3 College Park East, Belfast, BT7 1PS

A high Victorian two and a half storey red brick mid-terrace double-fronted house, built in 1869 to a design by Young & MacKenzie. Now used as university offices. The building is part of a mixed row of six properties at the junction of College Park East and University Avenue, with similarly styled neighbours at Nos 1 and 2 (of the same date) and No 4 adjoining on its south side. The whole terrace, along with Hope House in College Park to the south-east, is now integrated internally. To the rear is a two storey return and yard backing onto a wide alleyway (now functioning as a small car park) running along the rear of the terrace. The building is located immediately south of Union Theological College and to the east of Queen's University's main buildings, with the front elevation overlooking a university car park.

Materials and Construction

The roof is natural Welsh slate with black clay ridge tiles. Walls are red brick in Flemish bond throughout. Windows are timber sliding sash with horns, single-glazed, likely replacements. Rainwater goods are cast iron and cast metal.

Front Elevation (West)

The walls are in Flemish bond brickwork with deep corbelled brick eaves detailing below the natural Welsh slate roof. A brick chimney to the right side is attached to the chimney of No 4. A decorative brick and terracotta band runs between the first and second floor levels, with a painted stone plinth and brick below.

The front elevation is double fronted with paired openings to the left of the front door at ground and first floor levels, and a timber dormer with replacement six-pane timber windows (bottom panes top-hung) above at attic level. Centrally placed is a single window opening at first floor level aligned with the front door below. The right side features a two storey lead flat-roofed canted bay with a wall-head dormer above at attic level, also with replacement six-pane timber top-hung windows under a modern brick soldier header course. Both dormers have decorative timber bargeboards, pointed timber finials and exposed rafter ends. The smaller dormer to the left is timber clad, whilst the dormer cheeks appear to be painted timber on the right side and possibly lead to the left. The cheeks of the wall-head dormer are partially brick and partially lead.

The centrally located entrance comprises a tall segmental arched opening with a complete stone surround, including three-quarter column jambs with tall bases and Corinthian-like foliate capitals. The reveal is painted brick with a recessed panelled timber door and plain fanlight over. All windows except the replacement dormer windows are 1/1 single-glazed timber sliding sash with horns and likely replacements. Ground and first floor windows to the left of and above the front door have bevelled brick relieving arches and chamfered brick reveals, whilst the canted bay windows have painted stone header bands. A small front garden is now paved with concrete paving stones, with replacement tiled steps and modern wheelchair ramps with metal railings leading to No 2. A painted plinth wall to the street has replacement painted metal railings.

Side Elevations

The north side elevation is fully abutted by No 2, and the south side elevation is fully abutted by No 4.

Rear Elevation (East)

The rear elevation of the main block is abutted centrally by an original two storey return, both roofed in natural Welsh slate. Original yards to the left (south) and right (north) remain, enclosed by rear yard walls.

On the left side of the rear return, the main block rear elevation contains a 1/1 window to ground floor, 2/2 to first floor, and a modern flat roofed dormer at attic level with a triple timber casement window. The south face of the rear return (onto the south yard) has three ground floor openings from left to right: a modern timber and glass door, a 2/2 window with frosted glass and an extractor fan in the upper left pane, and a high-level wide opening with painted rendered head and two timber top-hung windows within a painted insert panel. The first floor consists of five window openings of various widths, all 2/2 windows except the second from the right, which is 1/1 and smaller. The yard is formed by the rear wall of the main block, the south facing wall of the rear return, a modern red brick wall with modern double timber fire doors leading to the rear car park, and the two storey wall of a modern building behind Nos 4 and 5.

On the right side of the rear return, the main block rear elevation has a single-storey lean-to with a hip to the left side, artificial slate roof and large six-pane timber windows behind metal bars at ground floor level. Above at first floor level is a 2/2 window, and at attic level a modern flat roofed dormer with a triple timber casement window, identical to that on the left side. The north face of the rear return (onto the north yard, no access but viewed through windows) consists of a door at the extreme right of ground floor (not seen) and two 2/2 windows to the left, both with frosted glass. The first floor has a wider 1/1 timber sliding sash landing window with rounded corners and two windows to the left, the one on the extreme left being 1/1 and smaller than the other, which is 2/2. The yard is formed by the rear wall of the main block, the north facing wall of the rear return, the rear yard brick wall with a modern painted panelled timber fire door leading to the rear car park, and the single storey wall separating the former rear yard of No 2 from No 3. A modern bike shelter is attached to the latter wall. The rear elevation of the rear return (onto the car park) is blank apart from a downpipe to the left side and soil pipes from toilets, with clipped eaves. The yard wall extends to the right, one storey tall with a profiled terracotta coping, forming the rear wall of the yard. A modern painted timber panelled door on the extreme left is under a splayed brick head. To the right is a bricked-up opening (brick splayed head remains) and a further diminutive bricked-up opening at the top right (brick splayed head and concrete cill remain). All windows to the rear have splayed brick heads, painted stone cills, and are single-glazed timber sliding sash with horns, likely replacements.