the houses was let to Andrew Cowan, cited in William's will as a gentleman and possibly his son.

Each house had twin returns: one originally housed the kitchen and scullery, whilst the second contained stores and a water-closet with a maid's room above. The 1901 census indicates the houses had eleven rooms and were deemed to be of the first class due to their size and construction.

In 1877 the terrace passed to Hugh Furey, who let the houses to lodgers while retaining one for his family's use. Furey is listed in the 1900 street directory as a draper, family grocer, and tea, wine and spirit merchant of Main Street, Bangor. Number 110 was vacant at the time of the 1901 census but had previously been Andrew Cowan's home. By 1908 it was occupied by Mary J Furey, a relative of the owner. The 1911 census records the house as the home of Charles Furey, a draper, living with his housekeeper, Mary Darragh. The Furey family continued to occupy the house until recent times. The house remains in use as a dwelling.