7 Mount Charles, Belfast

7 Mount Charles, Belfast, is a three-storey mid-terraced brick townhouse with attic and pitched roof, designed by Alexander MacAlister and built in 1859. It forms the third house from the right in a terrace of nine properties fronting 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.

The house was originally constructed as a private townhouse and was later used as the university senior staff common room.

The front elevation faces north onto Mount Charles and is built in Flemish bond red brick with painted render detailing. At ground floor level is a single-storey canted rendered bay on the right and a recessed doorway on the left. The doorway features an elliptical arched head with brick voussoirs and moulded plaster reveal, with Ionic columns on raised moulded plaster panelled bases supporting a moulded plaster entablature and plain fanlight. The timber four-panelled door appears original, retaining its original brass handle, though other ironmongery has been replaced and the letterbox is covered over. Remnants of an iron boot scraper are visible to the right side. The entrance is approached by two replacement concrete steps with original stone dwarf walls flanking each side.

Above ground floor are two windows on each of the first and second floors, with a single rooflight at attic level. All front windows are timber sliding sash, single-glazed and appear original. Ground and first floor windows have horns; second floor windows do not. The canted bay windows are horizontally split 2/2, while second floor windows are 8/8 panes. Modern plastic vents have been installed within the top panes of the second floor windows. 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 appears at the base, with similar frieze detailing beneath the eaves. The canted bay is painted render with moulded plaster detailing, its lower section formed by the deep plinth. It has a flat roof with roofing felt over a projecting cornice.

The pitched roof is covered in natural Welsh slate with black clay ridge tiles. Brick chimney stacks are positioned on the left and right, centred on the ridge with corbelled detailing and circular clay pots; the left stack appears original while the right may be rebuilt. These are shared with adjacent properties. Cast aluminium ogee guttering runs around the front, with a metal pipe from the bay parapet discharging to a separate narrow cast iron downpipe on the right side.

The side elevations are fully abutted by adjoining properties (No 9 to the east and No 5 to the west).

The rear elevation faces south and displays 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 No 5 on the left, and a three-storey yard wall fronting University Street. The main 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, likely twentieth century, stands on the right side of the rear return with clay pots.

The yard wall to University Street is constructed of dark brown brick in Flemish bond with rendered plinth and eaves band. At ground floor level is a replaced yard door on the left, now boarded over with a painted timber panel with only a small section of the fanlight visible behind, and a 6/6 window on the right fitted with wrought iron bars to the reveals and painted stone cills. The panes are obscure glass with most broken. To the right is a diminutive square single-pane window opening, partially bricked up with a metal vent inserted at the top. The first floor features a false multi-pane window frame without glass on the left side (boarded over internally) and a 6/6 window on the right with clear single-glazed panes, boarded over with timber panelling internally. These openings have shallow arched heads. At second floor level are a false multi-pane window frame without glass on the left and a 6/6 window on the right with obscure glazing; these have straight heads. A second floor window to the left side of the main rear elevation is an 8/8 single-glazed timber sliding sash appearing original, boarded over internally with timber panelling. Cast iron guttering runs above the painted rendered eaves band.

All external materials include red brick in Flemish bond and painted render to walls, with roof coverings of natural Welsh slate and black clay ridge tiles. Rainwater goods are cast iron except for the cast aluminium ogee gutter to the front. Windows are timber sliding sash, single-glazed and appearing original throughout, though modern plastic vents have been added to second floor front windows.

Access to the front of the property is directly from the pavement of Mount Charles, while rear access is via the yard door from University Street.