Laurel Lodge, 55 Downshire Road, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1EE

Laurel Lodge is a two-storey, three-bay symmetrical house erected in the early 19th century (between 1800 and 1819), according to tradition by James Greer. It is situated on the east side of Downshire Road, Newry, set in mature grounds. The building is shown on the 1834 Ordnance Survey map and was occupied by George Godfrey in 1838; it is named on the 1858 Ordnance Survey map.

The house comprises a main block with a two-storey rear return. All walls are lined with render. The pitched roof is covered in natural slate with rendered chimneys to each gable of the main block, with half-round metal rainwater goods.

The main west-facing façade is symmetrical and elegant in proportion. It features stepped stucco quoins and slightly raised stepped stucco jambs to all openings. Three granite steps rise to the central entrance, which has a painted timber door with six raised bolection-moulded panels, a beaded muntin, and brass furniture. The door is flanked by a pair of three-quarter attached granite Tuscan columns supporting a moulded granite entablature, above which is a semi-elliptical timber cobweb fanlight. The left and right bays contain single 1/1 sliding sash windows with horns and granite cills. At first-floor level are three 1/1 sliding sash windows, diminished in height and aligned with the openings below; the top sashes are double the size of the bottom frames (probably originally 6/3). The house retains most of its original features, notably a rare horizontal sliding sash window.

The left gable features a small single-pane window with a shallow swept render hood and concrete cill at ground-floor level. At first-floor level on the extreme left is a small 1/1 aluminium sash window within an older opening. In the gable apex at attic level is a small two-pane casement window with concrete cill. The right gable is blank except for a single 1/1 top-hung window at attic level. A boundary wall with a painted tongue-and-groove door encloses a yard to the left, accessed from Downshire Road. A small one-storey shed with corrugated asbestos construction is sited in the corner of the yard.

The two-storey return abuts the middle and right bays of the rear elevation. The remainder of the rear elevation (left bay) has a single 6/6 sliding sash window to ground floor and a similar window to the first floor; the ground-floor window has a small casement inserted into the top centre pane of its bottom sash. The return has a pitched natural slate roof with ridge level in line with the eaves of the main block, with a rendered chimney rising from the centre of the ridge. The return appears to have been originally constructed only to the centre of the rear elevation but was subsequently extended to the right. At ground-floor level on the gable of the return, left of centre, is an 8/8 sliding sash window with one pane featuring a bull's-eye, with a small modern 1/1 top-hung window to its right. At first-floor middle is a small 1/1 sliding sash window, and at the extreme right is a small two-pane casement set within a sash frame. A recessed tongue-and-groove door is positioned at the right of the left cheek of the return, with a small lean-to shed in the corner with the main block (slate roof, rendered walls, similar door). To the immediate right of the shed is a small 2/4 top-hung metal window with concrete cill, and centred between this window and the door is a 3/6 modern top-hung window without a cill. Between ground and first floors at the left is a tall landing light with leaded stained glass and metal security bars over (but no cill). At first-floor level is a 6/6 sliding sash window with security bars over the top sash.

The right cheek of the return is flush with the left gable of the house. At ground-floor level left is a 6/6 sliding sash window without horns, with stumps of metal security bars. To its right is a modern 6/6 top-hung window. Between these two windows is a 12/12 horizontal sliding sash window (each sash the size of a typical 6/6). Above this middle window at first-floor level is an 8/8 sliding sash window without horns. At the extreme right, over the ground-floor right window, is a canted oriel resting on two iron brackets. It has a canted, hipped roof, which ties into the return roof, and plastic rainwater goods. Each face has a tall casement with a coloured glass transom dating from around the turn of the 20th century. According to the owner, this oriel once led to a balcony with steps down to the garden. A satellite dish is affixed to the wall at the right.

The roof space was converted to an attic approximately 50 years ago.

The setting comprises mature grounds to the front with an oval drive leading from a gate at the left end of the Downshire Road boundary. This boundary wall is wet-dashed and has wrought-iron gates (post-World War II in design) with finely dressed one-piece granite posts bearing moulded caps. At the front right corner of the garden is a small relatively recent garage. A modern bungalow has been constructed in the garden to the left of the house, and another post-World War II house occupies the former orchard behind the house. A two-storey random rubble outhouse fronting Windsor Avenue also belongs to this property.