Laurel Hill, 2 Dublin Road, Newry, Co Down, BT35 8DA

Laurel Hill is a three-bay, two-storey house with basement, situated on Dublin Road in Newry. Built in the early 19th century (1800–1819), it is distinguished by its proportioned facade, ornamental detailing and carefully planted grounds.

The building is rendered throughout with stepped quoins and sits on an east-facing slope, with the basement directly accessible from the rear and north gable. The gabled roof is finished in natural slate with rendered chimneys at the north gable and towards the south end. An ornate cast iron cyma-recta gutter with fretted edge cresting runs along the front.

The principal entrance is central to the ground floor, accessed by five granite steps with a splayed parapet rendered wall. The door has projecting jambs and a semi-elliptical arch, with a simple glazed fanlight above a spring line cornice decorated with shell motifs. The door itself comprises four panels with raised fields, beaded muntin and traditional furniture, flanked by cilled three-paned side lights.

The window fenestration is consistently detailed. All windows are sliding sashes without horns, with painted granite cills. At ground floor are three part windows: large 1/1 sashes flanked by narrow 2/2 sashes to rooms either side of the door, each with projecting plaster moulded rendered architraves. At first floor, immediately below the eaves at left and right are 6/3 sashes with 2/1 sashes to each side; between them is a single 6/3 sash, set lower in the wall despite matching height. All first floor windows have stepped rendered architraves. The basement is lit by two windows along the front: a six-pane fixed light to the left and a two-pane casement with central mullion to the right.

The left gable has two small derelict outhouses abutting at basement level, one containing an entrance into the house. The right gable forms the party wall with the adjoining property (Avoca House), with which Laurel Hill shares its facade and common roof.

The rear elevation features two fixed windows at basement level (one six-paned, the other ten-paned), with steps leading up to a central door between basement and ground floor levels. This door has two lower fielded panels, a margin-paned glazed top panel and three-pane fanlight. To its right is a three-part window comprising a 6/6 sliding sash with 2/2 sash sidelights. At half-landing level between ground and first floors is a 6/6 sliding sash with exposed boxes. On the first floor at right is a canted oriel window with natural slate hip roof terminated by a ball finial, comprising 1/1 sashes to each bay. To the left is a 2/2 sliding sash just below eaves level.

The building probably retains most of its original internal configuration and fixtures.

Historical Record

A house was recorded at this location on the 1833 Ordnance Survey 6-inch map. The 1836 Valuation Book describes it as measuring 41 feet 6 inches by 33 feet 6 inches by 21 feet, with a 7-foot high cellar—dimensions broadly corresponding with the building shown on the 1861 1:500 Ordnance Survey map. Documentary evidence indicates that Laurel Hill was originally depicted as a detached property with a central stepped entrance. The adjoining property, Avoca House, is a later addition, though both now share the same facade detailing in render, window surrounds and gutters. The 1885 Valuation Revision Book records two occupiers at this location with the same surname, suggesting the addition was made around that time.

Setting

The grounds to the north and east are planted with mature trees, shrubs and lawn. A wooded serpentine walk follows a stream with three small ornamental ponds, now silted up. The mature planted setting significantly enhances the building's character.