3 Mount Charles, Belfast

A three-storey brick townhouse with attic and pitched roof, designed by Alexander MacAlister and built in 1859. It forms the first house in a terrace of nine, positioned on the south side of Mount Charles, a tree-lined street running between Botanic Avenue and University Road within the Queen's Conservation Area. The building is now used as university offices and is internally connected to the former No 1 Mount Charles on the ground, first and second floor levels.

The house is rectangular on plan with a projecting return to the rear. The building stands immediately east of the former No 1 Mount Charles and Nos 38-40 University Road, and immediately west of No 5 Mount Charles.

Materials and Finishes

The roof is natural Welsh slate with black clay ridge tiles. The walls are red brick laid in Flemish bond with painted render, pointing in what appears to be lime mortar. Rainwater goods comprise cast iron and cast aluminium. Windows throughout are timber sliding sash, single-glazed and likely original. Modern rooflights have been added to the front elevation, with conservation-type rooflights to the rear.

Front Elevation

The north-facing front comprises a three-storey brick facade in Flemish bond with a single-storey canted rendered bay on the right and doorway on the left at ground floor. The bay has a flat roof with roofing felt over a projecting cornice. The canted bay section is painted render with moulded plaster detailing, the lower portion formed by a deep plinth.

Two windows occupy each of the first and second floors. The ground and first floor windows to the canted bay are horizontally split 2/2, single-glazed timber sliding sash with horns, likely original. The second floor windows are 8/8 with straight heads and splayed brick soldier courses. First and second floor window heads are straight with splayed brick soldiers. A continuous painted stone cill course runs beneath windows on the first and second floors. The plinth to the base is deep painted render with a similar frieze beneath the eaves.

Two rooflights occupy the attic level—one on the right side is modern while one on the left was not visible at the time of survey.

The principal doorway has an elliptical arched head with brick voussoirs and moulded plaster reveal, deeply recessed. Ionic columns on raised moulded plaster panelled bases flank the opening and support a moulded plaster entablature with plain fanlight above. A four-panelled timber door, apparently original, sits beneath. The cornice, columns and bases sit upon a replacement concrete step with dwarf walls either side. Ironmongery has been replaced and the letter box has been covered over.

The pitched Welsh slate roof has a brick chimney stack to the right side, centred on the ridge with corbelled detailing and seven circular clay pots. The stack appears to have been repointed and possibly rebuilt. A flat painted stone verge runs to the right side. A cast metal ogee gutter drains the roof. A small metal pipe extends from the flat roof of the canted bay with no hopper or downpipe from that section.

Side Elevations

The east side elevation is fully abutted by No 5 Mount Charles. The west side elevation is abutted by the former No 1 Mount Charles and Nos 38-40 University Road. An exposed section of gable elevation onto Mount Charles has no openings and is painted render, interrupted only by the cill courses and quoins that return from the front elevation.

Rear Elevation

The south-facing rear elevation is three storeys tall and is abutted on the right side by an original three-storey return built at half-landing height. The former rear yard to the left has been infilled on both ground and first floors with a flat roof and now forms internal space.

The only windows exposed to the rear are at second floor level (8/8 with Georgian wired glass) and at half landing level on the right side above the return roof (smaller 8/8). Both are single-glazed timber sliding sash with horns and may be replacements. Painted stone cills are present. The main block has a pitched natural Welsh slate roof with a conservation-type rooflight on the left side. The return has a hipped natural Welsh slate roof with black clay ridge tiles. A flat painted stone verge runs to the left side.

The elevation of the return facing into the yard is exposed only at second floor level and contains a single fixed single-pane window looking onto the flat roof of the former yard. The roof has three twentieth-century raised square rooflights. A small brick chimney, likely twentieth-century, stands to the right side of the rear return with modern clay pots.

The three-storey facade facing University Street is constructed in dark brown brick laid in Flemish bond with a rendered plinth and eaves band. A replacement yard door on the left is painted timber panelling with a replacement metal louvred fanlight beneath a semi-circular head with brick voussoirs. To the right is a 6/6 window, possibly original, with replacement Georgian wired glass and wrought iron bars attached to the reveals and painted stone cills. A diminutive square window opening to the right has been bricked up.

The first floor has a 6/6 window with obscured Georgian wired glass to the left side and a 6/6 window on the right with a window vent in the top middle pane. First floor openings have shallow arched heads. The second floor is identical to the first floor except that the heads are straight. A cast iron gutter runs above the painted rendered eaves band at the rear return level.

Access and Setting

The front of the house is accessed directly from the tree-lined pavement of Mount Charles, while the rear is accessed from the pavement of University Street via the yard door.