5-6 Crawford Square, Londonderry, Co.Londonderry, BT48 7HR

A three-storey, four-bay rendered Italianate townhouse built in 1871 to designs by Robert Collins. Originally constructed as two separate dwellings (numbers 5 and 6), the properties were combined into a single dwelling in 1947. The building is part of a terrace of sixteen paired and symmetrical houses positioned on the southwest side of the tree-lined Crawford Square, an elevated site within the Clarendon Street Conservation Area.

The rectangular plan form has its principal elevation facing northeast, with a three-storey rendered return built off the half-landing level and an original two-storey stone outbuilding accessed from Academy Road at the rear.

The pitched natural slate roof is fitted with black clay ridge tiles. Large rendered chimney stacks, shared with the adjoining properties, rise from each gable end with a mix of buff and terracotta clay pots. Timber fascia boards and panelled soffit with paired block modillions support half-round cast iron guttering discharging to circular cast iron downpipes.

The front elevation is largely symmetrical. Two-storey canted bays with parapets frame either side, featuring recessed panels between the first and second storeys with moulded sills and string-course. Window openings throughout have segmental arched heads with 1/1 double hung timber sliding sashes with moulded horns. The central two bays, originally thought to have paired arched doorways, now contain a single recessed entrance door on the right and a segmental arched window to the left. First-floor windows above are aligned with moulded architraves with stop blocks on a moulded sill spanning both bays. A further segmental arched window is centred above each of the four bays at second-floor level.

The recessed arched door case features a moulded soffit and tiled step. The original four-panel timber door retains its letter slot and is surmounted by a semi-circular fanlight with radial glazing bars and stained leaded glass. The internal step is clad with alternating red and black terracotta tiles in a diamond pattern. The arch has a hood mould with a diamond-faced keystone and decorative console brackets supporting a moulded string course returned within the recess.

The rear elevation is four bays wide and largely symmetrical, rendered and painted, with square-headed window openings containing 1/1 timber sliding sash windows. A hipped roof return projects from the middle two bays, finished in natural slate with blue-black hip and ridge tiles. The rear elevation and return are fitted with uPVC rainwater goods supported on painted timber eaves board. A single-storey gabled addition to the return, narrower in plan, has a duo-pitched slated roof. The return features square-headed window openings with a 6/6 and a 1/1 double-hung sliding sash.

A stone outbuilding with smooth rendered unpainted walling and a duo-pitched natural slate roof encloses the yard at the rear, part of the stepped row of outbuildings associated with the Crawford Square houses fronting onto Academy Road. The outbuilding has a flush painted timber door to its right side and is fitted with uPVC gutter and downpipe on a painted timber eaves board.

The principal entrance is approached by a path and a short flight of concrete steps with painted metal railings on either side. An original metal boot scraper remains at the top step on both the far left and far right.