4 Coastguard Terrace, The Harbour, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4AU

Number 4 is the second house from the left in a terrace of five two-storey houses with attics and two bays, overlooking Kilkeel Harbour with clear views out to sea. Built to specifications drawn up by the Irish Commissioners of Public Works in 1901, construction commenced around 1902 and the buildings were occupied by 1904. This station replaced an earlier coastguard station at Leestone Point.

The principal elevation faces south-east and is of red brick on a painted smooth-rendered chamfered base. The architecture is notably distinctive, distinguished by decorative use of yellow and black brick banding, prominent chimneys, and varied fenestration. A course of yellow brick runs across the façade at cill level on both ground and first floors. A three-course band of yellow, black and yellow brick runs across the wall near the top of windows on both floors and rises over their heads, which are embellished with black brick ornamental keystones. This variegated brickwork pattern is continued across the façade of the entire terrace.

The pitched natural slate roof has a wide leaded ridge, plain bargeboards, boxed eaves and half-round metal rainwater goods. Two skylights light the rear pitch. A chimney of square cross-section rises from the front eaves and is shared with number 3; it is embellished with a band of yellow, black and yellow brick around its middle and towards its corbelled top. A second similar but lower chimney rises from the roof apex.

The main entrance, positioned to the left, comprises a nine-panel timber door with the top six panels glazed and a plain transom over. To its right is an opening containing a pair of 4/2 sliding sashes. At first floor centre is an identical pair of 4/1 windows, diminished in height. All windows are painted timber with shallow segmental heads and stooled granite cills. A roof dormer contains a pair of 1/1 sashes to the front with painted blank cheeks.

The rear elevation is abutted at its right by a two-storey return, one half of which belongs to number 3. The exposed section of the main block is of brick with a three-course band of yellow, black and yellow brick across the upper floor window and a course of yellow brick at first floor cill level. It has a pair of 4/1 sashes at ground floor and a 6/3 sash at first floor. The return has a pitched natural slate roof tied into the rear slope of the main roof, with plain eaves boards and square metal gutters. Its end gable has a flat-headed opening containing a five-panel painted timber door with the top panel glazed and a plain transom over. A small circular electric light is affixed beneath the opening's head. The left cheek has two small 2/2 sashes to ground floor and a single 2/2 sash to first floor, with various cast-iron downpipes.

The left and right gables form party walls with numbers 5 and 3 respectively. A small flat-roofed shed is shared with number 5. The frontage is gravelled.

This terrace represents a distinct architectural contrast to the much plainer and smaller-scale 19th-century coastguard houses elsewhere in the Mourne area, and is demonstrative of the change in design from fortified barracks of the 1800s to more domestic structures of the 20th century. It is also unusual in a provincial context. A boathouse was erected at the harbour at the same time as these buildings.