Downshire Arms Hotel, 95 Newry Street, Banbridge, Co Down, BT32 3EF

A symmetrical two-storey five-bay coaching inn with outbuildings; built c.1815 and located to the west of Newry Street in Banbridge town centre. Rectangular plan with incentis portico between projecting end bays and two-storey return to rear; large modern extension to south and flat-roof extension to west (of no interest). Hipped natural slate roof with leaded hips and blue/black angled ridge tiles. Rendered chimneystacks having tall clay pots. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on projecting eaves. Walling is ruled-and-lined painted render. Windows are 6/6 timber-framed sliding sash with painted projecting sills (unless otherwise stated). The principal elevation faces east; central bay is recessed with three openings to each floor and a full-width portico on fluted columns. To centre is a modern double-leaf timber-panelled door flanked by five-pane sidelights and surmounted by an elliptical -headed timber spider-web fanlight. Left and right wings are hipped with elliptical-headed arched recesses to ground floor containing a window (that to right bay is tripartite, 6/6 with 2/2 sidelights). The south elevation is fully abutted by the modern extension. The west (rear) elevation is abutted to centre by the flat-roof modern extension; right bay is abutted by the two-storey return, which is abutted to west by a modern single-storey annexe (of no interest). The north gable has two windows to first floor. Setting: Prominently sited at the junction of Newry Street and Commercial Road in Banbridge town centre. Large stable yard to rear now in use as a car-park; accessed from Commercial Road via rubble stone square gate piers with modern metal gates. Modern parking area also to south of outbuildings. Yard has a variety of well-preserved rubble stone slated outbuildings with red-brick dressings all having timber casement windows with glazing bars and timber-sheeted doors. Two-storey barn to west has hipped roof and a segmental-headed carriage-arch opening with timber-sheeted doors. Two-storey hipped barn to north with external steps. All are relatively well-preserved making this a fine example of an early nineteenth-century stable-yard. Roof: Natural slate Walling: Ruled-and-lined render Windows: 6/6 timber-framed sash RWG: Cast-iron