15 Sandys Street, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1EN

15 Sandys Street is one of a terrace of four three-storey houses fronting the south side of Sandys Street in Newry. Built between 1860 and 1879, these houses are symmetrically arranged around a central coach arch and form a pleasing composition within the streetscape. Although of late date and plainly detailed, they retain architectural merit through their collective presence and are recognised as significant to the Conservation Area.

The building is two bays wide to the left of the coach arch but probably also includes a room over the arch, making it three bays wide overall, as suggested by period valuation records. The pitched natural slate roof has a rendered chimney on a raised plinth at the left. Semicircular metal rainwater goods are fitted, with a downpipe at the right shared with adjoining premises.

The street façade is painted line rendered with a moulded rendered eaves course. The main entrance at ground floor centre comprises a four-panel grained timber door with beaded muntin, bolection mouldings, and a narrow transom light above. To the right of the door are a pair of large cast iron gates and timber tympanum set within a segmental-headed coach arch. To the left of the front door is a 2/2 sliding sash window. At first and second floors are two 2/2 sliding sash windows aligned with the ground floor window and door; the wall above the coach arch is blank. The top windows diminish in height. All openings have stop-end chamfered jambs and heads, and the windows have granite cills. The house is separated from the footpath by a rendered brick wall over a granite plinth, which returns at the left of the front door and at the left end of the house. The left and right gables are abutted by adjoining buildings.

The rear elevation is rendered. A single-storey return abuts at the right, above which is a single window to the back room on each floor, both modern 1/1 top-hung replacements. At the middle is a modern casement window to each half landing. Over the coach arch is a 1/1 top-hung window to each floor, at least one of which belongs to this house. The return is also rendered with modern window and door inserts. At the back of the yard is a two-storey outhouse of random granite rubble construction.

The house first appears in the 1878 Valuation revision book, described as vacant, and was first occupied the following year. Its lessor was Adam Guffin, who also leased the other buildings in this block. This building and number 14 were valued at £15 at this date, whereas numbers 13 and 16 were valued at only £13, suggesting that the two central houses each contained an additional room over the coach arch.