26-30 Cliftonville Road, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT14 6JY

A symmetrical Regency Greek style villa designed by Thomas Jackson and built around 1830 on the south side of Cliftonville Road in Belfast. The building was originally three separate villas but was converted into six apartments in 1901 and renovated in 2010.

The house is a two-storey-over-basement structure with an attic storey, built to a rectangular plan and facing north. It is constructed of ruled-and-lined render with a projecting stone stringcourse over the basement. The natural slate roof is hipped with leaded ridge and lead valleys, finished with two smooth rendered chimneystacks topped with multiple pots. Ogee profile cast-iron rainwater goods are supported on broad eaves enriched with guttae. Solar panels have been added to the south slope of the roof.

The principal north elevation is recessed at the centre and dominated by a single-storey Doric entrance portico bridging the basement walkway. The portico is supported on two square columns and pilasters, with the entrance opening divided by four fluted columns supporting a deep architrave, frieze with guttae and ovolo moulded cornice. Above is a flat leaded roof with concealed guttering, accessed by three stone flagged steps. Within the portico are cast-metal grilles providing daylight to the basement below. To either side of the portico are two bays containing two windows at each floor within four two-storey elliptical-headed recesses, each topped by a laurel wreath over the second floor window. The first floor windows are arranged around the portico with a decorative arabesque frieze above. The attic level has six diminished 3/3 timber sliding sash windows with a continuous sill course, each flanked by oversized guttae. The basement contains an entrance door and window below the portico, with two additional windows at each side.

The east elevation has a central Doric portico of diminished width, containing two fluted columns and accessed via two stone flagged steps, with a single timber panelled entrance door and margin-paned transom light over. The first floor has three equally spaced recessed windows detailed as the north elevation, with two ground floor windows flanking the portico beneath. Three diminished 3/3 timber sliding sash windows are positioned at attic level. The basement has a central entrance door below the portico, a window to the left, and a blind opening to the right.

The south elevation is nearly symmetrical except at the attic and basement levels. The central bay is recessed as on the north, with the ground sloping steeply down to the basement level accessed via stone steps and grass banks. The ground floor contains three windows at the centre, with outer bays each having a window and a flat-roofed porch added around 1985, featuring pilasters supporting a plain entablature, a timber panelled door and fixed timber windows. A metal fire escape staircase and projecting walkway are attached to the first floor, providing access to three apartments. The first floor has a glazed timber entrance door at the centre flanked by windows on either side, and at right and left a glazed timber entrance door flanked by a window above an entrance porch. The outer bays contain openings within elliptical-headed recesses as on the north. Nine 3/3 timber sliding sash attic windows are irregularly arranged. The basement central bay contains a glazed timber panelled door to the right and two windows to the left, the left bay has paired windows, and the right bay has a single window. Retaining walls flank the south elevation at right and left, with timber sheeted gates providing access to the basement walkway.

The west elevation is similar to the east, except the basement has a central entrance door below the portico, a window to the left and one to the right.

All windows are square-headed 6/6 timber sliding sashes contained within rendered reveals with painted stone sills, except where otherwise stated. Interior details are not specified in the source record.

The property is set in a built-up urban location to the south side of Cliftonville Road, north of Belfast city centre. It is enclosed to the north by decorative cast-iron railings on a plinth wall with saddleback coping. The drive is accessed via double cast-metal gates at the east and west, with car parking provided at the south.