18 Crawford Square, Londonderry

18 Crawford Square, Londonderry

A three storey, two bay terraced house built in 1888, most likely designed by Robert Collins, in the Italianate style. The building forms part of a terrace of sixteen houses arranged on a sloping site on the south-west side of the tree-lined Crawford Square. It is paired with and symmetrical to the adjacent No. 17 Crawford Square, except for modern dormers added to the roof.

The house has a rectangular plan facing north-east, with a three storey extended return and a two storey outbuilding accessed from the rear. The pitched natural slate roof sits at the same level as No. 17, and a large buff brick chimney with moulded corbel and buff clay pots is shared with No. 19. Timber fascia boards and moulded soffit with paired block modillions support half round cast iron guttering discharging to circular cast iron downpipes. A modern single-bay flat roof dormer with timber casement windows has been added.

The front elevation features a two storey, three-sided canted bay with parapet. Moulded panels separate the ground and first floors, with moulded cills and strings. Window openings have segmental arched heads and 1/1 double hung timber sliding sash windows with moulded horns. The first floor window above the main entrance door has a moulded architrave with stop blocks and moulded cill, shared with No. 17. The semi-circular arched doorcase has a hood mould with keystone and decorative console brackets. It is recessed with a moulded soffit, boarded-up fanlight, tiled step and a pair of replacement three-panelled outer doors. A replacement glazed inner door has slender timber columns with moulded capitals on each side and a rectangular fanlight (also boarded). The space between the doors has a flat ceiling with cornice.

The rear elevation and rear return are rendered with square-headed window openings fitted with replacement uPVC windows. The three storey return has a pitched natural slate roof and buff brick chimney with moulded corbel and buff clay pots, shared with the adjacent property. A further three storey rendered return with similar windows has been added, featuring a half-hipped natural slate roof with blue-black angled hip and ridge tiles. A similar extension exists on No. 17. At second floor level, a doorway leads to external metal fire escape stairs.

The rear outbuilding is stone-built and forms part of the stepped row of outbuildings associated with the Crawford Square houses, which front onto Academy Road. The Academy Road elevation is constructed in rubble stone with red brick detailing, and a rendered ground floor containing doors with galvanised metal sheeting. A high-level opening contains a 2/2 timber sash window. The roof is natural slate with uPVC rainwater goods.

To the front, the building is set back from the footpath and slightly elevated, approached by a path and a short flight of concrete steps shared with the adjacent property. The modest front garden has a concrete finish and is enclosed by a dwarf wall with painted metal railings adjacent to the steps.

Materials: Rendered walls, natural slate roof, cast iron rainwater goods to the front elevation, timber windows to the front elevation and uPVC windows to the rear.