15 College Gardens, Belfast

This is an end-of-terrace, three-storey Victorian town house with attic, built in 1877 in red brick. It forms the western element of a largely symmetrical block of four properties (Nos. 15–18 College Gardens), with No. 15 mirrored by No. 18 at the gable ends, and Nos. 16 and 17 between them. The building stands midway along College Gardens, a tree-lined street of similarly scaled townhouses running from Malone Road to Lisburn Road and lies within the Queens Conservation Area. The properties face south and overlook the grounds of Methodist College. The architect is unknown.

A three-storey gabled return has been built at half-landing level to the rear (north), with a later external metal dog-leg fire escape spanning the yard. The entrance vestibule displays three doorbells, indicating subdivision into apartments.

The roof is natural slate with black clay ridge tiles. Later flat-roofed dormers clad in PVC membrane have been added to both front and rear pitches. Four red brick chimneys are present: one shared with No. 16, replaced in modern red brick; one centred on the main gable end, appearing original with a rendered lower stage and red brick above, decorated with stone brackets supporting a corbelled cap and eight circular clay pots; one rising from the rear eaves, largely rebuilt above gutter level; and one centred on the rear return gable, rendered with no cap or pots. Projecting moulded eaves on curved brackets alternate with pitched square motifs on a deep frieze, set on a projecting string course with a continuous band of dentils below. The rear eaves are simpler, comprising two courses of projecting brick, though decorative eaves and frieze are repeated at the north corner to the main gable end; this forms the base to a simple rendered verge band and projecting moulded timber bargeboa rd.

The gutters are of ogee-profile cast metal with uPVC hoppers and rainwater pipes to the main roof; uPVC gutters and cast iron rainwater pipes serve the return. Walls are red brick in Flemish bond with stucco dressings on the south and east elevations, and English Garden Wall bond to the north. Windows are timber-framed, single-glazed sliding sashes with 1/1 panes except where noted.

The front (south) elevation is asymmetrical. The entrance occupies the left (west) side at ground floor. To the right (east) is a projecting square rendered bay with two windows at ground floor, repeated at first floor but slightly shallower in red brick with one window aligned above the entrance. Three equally spaced windows sit at second floor level. A flat-roofed dormer placed centrally above the eaves cornice serves the attic. All windows are segmental-headed and diminish in height from ground to second floor. A painted render base plinth with moulded top and vermiculated toothed quoins marks the southeast corner. The ground floor projecting bay features stop-chamfered heads and jambs to the windows, with heavy bull-nosed cills set within the reveal. A decorative string course sits above the windows with a projecting moulded cornice on block modillions. This moulded cornice is repeated at the first floor bay, set on a band of dentils with simpler moulding below. The entrance comprises a square-headed timber-framed door with two full-height arched panels having raised fields and bolection moulding. A plain glass segmental arched over-light on a deep moulded transom surmounts the door. The surround is elaborate stucco with roll-edged reveals, foliated scrolled console brackets, and a moulded edge to the hood. A floral stone roundel sits between the console brackets with plain spandrels, all painted. A window at first floor above the entrance door features a similar hood with smaller scrolled brackets. The first and second floor walls are predominantly red brick with projecting moulded stucco surrounds and cills (painted). Decorative flower carving framed within the surround marks the window head to first floor windows of the square bay, and foliated detail adorns the area above surrounds to second floor windows.

The rear (north) elevation has been surveyed from Elmwood Mews only, with no access to the rear yard obtained. The main building has one window to each of ground, first, and second floors on the left (east) side. The red brick walling is in English Garden Wall bond. Detailing is simpler than the front, with projecting brick eaves courses, soldier-coursed brick headers, and square-edged painted cills. A flat-roofed dormer with a modern casement window serves the attic. The second floor window retains a timber-framed single-glazed sliding sash with 2/2 panes. The first floor window has been replaced with a modern flush fire exit door, the width of the original opening unchanged. The ground floor has a window with metal bars fixed to the external reveal, and a further opening appears to be bricked up below in modern red brick, possibly a former basement entrance. The return has one window at second floor offset to the left (east), and two at first floor offset to the right, all timber-framed single-glazed sliding sash windows with 2/2 panes. A further small window with metal bars sits at ground floor; two blocked openings are evident, with traces of a former gabled single-storey return now removed.

The west elevation is abutted by No. 16 College Gardens. The west face of the return is painted brick and largely blank except for a single window at first floor overlooking the yard toward No. 16, and a heavy timber eaves board.

The east elevation comprises the gable end of the original building and the east face of the return. The gable features red brick in Flemish bond with toothed quoins returned from the main façade and decorative eaves returned at the north and south ends as described above. Two segmental-headed windows with moulded stucco surrounds are centred at ground floor, one similar square-headed window sits at first floor, and two at second floor are aligned directly above. All have square-edged unpainted stone cills. Small round-arched windows near the eaves at attic level have painted rendered reveals. The return, as described for the north elevation, is partially concealed by the fire escape. Some brick soldier-coursed headers appear replaced, suggesting altered openings. Windows are informally arranged: two at second floor appear original with 2/2 panes; three at first floor, one with 2/2 panes, one small metal-framed window with a top-hung night vent, and the third replaced with a modern flush fire exit door and precast concrete lintel over; and two windows at ground floor.

The building forms the end of terrace to a block of similar town houses, rectangular on plan and aligned east-west parallel to the road. A carved sandstone pillar marking the southeast corner is presumed to form part of an original gated entrance from College Gardens; together with a nearby tree, it enhances the setting. The boundary at both front and rear has been removed to provide off-street parking areas. A path of precast concrete paving slabs leads to the entrance. Low red brick walling with hedging over aligns the boundary with the front of No. 14, and hedging marks the boundary with the front garden of No. 16.

The front door opens onto two stone steps flanked by painted dwarf walls with an open balustrade between square end piers, all having painted cambered caps. A cast iron boot-scraper on the top step is thought to be original.