10-12 Downs Road, Newcastle, Co. Down, BT33 OAG

This is a picturesque block of two late Victorian houses, likely dating from the 1870s or 1880s, situated on the west side of Downs Road in Newcastle. Downs Road itself was laid out around 1880, although the houses may be slightly earlier, and are not depicted on the 1859 Ordnance Survey map.

The houses present identically arranged front facades. Each has a central porch with a panelled and glazed door facing north, and a PVC window on the east (gable) side. Flanking the porch are further PVC windows, and above are two gabled half dormers fitted with PVC windows. Decorative barge boards with finials adorn the porches and dormers, and decorative eaves bargeboards are also present. The north and south gables are blank.

The rear of each property features a modern single-story extension: the extension to No. 10 is on the south side and the one to No. 12 on the north. A single modern window is positioned on the side of each extension, facing the main property. The first floor has two gabled dormers with modern windows and plain barges, along with a single window between them. The window on the first floor of No. 12 appears to have been reduced in size, likely due to the construction of its extension. The facades are rendered and painted, except for the rear of No. 10, which is rough cast and unpainted. The roof is covered in natural slate with red clay ridge tiles, featuring an overhang to the eaves and plain barges at the rear. Two chimney stacks are present; the northern one (serving No. 12) appears original, while the southern one is simpler and may have been rebuilt. The rainwater goods are a mixture of cast iron and PVC. The houses were recently converted, with No. 12 now serving as a dental surgery.