Moat House, Old Holywood Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT4 2HL

Moat House is a two-storey mid-Victorian red-brick mansion built in 1863-64 to designs of architect William J Barre. Originally constructed as a gentleman's residence, the building was divided into apartments in 1938 and underwent comprehensive refurbishment in 2009, now containing 10 apartments.

The house is constructed of red brick in Flemish bond with sandstone and blue brick detailing. It features a natural slate hipped and pitched roof with interlocking ridge tiles, with rolled lead hips and crested ridge tiles to a two-storey wing to the east. Tall red-brick shouldered chimney stacks with sandstone detailing rise from the east, south and west elevations, each topped with plain terracotta pots and surrounded by an over-hanging cornice with projecting headers. The decorative timber fascia to the north gable includes applied nailhead detail. Ogee gutters supported via projecting stone cornice on scrolled brackets discharge to cast-metal downpipes.

The principal north elevation contains a single-storey wing (added 2009) to the east with three segmental-arched window openings with 1/1 pane timber sliding sash windows. The main body comprises multiple sections: a two-storey three-bay section with sandstone plinth and three segmental-arched window openings with 2/2 panes to timber sliding sash windows at ground and first floor levels, featuring a continuous moulded stone cill course turning at the corner, and canted brickwork from cill to eaves. A two-storey two-bay section adjoins this with 1/1 pane sliding sash windows with ovolo moulded brick reveals. The western end contains a striking sandstone porte-cochère with three round-arched arcaded openings featuring foliated capitals to square-section columns, the outer two columns significantly larger. The arcade has moulded detailing with blocked sandstone above rising to an acanthus leaf cornice with open stone parapet punctuated with arches and circular indents, topped with corniced coping. Within the porte-cochère, pilasters flank either end with square-section columns to the centre; a single step leads to a recessed tiled porch with two blind arches to the west and a round-arched opening to the east containing a timber panelled entrance door with fanlight. Three segmental-arched windows to the ground floor east of the porte-cochère are divided by engaged columns with foliated capitals. Two segmental-arched windows occupy the first floor. A tri-partite window above the porte-cochère comprises three round-arched openings divided by paired engaged Corinthian columns, with continuous sandstone hood moulding featuring embossed stops. A quatre-foil window with sandstone surround sits at the gable apex, with decorated bargeboard resting on a sandstone kneeler supported by two sandstone brackets.

The east elevation comprises a projecting single-storey wing (built 2009) to the north with rendered walls, corbelled brick cornice and hipped natural slate roof. Beyond this, the building steps back to a two-storey eight-bay section with segmental-arched window openings with 2/2 panes to timber sliding sash windows and brick dentilled eaves. A glazed oriel window to three bays at the end of the original building features cast-iron circular posts and leaded light windows with arched central light. Below this is a multi-paned glazed double door flanked by two window openings.

The south elevation comprises a two-storey two-bay return (added later) with two segmental-arched windows to first floor level, hipped roof and dentilled corbelled brick eaves detail. This steps back to a two-storey rendered section with two square-headed casement windows to first floor and a square-headed opening forming a recessed porch to a timber door at ground floor, next to a tri-partite square-headed window with timber sliding sash windows. A two-storey six-bay rendered block (original) features a single-storey hipped return (added later) to the ground floor east. A canted bay window to the ground floor displays sandstone construction with engaged Corinthian columns and anthemion floriate mouldings to its cornice parapet. A continuous moulded stone cill course runs at ground and first floor levels with upper string course and stone bands at impost level. Two round-arched window openings to the first floor above the canted bay feature hood moulding and embossed stops. A quatre-foil window in stone surround sits at the gable apex, with decorated bargeboards. Two segmental-arched window openings occupy the ground and first floors to the west; the lower west opening was formerly used as a door with nosed stone steps and plinth wall. All windows have 1/1 panes to timber sliding sash. The western return has a hipped roof, square-headed door opening with glazed sidelights and timber glazed door, and two segmental-arched window openings with 2/2 panes to timber sliding sash windows to the south.

The west elevation features a distinctive double-height round window bay with four window openings at both ground and first floor levels, the upper openings diminishing in size. Two segmental-arched window openings sit north of the bay window. A two-storey three-bay recessed section contains three round-arched window openings to both ground and first floor levels. The eaves comprise an ogee gutter carried on projecting stone cornice with sandstone brackets.

The north elevation of a projecting section features a sandstone niche with moulded architrave at ground floor level, continuous stone cill, elongated corbel table with sandstone brackets and brick arches, sandstone bands, and a quatre-foil window opening with sandstone surround surrounded by decorative blue brick pointed Gothic arch flush with the wall. The wall rises in two angled stages to a large sandstone coping. An entrance door screen with sidelights, fanlight and panelled timber entrance door sits on the west elevation of the single-storey wing (added 2009).

The house sits on a level site to the west of Old Holywood Road and north of two archaeological sites: a Motte (DOW 00502) and a medieval graveyard (DOW 00503). The original setting has been altered by the erection of small residential bungalows to the north, dating from the 1980s, with a new access road running across the length of the north elevation.