40 Hill Street, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1AR

40 Hill Street, Newry

This is the right-hand building of a pair of four-storey classical Georgian houses with attic storey, set in a terrace on the west side of Hill Street. Dating from the early 19th century, it was originally a dwelling house valued at £39 in the 1838 valuation, and became a parish house to Newry Roman Catholic Cathedral in the mid-1860s, a use it has retained since.

The building sits within a conservation area and forms part of Hill Street, which was laid out by the Downshire family in the mid-18th century as a formal extension to the town.

Exterior

The pitched roof is natural slated with a modern rendered chimney to the right gable. Metal rainwater goods are semicircular in section, with downpipe falling to the centre of the front elevation. Walls are cement rendered with a large cement rendered plinth containing four modern ventilation grilles between ground floor and basement, and a raised rendered eaves course.

The main entrance is at ground floor left, accessed by four granite steps from the street. The entrance features a six-panelled timber door (with the top two panels smaller) flanked by Ionic demi-columns supporting a moulded entablature with decorative lead tracery fanlight above. This ensemble is inset into a segmentally headed opening with fanlight above. To the right of the front door are two double-glazed 1/1 plastic windows. There are three taller but similar plastic windows to each floor above, all with moulded render architraves and rendered cills. Those to the third floor match the ground floor proportions, while those to the fourth floor are diminished in height. There are no openings to the basement. The basement and granite steps are surrounded by plain metal railings with spikes and urn-topped decorative posts.

The rear elevation is cement rendered with a two-storey L-shaped return abutting at ground floor right and enclosing a small yard to ground floor left. At ground floor left are two 1/1 uPVC top-hung windows with render cills. To ground floor right is an external six-paned glass door with tongue-and-groove boarding below. Single 1/1 uPVC top-hung windows are positioned to the left and centre of each floor above, diminishing in height to the third and fourth floors. Between ground floor and first floor to the right is a semicircular-headed 1/2 landing uPVC window leading onto a metal fire stair which continues from number 38. A similar window and fire stair connects between first and second floors. The rear return features a hipped slated roof with rendered chimney rising from the ridge parallel to the rear elevation. Walls are rendered with tie plates. Most openings are to the right cheek and are uPVC top-hung; the door is timber with tongue-and-groove boards below six glazed top panes.

Interior

The quality and survival of original interiors is high, though the façade has been marred by the installation of plastic windows.

Historical Context

Hill Street was laid out by the Downshire family in the mid-18th century as a formal extension to the town. The building appears on the 1835 Ordnance Survey map. The 1863 valuation describes the building as four and one-third storeys high plus basement.

Listing

The house and railings are listed Grade B2. The listing recognises architectural interest in its style, proportion, plan form, and the quality and survival of interior details, notwithstanding alterations. It holds group value as part of the Hill Street terrace and has local historical interest. The building is owned by the Roman Catholic Church.