15 Mount Charles, Belfast

15 Mount Charles, Belfast

A three-storey terraced townhouse with attic, constructed in 1859 to the designs of architect Alexander MacAlister. It forms part of a terrace of nine houses and is the seventh from the right-hand side when viewed from Mount Charles. The building sits on the south side of Mount Charles, a tree-lined street running between Botanic Avenue to the east and University Road to the west, within the Queen's Conservation Area. It is now used as university student accommodation.

The house is rectangular in plan with a projecting return to the rear. The front elevation faces north onto Mount Charles, while the rear and yard back onto University Street with a tall wall featuring false windows at high level to create the appearance of a three-storey facade.

The roof is pitched and covered in natural Welsh slate with black clay ridge tiles. The walls are constructed of red brick in Flemish bond with painted render. Lime mortar has been used throughout, and cast aluminium rainwater goods are installed, with a small section of PVC at the canted bay.

Front Elevation

The front facade is built in red brick with Flemish bond. At ground floor level, there is a single-storey canted rendered bay on the right side and a doorway on the left. The doorway features an elliptical arched head with brick voussoirs and moulded plaster reveal. It is deeply recessed with Ionic columns to each side, standing on raised moulded plaster panelled bases. The columns support a moulded plaster entablature with a plain fanlight above. The doorway sits upon two replacement concrete steps with dwarf walls on either side. The timber four-panelled door appears to be original, although the two top panels have been replaced with glazing. The ironmongery has been replaced.

The canted bay is rendered with moulded plaster detailing, its lower section formed by a deep plinth.

Above ground floor level are two windows on each of the first and second floors, all with timber sliding sash frames and horns. The windows are single-glazed replacements. Those to the canted bay and at first floor level are horizontally split 2/2. The lower sashes of the bay windows have translucent film applied to their inner faces. Second floor windows are 8/8. First and second floor window heads are straight with splayed brick soldiers. A continuous painted stone cill course runs across the first and second floors. A deep painted rendered plinth sits at the base, with a similar frieze beneath the eaves. The canted bay has a flat roof with modern roof membrane over a projecting cornice.

At attic level, two modern rooflights have been installed.

The pitched roof has brick chimney stacks to the right and left, which have been rebuilt. These are shared with Nos 13 and 17, centred on the ridge with corbelled detailing and seven circular clay pots. A cast aluminium ogee gutter and cast aluminium downpipe with hopper serve the front, with a small section of PVC piping from the bay into the hopper.

Side Elevations

The east elevation is fully abutted by No 17. The west elevation is fully abutted by No 13.

Rear Elevation and Yard

The rear elevation has a three-storey facade abutted by an original three-storey return on the right side, built at half-landing height. All rear walls within the yard are painted render. The rear yard is enclosed by the rear wall of the house, the return on the right, the return of No 13 on the left, and a three-storey yard wall to University Street.

The main block has a pitched natural Welsh slate roof with one modern rooflight on the left side. The return has a hipped natural Welsh slate roof with black clay ridge tiles.

A single-storey flat-roofed modern boiler house extension spans the full width and approximately half the depth of the yard, abutting the rear elevation of the main block. It is accessed from the yard through a set of double painted timber doors with metal vents. Two large circular-section metal flues rise from the felt roof to above eaves height. Yellow gas pipework extends from the boiler house to the rear yard wall along the boundary with No 13 at high level.

Windows to the rear are single-glazed timber sliding sash with horns and are replacements, with possible exception of a ground floor window on the rear yard wall. The rear elevation of the main block has 2/2 windows (horizontally split) on the left side at first and second floor levels, with painted stone cills. A smaller 6/6 window is located at attic half-landing level on the right side, above the return roof.

The elevation of the return facing into the yard comprises a replacement timber back door on the extreme left, adjacent to the extension. Above the boiler house extension is a 6/6 window at first floor level and a smaller 6/6 window above at second floor level. To the right of the back door at ground floor is a set of modern double painted timber doors with metal vents providing access to the oil tank.

Cast metal downpipes and replacement cast metal gutters on metal brackets serve the rear elevation and yard areas.

The internal face of the yard wall onto University Street is constructed of dark brown brick in Flemish bond with rendered plinth and eaves band. It features a replacement timber sheeted door with a plain fanlight at ground floor level, beneath a semi-circular head with brick voussoirs. To the right is a 6/6 window with wrought iron bars, with painted stone cills. A diminutive square single-pane window with frosted glass sits to the right, with surrounding brick that has been re-pointed. At first floor level there is a false multi-pane window frame (no glass) to the left and a 6/6 window to the right, with shallow arched heads. The second floor is similar to the first, except with straight heads. A cast iron gutter sits above the painted rendered eaves band. A plain flat concrete coping stone caps the rear wall.

Access and Setting

The front of the house is accessed directly from the tree-lined pavement of Mount Charles. The rear is accessed directly from the pavement of University Street via the yard door.