45 Downshire Road, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1EE

45 Downshire Road, Newry

This is the right-hand building of a terrace of three two-storey structures (with semi-basement and attic storey), each three bays wide, situated on the east side of Downshire Road. The terrace was designed by the well-known local architect Thomas Duff and erected in the early 1820s as part of the Downshire Road development. It is shown on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map and was cited as Paternoster Row in the 1838 valuation, when it was occupied by William P. Brabazon. Duff himself lived in the adjoining house (no. 47). The building remains in virtually original condition and represents an early example of town planning in the area.

The pitched natural slate roof has three modern skylights to the rear pitch. Rendered chimneys rise to each gable, with the chimney to the left shared with the adjacent property. Rainwater goods are of half-round metal.

The main façade faces west and is constructed of unrendered, regularly-coursed squared granite rubble with a raised rendered eaves course. The main entrance is positioned in the middle of the front elevation. Five granite steps rise to a granite-paved vaulted platform over the basement passage. Metal railings with simple decorative spikes enclose each side of the steps and platform, with three uprights to each step and four grouped on the bottom step; these seem once to have also enclosed the basement passage.

The front door is painted timber with six raised and fielded panels with bolection moulding. The muntin, frieze-rail and lock rail are all beaded, and it has appropriate modern furniture. The door is set within a pair of painted pilasters supporting a painted timber entablature. Above this is a rectangular leaded transom with hoops and anthemion to the border and a Grecian-revival scrolling centre panel. The door surround is rendered with a moulded render architrave and scrolled foliated brackets to the cornice. A modern electric light is positioned under the head of the opening.

All windows to the façade have rendered heads, stepped rendered jambs, granite cills and horns to the sashes. To the left and right bays on the ground floor are single 6/6 sliding sash windows. To the middle bay of the basement (below the front steps) is a modern six-panel painted door. To the left and right bays, in line with the ground floor windows, are single 6/3 sliding sashes with modern security bars over. The first floor has three 6/6 sliding sashes, in line with ground floor openings but diminished in height. The right gable is lined with cement render and has a small 2/2 sliding sash window centred to the attic gable. The left gable forms a party wall with the adjacent building.

The basement to the rear elevation is at ground level due to the sloping topography of the site. The walls are lined with cement render with a raised eaves course. To the central bay of the basement is a modern six-panelled painted timber door with a decorative light above. The rear windows lack horns. To the left and right are single 6/3 sliding sash windows. There is a single 6/6 sliding sash window to the ground floor left and right bays and a modern four-panelled partially glazed timber door to the centre. The first floor has an identical configuration, although the right window has been replaced with a pair of narrow sliding sashes sharing a central sash box (the room behind is subdivided). Directly below this window a small modern one-pane window has been inserted. The top openings are diminished in size. A modern metal escape stair rises from the ground floor left to the upper floor doors. The basement area is cement-paved and enclosed by unpainted rendered walls.

The front garden is enclosed to the front and right by a low rendered wall. Modern one-piece polished granite gate posts flank the path to the front door. Modern spiked gates and railings enclose the front, sides and sides of the path. The garden contains small gravelled beds planted with small shrubs and an inappropriate modern signpost advertising the occupant. The rear yard is enclosed by unrendered rubble walls to the left and right and open to the rear. Outhouses that formerly stood at the rear are now gone.