103-113 Greencastle Pier Road, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4LR

Terrace of six two-storey coastguard houses facing seaward on the north side of Greencastle Pier Road in Kilkeel. Built to a standard design by the Commissioners of Public Works, occupied from 1888 or shortly before. The terrace superseded earlier coastguard houses at Cranfield. The end units to left and right are double the width of the four central ones.

The buildings retain a hipped roof originally of natural slate, now covered with artificial slate, with five concrete coped modern red brick chimneys symmetrically placed to serve each property. Exposed rafter tails are visible. Semicircular metal rainwater goods run along the eaves. The walls were originally smooth rendered with a chamfered basecourse, a detail now surviving only on the extreme left property (No. 113). The others are dashed or re-rendered.

All properties except No. 103 retain their original segmental window openings with canted granite cills at first floor level. Nos. 109 and 111 retain their original 2/2 sliding sashes. The four central houses (Nos. 105-111) each have a single window at first floor, and probably had similar windows below, though all now feature modern sunroom extensions at ground level.

No. 103 is substantially remodelled but retains an oriel on the end right gable. No. 113 contains several features of particular interest. At first floor left is a canted oriel supported on decorative rendered corbels with a segmental span between, covered by a small mono-pitched roof and containing a single modern window. The left gable has a similar oriel set to the right of centre and an entrance at ground floor centre with a modern door in a chamfered opening. The rear elevation features 6/6 sliding sashes at all window positions. To the left of centre is a sheeted timber door with segmental head, above which is an oriel similar to those on the front and left elevations, containing a 3/3 sliding sash. To left and right are 6/6 sliding sashes to each floor. At extreme right ground floor is a small two-paned casement window.

The rear elevations of the other houses are much altered. Nos. 103, 105 and 107 are all extended. Nos. 109 and 111 appear original, with painted smooth render walls. No. 109 shares a lean-to return with No. 111 at ground floor right, and has a 6/6 sliding sash window to the left. At first floor are a 6/6 to the left and a small four-paned casement window to the right over the return. No. 111 mirrors this arrangement.

Adjacent to No. 103 stands an associated boathouse, aligned north-south. It has a pitched natural slate roof with modern eaves board and plastic rainwater goods. The walls are built of split Silurian rubble with rendered concrete quoins at each corner and concrete dressings to openings. The seaward-facing front gable contains a segmental-headed sheeted timber double-leaf door in very poor condition. The left and right side walls each have a single segmental-headed shuttered opening. The rear wall is blank. The boathouse is probably contemporary with the houses and both are shown on the 1901 Ordnance Survey 6-inch map.

According to the valuation revision book, each house contained four rooms including kitchen, two watch rooms, and was occupied by figures such as John Sweet, chief boatman. Although this group retains some historic interest and some original features, the large number of inappropriate alterations have reduced its architectural merit.