5 Mount Charles, Belfast

5 Mount Charles, Belfast, is a three-storey mid-terraced townhouse with attic, constructed in 1859 to the designs of architect Alexander MacAlister. It is the second house from the right in a terrace of nine that lines 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 rectangular on plan with a projecting return to the rear.

The front elevation faces north onto Mount Charles and is built in red brick in Flemish bond with painted render detailing. At ground floor level there is a single-storey canted rendered bay on the right and a projecting doorway on the left. The doorway has an elliptical arched head with brick voussoirs and moulded plaster reveal, deeply recessed with Ionic columns on raised moulded plaster panelled bases supporting a moulded plaster entablature with plain fanlight over. The timber four-panelled door appears to be original, though it has replacement ironmongery and modern bolts. To the right side, remnants of an iron boot scraper are visible. The doorway sits on two replacement concrete steps with original stone dwarf walls on each side.

The front windows are timber sliding sash, single-glazed and possibly original. Those on the ground and first floors have horns; those on the second floor do not. The canted bay and first floor windows are horizontally split 2/2. The second floor windows are 8/8 panes; one has a modern plastic vent installed in the top panes. All windows have straight heads with splayed brick soldiers, and the first and second floor windows sit on a continuous painted stone cill course. A single rooflight at attic level is visible but not fully detailed from the street.

The canted bay is rendered with moulded plaster detailing and a flat roof with roofing felt over a projecting cornice. A deep painted rendered plinth extends to the base of the front elevation with a similar frieze beneath the eaves.

The pitched roof is covered in natural Welsh slate with black clay ridge tiles. Brick chimney stacks to right and left (appearing to have been repointed and possibly rebuilt) are shared with neighbouring houses, centred on the ridge with corbelled detailing and circular clay pots. Cast aluminium ogee guttering with cast iron downpipes serves the front elevation and canted bay.

The side elevations are fully abutted by neighbouring properties. The rear elevation faces south and shows a three-storey facade abutted on the right by an original three-storey return built at half-landing height, and on the left by the return of the adjoining house. The rear yard is enclosed by the rear wall of the house, the return on the right, the return of No. 3 on the left, and a three-storey yard wall fronting University Street.

The main rear block has a pitched natural Welsh slate roof with one rooflight to the left side. The return has a hipped natural Welsh slate roof with black clay ridge tiles. A small brick chimney with modern concrete pot is located to the right side of the rear return.

The rear yard is not fully accessible, but partially visible through false windows at first and second floor level. The walls are painted brick to the eaves of the return with brick above. The first and second floor windows of the main rear elevation are 8/8 single-glazed timber sliding sash without horns, appearing to be original, though boarded over on the inside with timber panelling.

The three-storey high facade onto University Street is constructed of dark brown brick in Flemish bond with a rendered plinth and eaves band. A replacement timber panelled yard door with a two-section obscure glass fanlight beneath a semi-circular arched head is located on the left. To the right is a 6/6 window, likely original, with wrought iron bars attached to the reveals and painted stone cills; the panes are obscure glass with some panes smashed. A diminutive square single-pane window opening to the right side is bricked up.

The first floor has a false multi-pane window frame without glass on the left and a 6/6 window on the right, boarded over with timber panelling on the inside. The second floor level mirrors the first floor, except window heads are straight rather than arched. A cast iron gutter sits above the painted rendered eaves band.

The front of the house is accessed directly from the pavement of Mount Charles, whilst the rear is accessed via the yard door on University Street.

Materials throughout include red brick in Flemish bond to the front with painted render detailing, dark brown brick in Flemish bond to the rear elevation onto University Street, timber sliding sash windows, cast iron rainwater goods, and natural Welsh slate roof covering. Lime pointing appears to be used for the brick joints.