9 Mount Charles, Belfast

A three-storey mid-terraced brick townhouse with attic and pitched roof, designed by Alexander MacAlister and built in 1859. It is the fourth 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 in plan with a projecting return to the rear. Originally constructed as a townhouse, it was converted to a university senior staff common room in the late 1970s.

The front elevation faces north onto Mount Charles. The three-storey brick facade is built in Flemish bond with a single-storey canted rendered bay on the right and a doorway on the left at ground floor level. Two windows appear on each of the first and second floors, with a single rooflight at attic level. All front windows are single-glazed timber sliding sashes and appear original; the ground and first floor windows have horns, while the second floor windows have no horns. Windows to the canted bay and first floor are horizontally split 2/2 panes, while second floor windows are 8/8. Second floor windows on the right side have a modern plastic vent installed in the top panes. Window heads to the first and second floors are straight with splayed brick soldiers, and a continuous painted stone cill course runs across these levels. A deep painted rendered plinth runs along the base, with a similar frieze beneath the eaves. The canted bay is painted render with moulded plaster detailing; the lower section is formed by the deep plinth and has a flat roof with roofing felt over a projecting cornice.

The doorway has an elliptical arched head with brick voussoirs and a moulded plaster reveal, deeply recessed with Ionic columns on each side standing on raised moulded plaster panelled bases. The columns support a moulded plaster entablature with a plain fanlight above. This sits on two shallow replacement concrete steps with original stone dwarf walls on each side. A remnant of an iron boot scraper is visible to the right. The four-panelled timber door appears original, with original brass handle and keyhole, though other ironmongery is replaced and the letterbox is covered over.

The pitched roof is covered in natural Welsh slate with black clay ridge tiles. Brick chimney stacks stand to the right and left (possibly original), shared with numbers 7 and 11, centred on the ridge with corbelled detailing and circular clay pots. Cast iron downpipes from cast iron ogee guttering serve the right side of the canted bay.

The materials throughout include red brick in Flemish bond and painted render walls (appearing to be lime pointed), with timber sliding sash windows and cast iron rainwater goods. All front windows appear to be single-glazed, possibly original. Rooflights exist but their type is not visible from the street and are boarded over internally.

The side elevations (east and west) are fully abutted by numbers 11 and 7 respectively.

The rear elevation faces south and has a three-storey facade with an original three-storey return on the right side built at half-landing height. The rear yard is enclosed by the rear wall of the house, the return on the right, the return of number 7 on the left, and a three-storey yard wall backing onto University Street. This yard wall features false windows at high level, giving the appearance of a three-storey facade. The pitched natural Welsh slate roof covers the main block with one rooflight to the left side; the return has a hipped natural Welsh slate roof with black clay ridge tiles. A small twentieth-century brick chimney with modern clay pots stands to the right of the rear return.

The three-storey facade onto University Street is built of dark brown brick in Flemish bond with a rendered plinth and eaves band. The original second floor window to the left of the main rear elevation has been altered to form a door opening, now boarded over with a painted timber panel and metal fire escape landing visible. A wall vent has been installed over a replacement concrete lintel. A 6/6 window to the right on the ground floor (possibly original) has wrought iron bars attached to its reveals and painted stone cills. Only the horizontal sash bar remains; all other glazing bars and glass are no longer extant, and the opening is boarded over from inside. A small square window opening to the right is now infilled with a metal vent. The first floor has a false multi-pane window frame to the left (with wrought iron bars but no glass) and a 6/6 window on the right with clear single-glazed panes, boarded over with timber panelling on the inside face. First floor openings have shallow arched heads. The second floor has a false multi-pane window frame to the left (all glazing bars gone except the top three, no glass) and a 6/6 window on the right with obscure glazing; the bottom right pane is smashed and boarded over internally. Second floor window heads are straight. Cast iron guttering runs above the painted rendered eaves band.

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