161-163 Victoria Street & 2 Glouchester Street, Belfast, BT1 4PE

Detached corner sited two-storey with attic red sandstone former bank with three-storey return, built c.1885. Square on plan facing east onto Victoria Street with a secondary elevation and three-storey return fronting onto Gloucester Street. Formerly terraced, the adjacent building has been demolished. Hipped natural slate roofs with black clay ridge tiles and lead finials. Three profiled red sandstone chimneystacks to the principal block, profiled redbrick chimneystacks to return. Single gabled dormer to the front pitch with timber pediment on corbels, replacement timber casement window and slated cheeks. Ogee-moulded cast-iron guttering on modillioned eaves cornice and replacement steel downpipes with decorative brackets. Smooth red sandstone ashlar walling with a raised painted limestone plinth course and full-span cornice over the ground floor to principal and secondary elevations. Redbrick walling to other elevations laid in English garden wall bond. Segmental-headed window openings to the first floor, round-headed to the ground floor, all having stepped surrounds, splayed sills, keystones and continuous impost mouldings. Single-pane timber sash windows to the first floor with hood mouldings, continuous sill moulding and recessed apron panels. Replacement timber windows to the ground floor. Front elevation is four windows wide with a decorative sandstone balcony to the central two windows supported on robust paired brackets with foliate carvings. To the left is a round-headed door opening with a decorative sandstone surround, original folding double-leaf timber panelled door and fanlight opening onto four granite steps and decorative wrought-iron gates. South side elevation is blank, formerly abutted by adjoining building. West rear elevation has an irregular arrangement of windows and lean-to extensions. Segmental-headed window openings with sandstone heads and sills. Secondary north elevation comprises the side elevation to the principal block, detailed as per front elevation with a chimney rising from the centre of the elevation from a pair of corbels with a foliate panel. The elevation extends to the right as a three-storey elevation, three windows wide. Less detailed than the principal block the three-storey elevation has a deeply coved eaves cornice, segmental-headed window openings with stop-chamfered reveals, splayed sills, continuous sill courses and single-pane timber sash windows. To the right is a segmental-headed door opening with moulded surround and keystone having a replacement double-leaf hardwood door opening onto three granite steps. Setting Corner-sited and formerly terminating the north end of a terrace, the building is now free-standing with its principal elevation fronting onto Victoria Street and secondary elevation and return fronting onto Gloucester Street. Roof: Natural slate RWG: Cast-iron/steel Walling: red sandstone ashlar Windows : timber