140 High Street, Holywood, County Down, BT18 9HS

A two-bay three-storey Victorian end-terrace townhouse built around 1855, located south of High Street in Holywood town centre. The building is part of Walmer Terrace, a group of six townhouses that exemplifies Holywood's mid-nineteenth-century expansion following the opening of the railway in 1848.

The house is rectangular on plan with a three-storey return and single-storey flat-roof extension to the rear. The roof is pitched natural slate with red-brick chimneys topped with terracotta pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods are fitted to overhanging corbelled eaves with paired brackets. The walling is Flemish-bonded red brick with painted smooth render featuring band rustication to the ground floor. The north and east elevations have smooth painted render, while vermiculated block quoins appear at ground-floor level, with plain quoins above.

The principal west-facing elevation is two openings wide. To the left is a canted bay at ground floor with 2/2 timber-framed sliding-sash windows featuring horizontal glazing bars, moulded surround divided by Doric pilasters, plain entablature with dentilled frieze and corbelled eaves. The first floor has segmental-headed 6/2 windows with continuous sill, and the second floor has 6/6 windows. The entrance, accessed by two masonry steps, comprises a four-panel raised-and-fielded door with transom light, flanked by panelled pilasters with ornate console brackets and a corniced canopy. The north gable has upper-floor windows to the right and a modern timber door at ground level. The east rear elevation contains a window to the right at all floors, abutted to the left by a lower three-storey return with a gable window and modern uPVC door. The south elevation is adjoined by the neighbouring building.

Recent refurbishment has resulted in some loss of historic fabric and alteration to the original floor-plan. Rear windows have been replaced with uPVC. Despite these changes, good historic detailing survives, particularly the entrance canopy, canted bay fenestration, cast-iron rainwater goods, and brick and render detailing.

Historically, the terrace housed merchants, professional people and clergy attracted to Holywood after the railway's arrival. The current building was valued in Griffith's Valuation (1856-64) as a house, offices, yard and small garden, initially occupied by William Carson, a solicitor. Census and directory records document subsequent occupants including John Carson (solicitor with Belfast offices) and Thomas Laurie. The building's valuation declined from the 1880s onwards as Holywood fell into relative decline, particularly after the arrival of Belfast trams in the 1870s, which offered the mercantile and professional classes wider residential choice. The building is now in use as offices.

The setting comprises a small paved front garden enclosed by simple cast-iron railings and gate. To the east is a tarmacadam car-park semi-enclosed by a painted masonry wall. St Comcille's Church and Tower stand directly to the south.