19 Windsor Hill, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1ER

A two-storey, three-bay house set in mature grounds on the east side of Windsor Hill, erected in the 1880s-1890s as part of a small development including numbers 17 and 21 Windsor Hill, built by Alexander Whelan, a well-known Newry building contractor. The house first appears vacant in the 1895 Valuation Book and was occupied the following year, cited as "Rockfort" on the 1902 Ordnance Survey map.

The building is a substantial late Victorian suburban residence with good brick and terracotta detailing and largely original interior. It features a pitched natural slate roof with scalloped terracotta ridges, hip knobs and overhanging eaves. Three return roofs tie into the rear pitch, with those to left and right pitched and the centre hipped. A stepped red brick chimney with yellow brick band rises from the roof ridge between the left and centre bays.

The front elevation includes a hipped two-storey canted bay at the left with matching slates, ridges and terracotta hip knob. The main facade is red brick with a chamfered base course and a single course of black bricks at the head level of the ground floor windows. A moulded brick string course runs between ground and first floors, with a second projecting course at first floor window cill level. Another course of black and yellow bricks appears at the head level of first floor windows. The main entrance is a gabled brick porch to the central bay with a pitched ashlar granite roof rising from moulded granite kneestones. The porch walls are red brick with the base course matching the facade. The walls splay outwards towards ground on either side of the door opening. A single granite step rises to a pair of multi-panelled timber doors with top two panels glazed, with a plain semicircular fanlight over, all set within a semi-elliptical headed chamfered opening topped by a course of purple brick. Above this course is a projecting moulded string course. The gable apex contains an inset foliated terracotta diamond panel. Projecting stepped brick plinths with chamfered granite caps supporting decorative urns flank the door opening.

All windows are 1/1 sashes with segmental heads, swept stooled ends and granite cills. Those to the ground floor facade have decorative terracotta lintels with embossed rosettes, raised keystone and roll-mould chamfering. First floor windows have chamfered brick reveals and heads. Over the porch is a pair of windows with common cill broken by the ridge of the porch roof. At the left is a canted bay window with single 1/1 sliding sashes to each cheek of both floors. There is a pair of windows to the ground floor right bay with a single window centred above.

The right elevation is two bays wide and gabled to the left bay, with wall details matching the facade. The gable is decorated with three different bands of red, black and yellow bricks. At ground floor left is a single-storey rectangular bay with a pair of windows to front. At right is a single-storey canted bay window with a single window to each cheek. Both projecting bays are capped by a granite blocking course at the cill level of the first floor. The first floor has two pairs of windows, each in line with those on the ground floor.

The left elevation is two bays wide and gabled to the right bay, with wall and gable detailing as the right elevation. The right bay is abutted by a two-storey rectangular bay originally single storey but raised in the 1970s, decorated with bands of yellow and black brick. Between ground and first floor windows at left are decorative terracotta panels. At ground floor left is a pair of windows above which is a large segmental-headed stained glass landing window. The right projecting bay has two windows to front and a narrow sliding sash to each cheek. The first floor of the raised bay at right is windowless except for a modern louvered glass opening on the left cheek.

The rear elevation is abutted by three returns. Those to left and right are gabled natural slate, each with a stepped red brick chimney with yellow banding to the ends. The left cheek of the left return forms a continuation of the right elevation of the main block; the right cheek of the right return forms a continuation of the left elevation of the main block. The left return has a blank left wall, with its end gable abutted by a single storey return. The exposed section of gable above has a circular window opening. The right cheek forms a party wall with the middle return. The smaller return has a pitched natural slate roof and rendered walls with a large modern picture window to the left cheek wrapping around to the gable. The right return has, on its right cheek, a continuation of string courses from the main block, which step up at the join. At ground floor of this cheek is a modern picture window with black brick soldier course and granite cill. To first floor is a single sliding sash with granite cill. Abutting the gable is a one and a half storey return with blank wall above. The left cheek projects forward from the middle return and has a single 1/1 sash to each floor. The smaller return has a pitched natural slate roof. On its right cheek is a sliding sash to ground floor and a 1/1 sash to ground floor gable with a 2/1 sash above. Its left cheek has a door and window. Linking the two returns is a central return with a natural slate hipped roof. At ground floor it has a timber door to the right and a 1/1 sliding sash to the left. At first floor are two 1/1 sliding sashes.

The boundary wall to Windsor Hill is coursed granite rubble with rock faced coping and square ashlar granite piers on chamfered bases with oversailing pyramidal caps. Double modern wrought iron gates provide access. The front and side gardens contain mature trees and bushes with an assortment of furniture including a cast iron tree bench and large stone urns with polished stone shafts. The rear contains a tennis court and a post-war swimming pool. An outhouse on the rear boundary wall with Arthur Street has a pitched natural slate roof and random rubble walls with red brick dressings, now containing a swimming pool with a box dormer to the garden front.