22 College Gardens, Belfast

This is an end-of-terrace, three-storey-with-attic (and semi-basement) red brick late Victorian town house, built in 1881. The architect is unknown. It forms part of a block of four houses, including numbers 19, 20, and 21 College Gardens; the block is largely symmetrical to the front, with number 19 mirrored by number 22 (both at gable ends) and numbers 20 and 21 between them. The house is set midway along College Gardens, a tree-lined street of similarly scaled townhouses running from Malone Road to Lisburn Road and within the Queens Conservation Area. The buildings face south and overlook the grounds of Methodist College.

The house has a full-height projecting bay to the rear, abutted by a double return at half-landing level which steps down from four to three storeys. A detached outbuilding adjoins the rear boundary and appears to be contemporary with the house.

The roof is natural slate with red clay crested ridge tiles and a gabled dormer to the front pitch; the dormer has a pierced timber bargeboard and pointed finial. There is a modern roof-light to the rear pitch. Two red brick chimneys, both replaced in modern red brick with several circular clay pots, are positioned on the roof: one shared with number 21 and one centred on the gable end.

The front elevation features projecting moulded eaves on scrolled modillions, with a deep frieze comprised of fluted pilasters between alternating panels of central roundel with moulded rectangular frame and plain panels. The base of each pilaster is embellished with a bestial head moulding. The eaves and frieze detail are returned at the south-west corner to the gable end. The rear eaves are simpler in alternating angular bricks, however the decorative eaves and frieze at the front are repeated at the north-west corner, where they form the base to a simple rendered verge band and projecting moulded timber bargeboard.

The main roof has an ogee profile cast metal gutter and circular section rainwater pipe. The hipped roof has uPVC guttering, and the flat roof has uPVC with cast iron rainwater pipe. The walls are red brick in Flemish bond with stucco dressings to the south and west elevations, and English Garden Wall bond to the north and return. Windows throughout are timber framed double-glazed replacement sliding sashes with 1/1 panes on the south elevation and 2/2 panes on the north, unless otherwise stated. Note: the sashes with 2/2 panes have one continuous double-glazed unit per sash, with a central glazing bar face-fixed to the glass and additional spacers inside the glazed unit in line with the bar (i.e. no through astragal).

The front elevation (south) is asymmetrical, with the entrance to the right (east) at ground floor and a projecting square bay with two windows to the left (west) at ground floor. There are three windows each at first and second floor, aligned with the ground floor openings, and a gabled attic dormer centred on the eaves with twin round-arched sliding sash windows. Apart from the attic, all openings are segmental headed and diminish in height from ground to second floor. Windows at ground and first floor have the upper sash split horizontally in two. The top half is fitted with Edwardian-style stained glass sandwiched between two panes of float glass—the same applies to all stained glass panels throughout the house.

The painted render base plinth has a moulded top and vermiculated toothed quoins to the south-west corner. The square-headed timber framed entrance door comprises two panels with raised fields and bolection moulding, with a plain glass over-light on a simple transom. It has an elaborate concentric arched stucco surround, with egg-and-dart and chevron moulding, pitched keystone, and simple pilasters, all painted. The ground floor bay has a similar cornice and frieze to the main roof and a Renaissance style balustrade, continued at the main façade and repeated below the continuous projecting cill at second floor windows. Deep moulded stucco surrounds to the ground floor windows have corresponding moulded brackets below the continuous projecting cill. The same detail appears at second floor windows, with simple chevron-moulded stucco in place of brackets. The first floor has plain pilasters between cill and impost level, where a continuous stucco band runs between windows, enriched with classical-style mouldings; above the band, there is ornate floral detail to the moulded surrounds and exaggerated pitched keystones.

The rear elevation (north) has a full-height lean-to projection and double return built at half-landing level to the left (east) side, and one opening to each basement, ground, first and second floor to the right. This elevation is detailed more simply than the front, with flat arched openings, soldier coursed brick headers, and square-edged painted cills (mainly stone); window reveals are rendered and painted. All windows to the main building are as described under 'Materials', except that to the basement, which is a side-hung casement. The lean-to projection is blank except for a chimneystack, now slated over. The north face of the hipped-roof return has one window at second floor, centred on the hip. The north face of the flat-roofed return has a single window centred at basement level (casement with faux horns), flanked by bricked-up former openings; a long fixed light at ground floor with lowered cill, aligned with the basement window and a smaller casement window to the left (east); and two windows at first floor—one small casement window offset to the right and to the left a large round-arched sliding sash window with 1/1 panes fitted with stained glass. Original brick headers remain to all openings. There are projecting angled brick eaves to the returns as per the main building, with uPVC gutter and rainwater pipe.

The east elevation is abutted by number 19 College Gardens. The east face of the return, surveyed from Elmwood Mews, is detailed as the rear of the main building and is largely blank (where seen); the brick walling to the hipped roof return is painted white to first floor level.

The west elevation is comprised of the gable end to the main building, the west face of the lean-to projection, and the double return. The gable has toothed quoins returned from the main façade and decorative eaves returned at the north and south ends as described above. There are two windows at ground floor: one segmental arched and matching the bay windows to the main façade, and one flat-headed timber casement window. A similar casement window at first floor is aligned with the same below, and there are two small round arched windows near to the eaves at attic level, with painted rendered reveals.

The lean-to projection has one opening at each half-landing level: to the attic, a sliding sash with 2/2 panes; at second floor, as the attic window with margin panes; at first floor, a sliding sash with 1/1 panes—the lower pane has Arts and Crafts style stained glass; at ground floor, a sliding sash with 1/1 pane and metal bars fitted to the external reveal; and a modern sheeted timber door to the basement. The hipped roof return has one window at second floor, a sliding sash with 1/1 panes—a wider concrete lintel and adjoining brick infill indicate this opening has been altered; two windows at first floor, sliding sashes with 2/2 panes; two inward-opening casement windows with lowered cills at ground floor; and a casement window with faux horns at basement level. The flat-roofed return has informally arranged windows: to first floor, a sliding sash with 2/2 panes and a smaller fixed light with stained glass; at ground floor, a sliding sash with 1/1 panes; and a casement window with faux horns to the basement (not aligned). Remaining soldier course headers suggest a second basement window, now bricked up.

Number 22 forms the end of terrace to the block of similar town houses, rectangular on plan and aligned east-west parallel to College Gardens. It is set back from the tree-lined street by low red brick walling with chamfered stone coping topped by modern metal railings, with a hedge behind. The same walling separates the side of the house from the rear yard, topped by cast iron railings with a lily motif. A matching gate provides access. The front door opens onto a broad step (replacement), flanked by painted dwarf walls with an open balustrade between square end piers. A hedge aligns the boundary with the front garden of number 23; red brick walling to the yard has a rounded terracotta cap. The rear boundary to Elmwood Mews is marked by similar walling with the same cap and a sheeted timber door with concrete lintel; a matching red brick outbuilding has a wide slide-back door (possibly to a garage). The outbuilding appears contemporary with the house, with soldier course headers and stone cills to openings on the east and south facing elevations on to the yard; these are now boarded up. Square concrete pavers cover the yard and paths at the front and side of the house; the latter is flanked by planted beds. A tarmacked front garden provides off-street parking, shared with number 21.