3 Mount Charles, Belfast

3 Mount Charles, Belfast

This is a three-storey brick townhouse with an attic storey and pitched roof, built in 1859 to designs by Alexander MacAlister (c.1821–97), a Carlow-born architect who spent his entire career in Belfast working almost exclusively on commissions in counties Antrim and Down. It is the first and westernmost house in a terrace of nine (Nos. 3–19 Mount Charles), and sits within the Queen's Conservation Area. The building was originally constructed as a private residence but is now in use as university offices. The listing covers the house itself, the rear yard wall, and the dwarf wall to either side of the front door.

Historical Background

The terrace was developed by Bernard ('Barney') Hughes (1805–78), an Armagh-born baker who rose to become Belfast's master baker and the owner of Ireland's largest milling concern. He was also a noted philanthropist. The development formed part of a much wider expansion of this part of south Belfast that followed the Donegall estate's granting of perpetual leases — and eventually outright sales — of land from the mid-1820s onwards. Attractive plots along the Malone Ridge were opened up to developers, and the following decades saw a number of relatively large-scale building projects on the northern lower slopes of the Ridge, along and branching off from what was then the Old Malone Road (now University Road), as far south as the newly laid-out Botanic Gardens. This movement intensified with the establishment of Queen's College in 1845, and by the end of the 1850s the area was characterised by large rows of graceful terraces, largely early Victorian in date but late Georgian in style.

Mount Charles itself occupies a trapezoidal plot set between the former Old Malone Road (now University Road) and Albion Lane (the forerunner of Botanic Avenue). The plot had previously contained a pre-1830s house, probably dating from around 1770, recorded in the 1837 valuation as a two-storey residence. In its original form, the street consisted of what are now Nos. 2–6, built in 1842, all three accessed by a short private lane off the main road. The old house was demolished around 1850, and in 1854 the lane was adapted to serve No. 1 to the south (built as part of the development of Nos. 38–40 University Road). The street was then extended further eastwards in 1859 with the building of Nos. 3–19 and 8–16, with Nos. 18–24 following in 1869. Unlike neighbouring University Street, University Square, and Upper and Lower Crescent, Mount Charles never became a public thoroughfare, maintaining its private, gated character even after the building of Nos. 26–50 in 1892–94 linked it directly through to Botanic Avenue.

The terrace was previewed in The Dublin Builder of 1 May 1859, whose correspondent described the houses as 'not large' with plots 'too confined for our notion of how towns should be built', but noted that the proprietor appeared 'to be sparing no expense to render them durable and elegant dwellings for those whose aspirations do not go beyond paying £45 or £50 per annum rent.' The reviewer observed that bay windows were 'as much the rage now as hoops or crinoline', and that all of Hughes's houses had their parlours enlarged and their exteriors decorated with this feature, and were fitted out with arrangements for hot and cold baths, sunk and covered ashpits in the yards, and everything necessary for comfort and convenience. He noted further that the workmanship alone was contracted for, the proprietor supplying all the materials, with the whole superintended by MacAlister. The nine houses on the south side were remarked upon for their double frontage, with the returns extending to University Street and the yard wall on that street built up to an equal height with the windows and cornice above — an arrangement said to make the return bedroom 'one of the most cheerful and desirable in the house, which is far from usual.'

Occupancy History

The original tenant of No. 3 was John McAdam, with Mrs McAdam listed as householder from 1863. Subsequent occupants included Thomas Wallace (described as a broker) from around 1867, a Mrs Hannah from around 1874, A.J. McMullan of the Ulster Bank from around 1879, Nelson Cheyne of Cheyne Brothers handkerchief manufacturers of Franklin Street from around 1886, B.P. Davidson (commission, insurance and general agent) from around 1894, and Captain Edward Kerby RN from around 1898. In the 1901 census, the by-then retired, Warwickshire-born Captain Kerby was recorded as living there with his Greek-born wife Jane, two grown-up children (all noted as sailors), a house guest, and a domestic servant. The building was recorded as a first-class dwelling with 11 rooms in use. Captain Kerby died around 1906, and in the 1911 census Mrs Kerby (who spelt her surname as 'Kerly') was recorded as occupying the house with her daughter Elizabeth. Miss E.J. Orson was listed as occupant from 1918, remaining there until at least the mid-1930s, after which the property was divided into flats, with eight occupants recorded in 1943 and seven in 1951. At some point in the late 1970s the building was converted to office use by the Open University and integrated with No. 1 Mount Charles and Nos. 38–40 University Road. The whole group was subsequently acquired by Queen's University.

