38-40 University Road And 1 Mount Charles, Belfast

Three-storey former townhouses built in 1854, constructed in painted render and stucco with hipped roofs, situated at the corner of University Road, University Street, and Mount Charles in the Queen's Conservation Area of South Belfast. Originally three separate properties — Nos 38 and 40 University Road and No 1 Mount Charles — the whole block is now fully integrated internally and operates as a single building, currently in use as a School of Creative Arts with music studios on the upper floors.

The block is rectangular on plan. Nos 38 and 40 face west onto University Road, while No 1 Mount Charles abuts the rear on the east side and faces north onto Mount Charles, a tree-lined street running between Botanic Avenue and University Road. The south elevation of No 38 faces onto University Street. The triple aspect of the block onto three streets contributes significantly to its setting within the conservation area.

MATERIALS

The roof is natural slate with black clay ridge tiles. Walls are painted render and stucco. Rainwater goods are painted cast iron. Windows are timber sliding sash with horns, single-glazed, and are likely replacements.

WEST (FRONT) ELEVATION ONTO UNIVERSITY ROAD

A three-storey symmetrical façade, four bays wide, originally comprising a pair of semi-detached townhouses. The building is now entered via the former No 38 on the right side, with the former No 40 entrance unused. At ground floor level, two open projecting entrance porches are positioned at each corner, with four window openings between them. First and second floor levels each have four regularly spaced window openings. The roof is hipped with a central flat section and a centrally located chimney stack.

The ground floor is finished in painted channelled render rustication with a bullnose moulded painted plaster plinth and plain reveals to the windows. Window cills are painted render, advancing slightly from a continuous cill course. The projecting porches are formed by two square columns on plain bases, supporting a corniced entablature below a dentilled cornice. The porch roofs are flat with a modern roofing membrane. A modern metal flagstaff leans out at an angle above each porch, fixed to the back of the porch roof. The columns are painted moulded plaster with a panelled indent and paterae to all four sides at capital level. This column detailing is repeated on the engaged pilasters either side of the door openings. The doorcases have moulded plaster surrounds with decorative plaster rope motifs above the doors. The doors themselves are replacement painted timber four-panelled doors with brass ironmongery and rectangular three-pane timber-framed overlights. Each porch has a painted stone or render dwarf wall to the edges with steps. The former No 40 porch floor is finished in modern tiles; the former No 38 has a modern disabled access ramp with modern railings. A small section of original wrought iron railings survives to the University Street side of the former No 38 porch.

At first and second floor levels the walls are painted render with toothed painted stucco quoins to each corner. The first floor has a continuous stucco cill course and decorative moulded stucco surrounds with acanthus leaf corbel brackets and entablature to the window openings. Second floor window openings have separate cills and moulded plaster surrounds. There is a deep moulded plaster eaves with projecting cornice. Ground floor and first floor windows are horizontally split 2/2 sashes; second floor windows are 6/6 sashes. The roof is pitched natural slate with black clay ridge tiles. A painted render fibreglass false chimney stack sits at the centre of the roof on the ridge of the flat section, with six clay pots. Rainwater goods are painted cast iron with an ogee profile to the guttering.

The block sits behind original low boundary walling with piers to University Road, continuous with the gate screen to Mount Charles. The walling is heavy coursed rough sandstone with a steeply bevelled dressed sandstone coping. The piers have large chamfered hexagonal coping stones. The railings are replacement painted metal, with the exception of the small surviving section onto University Street. Pedestrian gates to each porch are painted cast iron and may be replacements. The former front gardens are now brick paved.

SOUTH ELEVATION ONTO UNIVERSITY STREET

A three-storey asymmetrical façade with the same treatment of materials and finishes as the University Road elevation. The building sits directly on the pavement. There are four window openings at ground floor level and a door opening with an arched head to the extreme right side, which is blocked up and plastered over, with a plain timber fanlight with opaque glass. Five window openings on both first and second floor levels are aligned with those below. The extreme left side is blank. The painted channelled rusticated render continues at ground floor level, as does the plain painted render to the upper floors, with toothed stucco quoins to each corner. The rear elevation of the former No 1 Mount Charles forms the last two bays on the right side. The roof is hipped over deep moulded plaster corniced eaves. Rainwater goods are painted cast iron. Windows are the same as on the University Road elevation.

NORTH ELEVATION ONTO MOUNT CHARLES

A mirror image of the University Street elevation, except that the blank bay is on the right side rather than the left, and there are five openings at each level with no door opening — a window appears in its place. The front elevation of the former No 1 Mount Charles forms the last two bays on the left side. All detailing is as per the other elevations.

REAR (EAST) ELEVATION

Abutted by No 3 Mount Charles, which sits proud of the former No 1 onto Mount Charles. The exposed section of wall on the University Street side at second floor level has two 6/6 windows. The window on the extreme left has Georgian wired glass to the top panes and plywood boarding to the bottom panes. The window to the right was not examined in detail. A plastic vent is fitted to the bottom middle pane.

INTERIOR

The original plan form has been extensively altered following a refurbishment in the late 1970s. All original staircases and chimneypieces have been lost and no historic internal detailing remains. A modern steel frame now supports the original building fabric.

