6 College Green, Belfast

A mid-terrace two-storey house with attic, built in 1866 and constructed of red brick. The building faces south onto College Green, positioned north-east of the main quad at Queen's University, Belfast, and is now used as the Queen's University School of Education.

The house forms part of a longer Victorian terrace (numbering 2–26 inclusive) and has particular group value with the adjoining No. 8 College Green. The terrace overlooks the Theological College of the Presbyterian Church and sits within the Queens Conservation Area in Belfast.

The roof is natural slate with a duo-pitched profile and black clay ridge tiles. Two red brick chimneys, rectangular on plan with corbelled brick copings and octagonal yellow clay pots, are centred on the ridge. One chimney (abutting that to No. 4) has been rebuilt and carries five pots; the other is shared with No. 8 College Green and carries ten pots. Two barrel dormers with replacement timber-framed double-glazed sliding sash windows pierce the south pitch; two flat-roofed dormers with timber-framed casement windows fitted with slim-profile double-glazing sit on the rear (north) pitch. The dormers are clad in lead.

The south elevation is the principal façade, symmetrically arranged with formal fenestration. A central entrance is flanked by single-storey projecting bays at ground floor; the left bay is square on plan with two windows, whilst the right bay is canted. Three equal-sized first-floor windows with 2/2 panes sit above, aligning with the centre of the bays and entrance door. A moulded string course forms the cill to these windows. Toothed quoins appear at the far left (west) side. A deep, continuous base plinth with sub-floor vents and moulded top runs the width of the elevation. Heavy eaves supported on scrolled brackets sit above a deep plain frieze and moulded string course, all painted.

The ground-floor bays and doorcase have painted surrounds, which are probably combined stucco and dressed stone beneath paint. The bay windows feature stop-chamfered detail to head and jambs; the jambs extend to the plinth with deep bull-nosed stone cills recessed between. Decorative round and diamond-shaped incisions with abstract motifs appear above the bay windows. The entrance door is a square-headed timber-framed four-panelled door with plain glass fanlight, set in a round-arched opening with roll-edge detail. It sits within a projecting surround featuring a moulded cornice hood and incised roundels, similar in treatment to the bays. The first-floor windows have moulded surrounds with plain frieze and projecting cornice hood with diamond-head moulded edge over a row of dentils.

The south elevation is built of red clay brick in Flemish bond with painted masonry dressings.

The north elevation faces rear towards a shared alley, College Green Mews, and is largely symmetrical to the front, though more plainly detailed. It is constructed of brownish-red variegated brick in English Garden Wall bond above painted render to ground-floor level. Soldier-coursed headers in red brick form the upper walling, with thick projecting stone cills and rendered, painted reveals to openings.

A two-storey gabled return, built at half-landing level and parallel to the main building, is centred on the rear elevation. A large round-arched sliding sash window offset to the left at first-floor level comprises 2/1 panes with stained and etched margin panes; two rows of brick headers form the arch above. The return is flanked by first-floor sliding sash windows with 6/6 panes and flat-roofed dormers to the attic. A single window to the attic above the return, at half-landing level, has 3/6 panes. Walling is rendered smooth and painted to first-floor level; sub-floor vents indicate suspended ground-floor construction. To the left of the return, a flush timber stained door with sidelight and over-light opens onto precast concrete paved steps with a tubular metal handrail and grey brick retaining wall. A small timber-framed casement window sits adjacent to this door. Galvanised steel bars are fitted across the external reveals to all ground- and first-floor windows.

The east face of the return has clipped eaves, a small casement window, and the 'indent' of a former door at ground floor, with blank walling above. Ghost markings of former out-building and lean-to structures are visible above the render line. The west face has two timber-framed casement windows with top-hung night vents at ground floor and a single glazed sliding sash window with 3/6 panes at first floor (likely original).

Windows throughout are single-glazed timber-framed double-hung sliding sashes with 1/1 panes on the south elevation and multi-paned on the north, except where otherwise described. All painted dressings and surrounds are probably combined stucco and dressed stone beneath paint.

Rainwater goods comprise an aluminium ogee gutter and replacement circular-section aluminium rainwater pipe on the south; uPVC on the north.

Original outbuildings and yard walling have been removed to make way for off-street parking accessed from College Green Mews.

The building sits mid-way along College Green, which runs between Botanic Avenue to the east and Rugby Road to the west. The south boundary is marked by a dwarf rendered wall with canted top and modern metal railings, which enclose a small front garden. The garden is paved with concrete slabs, including a ramp and entrance steps. A tubular metal handrail, painted to match the railings, is aligned with the ramp.