Fallers, 12 Strand Road, Londonderry, County Londonderry, BT48 7AB

Fallers Jewellers, 12 Strand Road, Londonderry

This is a three-bay, three-storey mid-terrace commercial building of early Edwardian date, constructed around 1902–1904 and forming part of the broader terrace at Nos 4–18 Strand Road. It is widely regarded as retaining the finest surviving historic shopfront in the city, and is of exceptional social and historical significance as the home of a local family jewellery business now in existence for 131 years, the last 110 of which have been spent at this address.

Exterior

The building is constructed in red brick to the first and second floors, with rendered dressings including moulded horizontal string-courses and sill-courses. The roofline is distinguished by a deep projecting salient cornice beneath a balustraded parapet — a feature unique among its neighbours in the terrace, which otherwise have solid brick parapets divided by rendered piers. The roof itself is flat with a modern membrane covering. A cement-rendered chimney stack with six terracotta pots sits to the south elevation. Rainwater goods to the rear are uPVC. The rear elevation walls are smooth painted cement-rendered.

The principal elevation faces west onto Strand Road. First-floor windows are round-headed; second-floor windows are segmental-headed; fenestration is regular across both upper floors. The east elevation overlooks the Victoria Market (now a car park) and has irregular fenestration with replacement 1-over-1 painted timber casement windows. The north and south elevations abut the adjoining buildings at Nos 10 and 14.

Shopfront

The ground-floor shopfront is of particular quality and is timber-glazed throughout. It is flanked by plaster Corinthian pilasters, with a polished red granite plinth to finely framed plate-glass windows, a canvas canopy, and a gold-lettered glass-faced fascia sign. The principal entrance door is inset into the main elevation: a decorative carved timber door with moulded stop-chamfer detail and a large etched patterned glass panel, fitted with a combination wood and brass lever handle. Above the door is a decorative rectangular fanlight with timber soffit.

Interior

The interior survives with remarkable completeness and has undergone only minor alterations. The original mahogany counters and cabinets, dating from around 1902–1904, remain in situ; these were made in Moville, County Donegal. The ceilings are notably high — a deliberate feature of the original design, intended to allow maximum natural light into the jewellery store.

The Golden Teapot

A notable external feature is the Victorian landmark known as the Golden Teapot. This ornamental device was originally installed outside a grocer's store in Waterloo Place in 1866 and remained there until the building was demolished in 1963. It briefly stood outside a shop on Clooney Terrace before being purchased by the Faller family in 1974, who intended to restore and reinstate it outside their store. It was finally reinstalled in 2013 to mark the 130th anniversary of the opening of Faller's first shop. The teapot issues steam from its spout every hour and enhances the character of the Edwardian building.

History

The terrace of Nos 4–18 Strand Road first appeared in the Annual Revisions in 1904, at which time the valuer recorded the terrace as owned by Londonderry City Council. No. 12 was occupied by William Faller and valued at £47.

William Faller was a German immigrant, formerly known as Wilhelm Faller, who arrived in Londonderry in 1878 and established his first shop in Ferryquay Street in 1883. He sold and serviced clocks and pocket watches — both European and American — as well as watch chains and general jewellery, distributing clocks throughout Counties Derry and Donegal using the rail network. In 1902 he acquired a ground lease for the current plot on Strand Road and personally designed the new purpose-built jewellery store, specifying high ceilings to maximise natural light. The total cost of construction, including the installation of interior fittings, was £970.

William Faller died in 1940, and the premises passed to his son Stephen. Under the First Revaluation of 1935, the rateable value of No. 12 had been increased to £71; by the Second Revaluation of 1956–72, this had risen to £108.

In 1983, the firm celebrated the centenary of Faller's original Ferryquay Street shop. That same year, the premises were extended from their original two-bay footprint into the adjoining bay, which had previously formed an arch and passageway providing access to Victoria Market.

The building was listed in 1984 and was the only commercial property in the row to be listed at that time, principally on account of its intact Edwardian shopfront. Architectural historian Calley described Nos 4–18 Strand Road as a "rather splendid and lengthy commercial terrace" of three storeys in red brick with rendered dressings and solid parapets, noting that the ground-floor shopfronts were largely poorly done but separated by good Corinthian pilasters. He singled out No. 12 for its balustraded parapet, finely framed plate-glass windows, canvas canopy, gold-lettered fascia signage, and intact interior with good plasterwork and timber fittings.

Setting

The building occupies a mid-terrace position on the east side of Strand Road, approximately 0.1 kilometres north of the city wall. Victoria Market (now used as a car park) lies to the rear to the east.