82 Sandown Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT5 6GU

82 Sandown Road, Belfast

A semi-detached two-storey building with dormer attic, built in 1897 in Tudor-Revival style, constructed of red brick and render. The building features an asymmetrical composition with a prominent three-storey projecting square tower to the south-west, a projecting ground floor to the south, and a two-storey oriel window to the west. A three-storey rear extension was added around 2001. The building now forms part of an apartment complex called Sandown Court, developed jointly with the adjoining property at 9 Sandown Park.

The roof is pitched slate with terracotta ridge tiles, overhanging eaves with exposed rafter ends, ogee-moulded metal guttering, and circular downpipes. The dormers have hipped slate roofs with leaded ridges. A two-stage chamfered brick chimney stack projects to the west and north, whilst a central stack adjoins 9 Sandown Park with corbelled eaves to flat coping and octagonal terracotta chimney pots. The tower is topped with a red brick castellated battlement parapet with sandstone tapered copings. Windows are predominantly one-over-one timber sliding sash with segmental arched and square-headed openings throughout, though some have been replaced with double-glazed versions.

The south elevation displays red brick on a rock-faced squared and snecked sandstone plinth at ground floor, with a smooth rendered first floor having red brick quoins. A projecting smooth sandstone sill course runs at ground floor level with a red brick course at first floor. An ovolo brick mould marks the first floor string course, whilst the second floor of the tower has a sandstone projecting string course with corner gargoyles. A niche is set into the ground floor. Ground floor windows have smooth sandstone lintels; first and second floor windows have segmental heads. The canted bay has a hipped roof with dentil brick eaves course, whilst the ground floor bay has a mono-pitch roof.

The west elevation features the projecting chimney stack and an angled single-storey corner bay window to the north. The principal feature is a Tudor-style central oriel window on ornate timber painted brackets with half-timbered walls. A corner window to the first floor sits to the south, abutting the chimney stack. The entrance is marked by an elliptical-headed opening with a carved sandstone header set within a square-headed opening; the dressed stone surround features decorative foliate carvings to the spandrel.

The east elevation is attached to 9 Sandown Park and forms the party wall. The north elevation has rough-cast rendered walls on a cement plinth course with brick ovolo moulding, quoins, and a string course to first floor. Windows are square-headed with brick headers and concrete sills; these are timber casements rather than sashes.

The complex occupies grounds with tarmac parking to the south and west, pathways and lawn to the north and east. Perimeter fencing defines the boundary, with tree-lined and hedge boundaries to the south along the private road to Sandown Park and to the west along Sandown Road. Square brick pillars flank the metal entrance gates.