5 Marino Villas, Old Quay Road, Holywood, Co Down, BT18 0AL

5 Marino Villas is a corner-sited, gabled Tudor-style terraced house built around 1830 to designs by John Millar. Originally forming the end of a terrace of three houses that together created the illusion of a single Tudor mansion, it represents an important example of early speculative development on the North Down coast and reflects the growing popularity of coastal leisure among wealthy merchant classes in the early 19th century. The north end of the original terrace was demolished long ago and replaced by a pair of oversized dwellings that borrowed architectural details from the surviving portion. Numbers 5 and 6 remain from the original construction, whilst numbers 7 and 8 were rebuilt. The building was extensively refurbished around 2002.

The house is constructed in rendered masonry and follows an L-plan, facing east with a gabled entrance bay and a single-storey extension to the north. The remainder of the original terrace is attached to the west. Pitched natural slate roofs are finished with roll-moulded black clay ridge tiles, lead valleys and cast-iron rainwater goods mounted on iron drive-through brackets. Three gables rise above the roof line, each topped with masonry coping. The principal east-facing section is terminated by gables at either end, flanked by paired angled square-plan chimneystacks with crenellated caps and decorative octagonal clay pots. A further pair of square-plan chimneystacks rise from the west wall.

The painted rendered walling features a projecting plinth course, decorative blind panels and hood moulding across the east elevation. The principal gables are distinguished by decorative crenellated corner piers with a further crenellated parapet spanning above ground floor level. Window openings throughout are set in chamfered surrounds. Square-headed openings contain replacement timber casement windows, whilst pointed-headed slender openings appear to the entrance bay and north elevation. A modern timber full-height bay window with slate roof has been added to the north of the entrance bay. The entrance bay contains a chamfered square-headed door opening with hood moulding, within which sits a Tudor-arched chamfered door opening with a replacement vertically-sheeted hardwood door opening onto a concrete step to a gravel footpath. To the south gable is another chamfered square-headed door surround with a pair of replacement timber glazed doors opening onto semi-circular steps to the front gravel area.

The single-storey extension has a flat roof with glazed lantern and is enclosed by the original rendered garden wall, which features stepped buttresses and a single pointed-arched chamfered door opening with vertically-sheeted timber door providing access to a small enclosed yard.

The building was commissioned by Thomas Ward and is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1834 among a number of villas within a single plot. The Townland Valuation (1828–40) lists the property as "three houses and offices", belonging to Thomas Ward and valued at £19 8 shillings in total. Samuel Lewis's 1837 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland records that "There are several good lodging-houses in the village and its environs; and from the increasing number of visitors, several houses in detached situations and chiefly in the Elizabethan style of architecture are now in progress on the Cultra estate, by Thomas Ward Esq, after designs by Millar. These houses are sheltered with thriving plantations and beautifully situated on a gentle eminence commanding a richly diversified and extensive prospect of Carrickfergus bay, the Black mountain, Cave hill, the Carnmoney mountains and the town and castle of Carrickfergus, the view terminating with the basaltic columns of Black Head." The Ordnance Survey Memoirs confirm the houses were already complete by 1834, noting they "have been built for the bathing season, when they are generally filled from Belfast."

Griffith's Valuation (1856–64) records the occupier as Mrs Mary Anne Davis. The property was valued at £19, with a note that it was a "very neat cottage, always likely to let well." During the late 19th and early 20th centuries the houses became less attractive as rental properties, perhaps due to the growth and popularity of Bangor as a seaside destination following the arrival of the railway in 1865. The house experienced periods of vacancy and changes of ownership, with valuations falling to £15 in 1907 and further declining to £11 10 shillings in 1915 following a reduction application. James C Shaw became the occupier in 1922. By 1933, Katherine Payne was occupying the property, leasing it from Henry J Harris, and the valuation had risen to £16 10 shillings. At this date the accommodation comprised two reception rooms, a kitchen, three bedrooms and a bathroom with WC. The house was supplied with gas and was the only one of the three houses to have a drinkable water supply, which came from the railway company reservoir.

The building forms a significant element in the notable and unusual neo-Tudor character of this architectural enclave. The front is bounded by a gravel area enclosed by hedges.