Magee University College, Northland Road, Derry

Magee University College is a detached, symmetrical two-storey sandstone Gothic Revival building constructed around 1860 to designs by Edward Gribben. A two-storey hipped roof extension was added in 1905 to designs by Matthew Alexander Robinson, followed by a two-storey flat-roofed extension built around 1989. The building was extensively renovated around 2000. It is rectangular on plan, facing east, with a three-storey central entrance tower and advanced gabled pavilions to either end. A later flat-roofed extension abuts the rear elevation.

The pitched natural slate roof is set behind a crenellated parapet wall, with ridge tiles of terracotta and lead valleys. Several ashlar sandstone chimney stacks rise to the ridge, decorated with clay pots interspersed with copper lanterns. Cast-iron rainwater goods are supported on iron drive-through brackets to the rear elevation, with cast-iron hoppers and downpipes breaking through the parapet wall.

The exterior is constructed of coursed smooth ashlar sandstone walling with fine lime pointing, a projecting plinth course, and a continuous string course between floors. Original slender 2/2 timber sash windows without horns are set behind stone tracery windows. Those to the first floor are Tudor-arched with continuous hood moulding; those to the ground floor are square-headed. All have flush splayed sills. Both levels feature stone tracery comprising paired trefoil openings to the lower portion that extend and split into four equally spaced smaller trefoils above.

The symmetrical front eastern elevation consists of a central square-plan three-storey entrance tower flanked by three equally spaced bays topped by castellation featuring quatrefoil motifs above each window, and an advanced gabled projection with two-storey angled bay. The tower has a pie-ended steeply pitched natural slate roof with octagonal crocketed pinnacles rising from the four corners and corbelled out below the parapet. A further octagonal pinnacle rises above the parapet at the centre of each elevation with poppy-head finials. To the southeast corner of the tower is a clasping octagonal three-stage tower with trefoil blind panels to each face at each level. This tower rises above the parapet as a series of crocketed pinnacles with tapered spire and metal finial. A stepped buttress is located to the northeast corner. The upper levels feature a two-sided angled oriel window with windows as per the ground floor front elevation, surmounted by crocketed finials and drop finials to the base. The central Tudor-arched door opening has hood moulding and painted diagonally-sheeted double-leaf doors. The door opens onto a sandstone paved platform with seven steps to the bitmac front driveway, flanked by a pair of octagonal squat sandstone pillars supporting shield-wielding lion statues.

The north side elevation of the entrance tower has large four-light stone tracery windows with slender 2/2 timber sash windows and hood mouldings to ground and first floors, and a pair of Tudor-arched window openings to the upper level with hood mouldings.

The gabled end pavilions have pie-ended steeply pitched natural slate roofs set behind raised gables to the outer corners, featuring octagonal crocketed finials corbelled out below the parapet and a central pinnacle rising above the apex to the gable.

The south pavilion has stepped angle buttresses and a two-sided angled bay window with paired 2/2 timber sash windows set behind stone tracery as detailed above. A carved stone oculus is centred above the bay with quatrefoil blind opening. The north gabled pavilion is detailed similarly with stepped diagonal buttresses, a pair of diminutive tracery windows at ground floor level, and a two-sided angled oriel window to the upper level with corbelled base.

The south side elevation comprises an advanced gabled projection with five-light window openings at each level. The first floor windows are pointed-arched with interlacing stone tracery and continuous hood moulding. The ground floor windows are square-headed with stone tracery and fixed lights behind with slim horizontal glazing bars. The gable features an oculus with geometric tracery. The recessed part of the elevation has stepped buttresses and diminutive windows with a Tudor-arched door opening having a replacement steel-clad door and hood moulding with square label stops.

The rear western elevation also has three gabled projections and is abutted by a flat-roofed wing connected to a two-storey flat-roofed 1960s block and a further single-storey flat-roofed extension to the southwest. The rear elevation has rough-cast rendered walling with ashlar sandstone plinth course and flush ashlar sandstone quoins. Windows are detailed as per the front elevation with flush sandstone surrounds. The south gable has four-light square-headed perpendicular stone tracery windows, that to the first floor rising in the centre. The north gable is abutted by a two-storey rendered block with hipped slate roof and projecting cornice mould, ruled-and-lined rendered walling, square-headed window openings with 2/2 timber sash windows and bottom-hung overlights.

The north side elevation has a central advanced gable flanked by stepped buttresses with square-headed window openings to ground and first floor, with lugged architraves, and a pointed arched window centred below the apex. The advanced gable features timber framed French doors with four blank panels above to the left and cruciform stone mullions with corresponding fixed light above a two-pane sliding sash to the right. To the left and right of this gable are single fixed lights above horizontal stone transom and two-pane sliding sash below. At first floor level are two pairs of 1/1 sliding sashes with central stone mullion.

The building is located on extensive University Campus grounds to the west of Northland Road and to the south of Rock Road on an elevated site with views of the Foyle River to the east. At the Rock Road entrance is a pair of decorative wrought-iron gates and matching pedestrian gates supported on square iron pillars with swan neck screen plinth walls supporting iron railings and terminated in a pair of Gothic-styled octagonal sandstone pillars with trefoil panels. The west boundary at Northland Road is demarked by rubblestone walling of schist.