11 Mount Charles, Belfast

Three-storey with attic mid-terraced brick townhouse constructed to the designs of Alexander MacAlister in 1859. The building is one of a terrace of nine identical houses, with four similar houses on each side, and forms part of the Queen's Conservation Area in Belfast. The terrace lines the south side of Mount Charles, a tree-lined street running between Botanic Avenue to the east and University Road to the west.

The building is rectangular in plan with a projecting return to the rear. The rear return and yard back onto University Street, enclosed by a tall wall with false windows at high level, creating the appearance of a three-storey façade. Originally constructed as a townhouse, the building now serves as university student accommodation.

The front elevation faces north across Mount Charles. It is built in red brick laid in Flemish bond with lime pointing. The three-storey brick façade features two windows on each of the first and second floors, all of which are timber sliding sash with horns and single-glazed replacements. The windows to the first floor are horizontally split 2/2, while second floor windows are 8/2. Window heads are straight with splayed brick soldiers, and first and second floor windows have continuous painted stone cill courses. At attic level there are two modern rooflights. A single-storey canted rendered bay projects from the right side of the ground floor, with moulded plaster detailing and a flat roof with modern membrane over a projecting cornice. The lower section of the bay is formed by a deep painted plinth, which extends across the width of the elevation as a deep rendered plinth to the base with a similar frieze beneath the eaves.

The ground floor doorway is positioned to the left. It has an elliptical arched head with brick voussoirs and a moulded plaster reveal, deeply recessed with Ionic columns to each side on raised moulded plaster panelled bases. The columns support a moulded plaster entablature with a plain fanlight over. The timber four-panelled door appears to be original, although the two top panels have been replaced with glazing and the ironmongery is replaced. The columns, bases and cornice sit on top of two replacement concrete steps with dwarf walls to each side.

The roof is pitched and covered with natural Welsh slate with black clay ridge tiles. Brick chimney stacks are positioned to the right and left, appearing to have been repointed and possibly rebuilt, shared with Nos 9 and 13. They are centred on the ridge with corbelled detailing and seven circular clay pots. Cast metal ogee guttering and downpipes serve the front elevation, with a cast metal hopper from the canted bay; a small section of PVC pipe runs from the bay into the cast metal hopper.

The side elevations are fully abutted by the adjacent terraced houses (No 13 to the east and No 9 to the west).

The rear elevation faces south within the yard. It comprises a three-storey façade with 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 elevation of the main block has a 2/2 horizontally split window on the left side of each level, with painted stone cills. A smaller 6/6 window is located at attic half-landing level on the right side, above the roof of the return. The return facing into the yard has a replacement timber back door on the extreme left with a 6/6 window above on the first floor level and a smaller 6/6 window above on the second floor. There is one 6/6 window to the right of the back door at ground floor level. The pitched roof to the main block is covered with natural Welsh slate, with one modern rooflight to the left side. The return has a hipped natural Welsh slate roof with black clay ridge tiles.

The rear wall to University Street is three storeys high and constructed of dark brown brick in Flemish bond with a rendered plinth and eaves band. The internal face comprises a replacement timber sheeted door with plain fanlight over at ground floor level, and two multi-pane timber window frames above with no glass—one at first floor level and one at second floor level—both with slim painted stone cills. The elevation contains a 6/6 window (possibly original) with wrought iron bars attached to the reveals and painted stone cills, a diminutive square single-pane window with frosted glass, and further 6/6 windows at first and second floor levels. First floor openings have shallow arched heads, while second floor heads are straight. A plain flat concrete coping stone tops the rear wall. Cast iron guttering sits above the painted rendered eaves band.

All windows to the rear and within the yard are single-glazed timber sliding sash with horns and are replacements, with the possible exception of a ground floor window on the rear yard wall. Cast metal rainwater goods are installed within the yard.

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