Exterior

The front (north) elevation is three storeys of red brick laid in Flemish bond. At ground floor level on the right is a single-storey canted bay of painted render with moulded plaster detailing; the lower section beneath the cill is formed by a deep painted rendered plinth. The bay has a flat felt-covered roof with a projecting cornice, a small metal drainpipe, and no hopper or downpipe. There is a plastic window vent to the top central pane of the bay. To the left of the bay at ground floor level is a deeply recessed doorway with an elliptical arched head formed by brick voussoirs and a moulded plaster reveal. Ionic columns to each side stand on raised moulded plaster panelled bases and support a moulded plaster entablature with a plain fanlight above. The cornice, columns, and bases rest on a replacement concrete step with a dwarf wall to either side. The timber four-panelled door appears to be original; ironmongery has been replaced and the letter box has been covered over.

Above ground floor, there are two windows on each of the first and second floors, with two rooflights at attic level (one on the right is modern; one on the left was not visible at the time of survey). All windows to the front are single-glazed timber sliding sash with horns and are likely original. Windows to the canted bay and at first floor level are horizontally divided 2-over-2 panes. Second floor windows are 8-over-8 panes. First and second floor window heads are straight with splayed brick soldiers. There is a continuous painted stone cill course to the first and second floors, and a deep painted rendered plinth to the base with a similar frieze beneath the eaves.

The pitched roof is clad in natural Welsh slate with black clay ridge tiles. There is a flat painted stone verge to the right side. A brick chimney stack, centred on the ridge to the right side, has corbelled detailing and seven circular clay pots; it appears to have been repointed and possibly rebuilt. The rainwater goods to the front include a cast metal ogee gutter.

The west gable is partially exposed onto Mount Charles, with no openings. It is finished in painted render and is interrupted only by the cill courses and quoins returning from the front elevation.

The east elevation is fully abutted by No. 5 Mount Charles.

The rear (south) elevation is three storeys and is abutted on the right by an original three-storey return built at half-landing height. The former rear yard to the left has been infilled at ground and first floor levels with a flat roof and is now internal. The only windows exposed to the rear are at second floor level (8-over-8 with Georgian wired glass) and at half-landing level on the right side above the roof of the return (a smaller 8-over-8 window). Both rear windows are single-glazed timber sliding sash with horns and are possibly replacements. There are painted stone cills. The main block has a pitched natural Welsh slate roof with a conservation-type rooflight to the left side; the return has a hipped natural Welsh slate roof with black clay ridge tiles. There is a flat painted stone verge to the left side. The elevation of the return facing into the former yard is exposed only at second floor level, where there is a single fixed single-pane window looking onto the flat roof of the former yard. The return roof has three 20th-century raised square rooflights and a small brick chimney, also likely of 20th-century date, with modern clay pots.

The tall façade onto University Street is constructed of dark brown brick in Flemish bond with a rendered plinth and eaves band. At ground floor level there is a replacement yard door on the left, with painted timber panelling and a replacement metal louvred fanlight beneath a semi-circular head with brick voussoirs. To the right is a 6-over-6 window, possibly original, with replacement Georgian wired glass, wrought iron bars attached to the reveals, and painted stone cills. There is also a diminutive square window opening that has been bricked up to the right-hand side. At first floor level there is a 6-over-6 window with obscured Georgian wired glass to the left and a 6-over-6 window to the right (with a window vent in the top middle pane); first floor openings have shallow arched heads. The second floor is the same arrangement as the first floor except that the heads are straight. A cast iron gutter sits above the painted rendered eaves band at the rear return. This University Street elevation, built up to the height of the windows and cornice, gives the appearance of a full three-storey façade — a strong design feature that adds significant character to the streetscape on both sides of the building.

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

Interior

The staircase survives in its original position. The building is now connected internally with the former No. 1 Mount Charles at ground, first, and second floor levels. There has been some alteration to the internal layout as a result of the conversion to office use.

Materials

The roof is clad in natural Welsh slate with black clay ridge tiles. The walls are red brick in Flemish bond with painted render; lime pointing appears to have been used. Rainwater goods are cast iron and cast aluminium. Windows are timber sliding sash, single-glazed, and likely original. There are modern rooflights to the front (north) elevation and conservation-type rooflights to the rear (south).

Setting and Group Value

No. 3 is flanked to the west by the former No. 1 Mount Charles and Nos. 38–40 University Road, and to the east by No. 5 Mount Charles. The terrace faces north along the south side of Mount Charles, a tree-lined street running between Botanic Avenue to the east and University Road to the west. The exterior retains much of its original character, proportions, and detailing — particularly the single-storey canted bay and deeply recessed doorway with Ionic columns, features repeated throughout the terraced row. The terrace has strong group value as Nos. 3–19 Mount Charles, and its dual aspect onto both Mount Charles and University Street, carried out with considerable success, adds significant character to its setting within the Queen's Conservation Area.