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, arranged in three bays and positioned on the east side of Downshire Road. The building is Grade B+.

The roof is pitched with natural slate and includes three modern skylights to the rear pitch. Rendered chimneys rise from each gable, with the left chimney shared with the adjacent property. Rainwater goods are 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 principal entrance is positioned centrally on the front elevation. Five granite steps rise to a granite-paved vaulted platform that covers a basement passage. Metal railings with simple decorative spikes (each set into the stone) enclose both sides of the steps and platform, with three uprights to each step and four grouped on the bottom step. These railings appear once to have also enclosed the basement passage.

The front door is painted timber with six raised and fielded panels featuring bolection moulding. The muntin, frieze-rail and lock rail are all beaded, and the door carries appropriate modern furniture. It sits within a pair of painted pilasters supporting a painted timber entablature, above which is a rectangular leaded transom with hoops, 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 mounted under the head of the opening.

All windows to the façade have rendered heads, stepped rendered jambs, granite cills and horns to the sashes. The ground floor left and right bays contain single 6/6 sliding sash windows. The middle bay basement level (below the front steps) holds a modern six-panel painted door. To the left and right bays, aligned with the ground floor windows, are single 6/3 sliding sashes with modern security bars. The first floor has three 6/6 sliding sashes, positioned in line with ground floor openings but reduced in height.

The right gable is lined with cement render and features a small 2/2 sliding sash window centred to the attic gable. The left gable forms the party wall with the adjacent building.

Due to the sloping topography, the basement to the rear elevation sits at ground level. The walls are lined with cement render and include a raised eaves course. The central bay basement contains a modern six-panelled painted timber door with a decorative light above. Windows to the rear are without horns. Left and right bays have single 6/3 sliding sash windows. A single 6/6 sliding sash window serves the ground floor left and right bays, with a modern four-panelled partially glazed timber door to the centre. The first floor has an identical configuration, though the right window has been replaced with a pair of narrow sliding sashes sharing a central sash box (the room behind has been 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 either side of 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 shrubs and an inappropriate modern signpost advertising the occupant. The rear yard is enclosed by unrendered rubble walls to the left and right and is open to the rear. Outhouses that once stood at the rear are now gone.