Curley House, 18 Curley Road, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1NU

Curley House is a substantial early-19th century dwelling that has undergone considerable alteration both internally and externally. The building is a symmetrical two-storey structure with an attic storey, arranged in three bays, sited on rising ground on the north side of Curley Road with its principal elevation facing south towards the road.

The roof is pitched with natural slate, laid in diminishing courses on the front pitch and in smaller, thicker slates to the rear which appear older than the front slates. Tiled verges are present to both gables, and rendered chimneys rise from each gable end. Half-round plastic gutters are fitted to the projecting eaves course. The walls are rendered in painted smooth cement over random rubble on the front and sides, with unpainted wet dash rendering to the rear.

The south-facing principal elevation has symmetrically arranged openings. At ground floor centre is a wide opening into an open porch with a segmental head trimmed in modern brick. The door within is modern, consisting of two varnished timber doors with aproned sidelights and transoms. The left and right bays are each lit by a tall 1/1 sliding sash window with horns, exposed sash boxes, and painted stone cills. The owner reports that the left and right bay windows were formerly each flanked by small segmental-headed windows, and that the present entrance was inserted approximately ten years before the record was made, replacing a window, though these observations cannot now be verified. The first floor contains two windows to the left and right bays and one to the central landing bay, all reduced in height. The left gable has a timber casement window just left of the ground floor centre and a smaller similar casement to the first floor, both with thin concrete cills and probably in modern openings. Small metal-framed casement windows without cills are present at each end of the attic floor.

The rear elevation has a modern semi-glazed painted timber door at ground floor centre opening from the hallway. A modern timber casement landing light with a concrete cill sits between ground and first floors above this doorway. A projecting return formerly existed from this bay and has been removed. The left bay retains the remains of an 8/8 sliding sash window at ground floor with exposed boxes and a 1/1 exposed-box sash above, both with smooth rendered architraves. The right bay is abutted at ground floor by a one-and-a-half storey return with a pitched natural slate roof and half-round metal gutters to its west side. The return has wet dashed walls and brick eaves courses. Its east-facing cheek has a modern metal casement window just right of centre. Its end gable has a modern metal casement window at ground floor and a smaller similar window above. Its right cheek features a 2/2 exposed box sash window at its right end. All windows to this return have concrete cills. The right gable is abutted at ground floor by a modern flat-roofed concrete block garage. A 1/1 sliding sash window with exposed boxes and concrete cill lights the first floor, and small metal-framed windows are present at each end of the attic floor.

Northwest of the house stands a two-storey single-bay farm outbuilding or cart house with a hipped natural slate roof and random rubble walls, part dashed and part whitewashed. External steps lead up its north gable to the first floor. The yard is enclosed to the north and east by a random rubble masonry wall.

A building is shown at this location on the 1834 Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, though the absence of the first Valuation map makes it impossible to determine whether its dimensions match those of the present structure. The architectural style suggests early-19th century construction. The building is captioned 'Curley House' on the 1859 map. The 1862 Valuation book records it as occupied by Robert Parker with dimensions of 45 feet by 25 feet 6 inches over two storeys, excluding the vestibule and kitchen. Its valuation of £12 remained unchanged until 1876, when it increased to £14 10 shillings on account of new outbuildings and a greenhouse. The valuation was reduced to £9 in 1919.