17 Notting Hill, Belfast, BT9 5NS

Designed by the architect James McNea between 1860 and 1879, 17 Notting Hill is a handsome Italianate villa representing a common dwelling type of the mid-19th century in the Malone area of Belfast. The house was designed to take advantage of its elevated site and is one of six originally built as part of a development called ‘Pleasure-House Hill’, now Notting Hill. The style and design reflect the aspirations and prosperity of the growing middle classes in Belfast, a period of rapid industrial growth. The wealth and detail of the original fabric, both inside and out, demonstrate these aspirations. This substantial detached house was designed for the professional and mercantile classes and has undergone relatively few changes, retaining its original outbuildings to the rear and much of its internal detailing. Some of the gardens have been lost, but the house retains a mature setting appropriate to its size. The villa’s well-preserved external detailing is characteristic of its early Victorian date, particularly the lugged upper windows, which link it stylistically with its neighbours and the architect James McNea. The listing includes the house itself, the rear courtyard building, courtyard walling, and gates.