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

Laurel Lodge is a two-storey, three-bay symmetrical house with a two-storey rear return, set in mature grounds on the east side of Downshire Road. The building is Grade B1.

The main structure has a pitched natural slate roof with rendered chimneys rising from each gable of the main block. All walls are lined with render. Half-round metal rainwater goods are fitted throughout. Windows generally have horns and granite cills unless otherwise noted.

The main façade faces west. It features stepped stucco quoins and slightly raised stepped stucco jambs to all openings. Three granite steps lead to the central entrance, which comprises a painted timber door with six raised bolection-moulded panels, beaded muntin, and brass furniture. The door is flanked by a pair of three-quarter attached granite Tuscan columns with moulded granite entablature, over which sits a semi-elliptical timber cobweb fanlight. The left and right bays each contain a single 1/1 sliding sash window at ground floor. The first floor has three 1/1 sashes aligned with the openings below but diminished in height; their top sashes are double the size of the bottom frames, originally probably 6/3. The wall continues left of the façade to form a boundary to a yard, which is accessed by a painted tongue-and-groove door.

The left gable has a small single-pane window at ground floor left with a shallow swept render hood and concrete cill. Abutting this in the corner of the yard is a small one-storey shed of corrugated asbestos. At first floor 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 two-storey return abuts the middle and right bays of the rear elevation. The remainder of the rear elevation, the left bay, has a single 6/6 sliding sash window at ground floor and a similar window at 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. A single rendered chimney rises from the centre of the ridge, aligned with the middle of the main block, making the return's pitches uneven in width and gradient. The return appears to have been originally constructed only to the centre of the rear elevation but was subsequently extended to the right.

On the gable of the return at ground floor left is an 8/8 sliding sash window with one pane featuring a bull's-eye. To its right is a small modern 1/1 top-hung window. At first floor middle is a small 1/1 sliding sash window. At the extreme right is a small two-paned casement set within a sash frame. The right cheek of the return is flush with the left gable of the house. At ground floor left is a 6/6 sliding sash without horns; stumps of metal security bars remain. At the 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 is an 8/8 sliding sash 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 that ties into the return roof, with plastic rainwater goods. Each face has a tall casement with coloured glass transom, dated to the turn of the century. The owner states this once led to a balcony with steps down to the garden. On the left cheek of the return is a recessed tongue-and-groove door at the right. At the left, in the corner with the main block, is a small lean-to shed with slate roof, render walls, and a similar door. To its immediate right is a small 2/4 top-hung metal window with concrete cill. Centred between this window and the door at right is a 3/6 modern top-hung window without cill. Between ground and first floors at the left is a tall landing light with leaded stained glass; metal security bars are fitted over it but there is no cill. To its right at first floor is a 6/6 sliding sash window with security bars over the top sash. A satellite dish is affixed to the wall at right.

The property is set within a mature garden to the front, with an oval drive leading from a gate at the left end of the Downshire Road boundary wall. This wall is wet dashed. The gates are wrought iron, post-World War Two 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. Another post-World War Two house stands in the former orchard behind the house. A two-storey random rubble outhouse fronting Windsor Avenue also belongs to this property.