HISTORY

The three properties were built in 1854. Around 1859 all three were recorded as being leased from Bernard Hughes (1808–78), the Armagh-born baker who became Belfast's master baker and the owner of Ireland's largest milling business. It is likely that he was responsible for their construction, just as he was for the development of the long terrace immediately to the east, Nos 3–19 Mount Charles, built in 1859–60. That terrace was designed for Hughes by Alexander MacAlister (c.1821–97), a native of Carlow who spent his entire career in Belfast working almost exclusively in counties Antrim and Down. It is not known whether MacAlister also worked on these three properties, but if he did they would represent his earliest known commissions.

No 38 University Road was occupied around 1859 by James McGee, the property rated at £26 for valuation purposes, the same as Nos 40 and 1 Mount Charles. Subsequent occupants recorded in street directories include Dr Blain (c.1862–68), the Reverend George Hill, a noted historian (c.1868–83), Mrs Macoun (c.1885–91, sharing from around 1889 with the Reverend Alexander Cuthbert, Minister of College Square North Presbyterian Church), Mrs Crothers (c.1891–99), and Andrew Fullerton MD (c.1899–1904). The 1901 census records Mr Fullerton, a 33-year-old surgeon, living with his wife Caroline, their 3-year-old daughter, and a domestic servant in a first-class dwelling with 10 rooms. By 1907 John Campbell Rankin, another medical doctor, had taken up the lease; the 1911 census records him living with his widowed relative Elizabeth Henderson and a domestic servant. William John Jefferson is listed in the 1918 directory, R.J. McConnell (a doctor) in 1924, and Francis Kennedy in 1932. During the Second World War the property was given over to government use, then reverted to private occupation, with Herbert W. Caldwell resident by at least 1951. The Caldwell family appear to have retained the property into the 1960s, but it is listed as vacant in 1967.

No 40 University Road was recorded around 1859 as the home of Gustavus Ferrar. Subsequent residents include Mrs Arrott (c.1862–82), Miss Bowring (c.1882–88), Mrs Magee (c.1888–91), V.H. Rylski, a drysalter (c.1891–96), and James Colville MD (c.1896–1905). The 1901 census records Mr Colville, a 35-year-old physician, living with his 73-year-old mother Sarah and a domestic servant in a first-class dwelling with 10 rooms. Before 1907 the lease was taken by S. Graham, a commercial traveller, followed around 1910 by Neville D. Clarke, recorded in the 1911 census as a 24-year-old dental surgeon sharing the house with his younger brother Harold and a domestic servant. By 1918 J.R. Marr, another commercial traveller, had taken up residence alongside F.R. McCambly. S.R. Armstrong, a doctor, is recorded here by 1924, and another doctor, H. Hilton Stewart, by 1932. A Mrs O'Donnell is noted as householder in 1943, and throughout the 1950s and 1960s the property was the home of Mrs E.A. Chalmers.

No 1 Mount Charles was occupied around 1859 by Edward Walsh, an employee of the GPO. He was followed by the Reverend Daniel Macafee, a Wesleyan minister, around 1862; William Weir, a linen merchant, around 1864; Mrs Malcomson around 1868; Mrs Jamison (c.1888–91); Mrs Harris (c.1891–94); Mrs Bell (c.1894–1900); and John Joseph Murphy (c.1903–10). The 1911 census records Marian Calcutt, a 34-year-old secretary, sharing the property with Mabel and Hilda Calcutt, presumably her sisters and also secretaries, in a first-class dwelling with 13 rooms occupied. Mrs C.J. Slade is listed in the 1918 directory, Mrs Mary Mulholland in 1924, and J.W. Allen, a commercial traveller, in 1932. Like No 38, the property was commandeered during the Second World War but returned to residential use post-war, with R. Barr living there by 1951. By 1960 the house had been divided into two flats, occupied by R. Barr and a Mrs Morton, the latter succeeded by T.P. Flanagan by 1964 and William Withy by 1970.

All three properties were purchased by Queen's University around 1972, who subsequently offered to lease the group to the Open University for conversion to offices. Following damage caused by a nearby bomb blast in 1974 this scheme was put on hold. The buildings were listed in April 1976, but by the end of that year Queen's University and the Open University had put forward plans to demolish the existing structures, which were deemed beyond repair, and build a near replica to designs by architect Robert McKinstry. This scheme was not carried out; an examination of walling to the south-east corner suggests that the original fabric was retained on this side, supported by a steel frame. Building work on the new offices was completed around 1978. A dummy chimney stack — which had formed part of the original planning approval — was reinstated in March 1983. The following year saw Open University signage and flagstaffs added to the front elevation. In 2004 the balustrade was erected on the entrance ramp. The Open University vacated the building around 2010 and it was subsequently used by Queen's University, latterly as storage space, before being refitted for use as offices for university staff.

Despite the extensive internal alterations, the exterior retains its original historic fabric, character, proportions, and detailing, including the open porches and moulded window surrounds. The block is linked internally with No 3 Mount Charles and has group value with that property and with the surrounding conservation area.