28 Canal Street, Newry, Co Down, BT35 6JF

28 Canal Street, Newry

A three and a half storey townhouse with basement, standing on the west side of Canal Street. The building is four bays wide, though its symmetry is broken by the fourth bay to the right. The pitched natural slate roof is concrete coped to the gables and carries two cast iron skylights to each pitch. A rendered chimney rises to the left of both the rear and front pitch. Semicircular metal rainwater goods and a downpipe run down the right side of the façade.

The east elevation (façade) is finished in painted lined render with a raised basecourse, chamfered between the basement and ground floor. The first and third bays from the left each contain two window openings and are symmetrical about the entrance bay (second from left), which is one bay wide. The fourth bay has a single opening.

Six granite steps of diminishing width rise from the street to a granite threshold at the front door on the second bay from the left. These steps are flanked on either side by a quadrant sweep of plain spiked railings, resting on a granite coped rendered plinth. The front door itself is stained timber with a segmental headed leaded top panel and four fielded bottom panels (three vertical over one horizontal). It features a large brass letterbox. Above the door is a plain glass semicircular headed transom light. The door has a raised stepped painted granite jamb, a semicircular head of granite voussoirs and a raised keystone. The door reveal is lined with timber flush panelling. To the left of the front door is a modern plastic plaque with the occupant's name.

All windows to the façade are painted timber fixed pane with top-hung transoms. The first and third bays at ground floor each have two windows; those to the third bay have leaded Art Nouveau transom lights. The fourth bay features a semicircular headed blind arch inset with lined cement rendered walls, containing a three paned casement (each with plain transoms over) between the basement and ground floor. Just below first floor level is a pair of six paned casement windows with spiked security bars.

The basement openings are as follows: to the first bay is a tripartite window comprising a 2/2 sliding sash flanked by two 1/1 sashes, all set in a single opening with painted granite cill. To the second bay, below the front steps, is a two paned timber casement. To the third bay are two two paned casements with transoms. The basement passage is paved and raised to just below ground level at the right side, where a coach arch has been infilled. Railings to the front steps continue to left and right, enclosing the basement area.

To each upper floor are six equally spaced windows as those to the ground floor. Those to the second floor diminish in height, with the right four having leaded Art Nouveau style transoms. All are painted timber.

The south gable wall is painted lined render, with a semicircular headed modern timber window in the apex (lighting the half storey) and a granite cill. The right gable is abutted by a lower adjoining building; the wall above is lined rendered as on the left, with a single two paned segmental headed window with leaded fanlight and a similar half storey window.

The rear elevation is abutted on the left by two bays of a three storey link block connecting to a former school building at the rear. The remaining wall is painted lined render with a raised basecourse. At basement level the return abuts the first and second bays from the left. To the left side of the third bay is a projecting porch with a flat roof behind a parapet. The porch walls are painted lined render. Its door is three panelled painted timber (top panel glazed, bottom two linen fold), with side lights and a three paned transom. Each side light has a moulded render cill. To either corner is a panelled pilaster supporting a dentiled semicircular broken pediment to the parapet, which rests on a dentiled cornice to the right cheek. The right cheek is rendered as the front, with a two paned casement window with single glazed transom over and moulded render cill. At basement level to the right of the porch is a small modern two paned casement window with concrete cill. To the right bay at basement is a modern six paned horizontal timber window.

To the second bay from left at ground floor is a two paned casement with single transom over, with a similar opening above at second floor. Above on the third floor is a modern escape door leading to the roof of the link block. On the third bay, to the left over the porch, is a two paned casement with leaded transom, with a two paned casement to the second floor and a two paned casement window with transom above, each serving the stairwell. To the right side of this bay is a single window to each half landing level—one between basement and ground floor, one between ground and first, and one between first and second—all two paned casements with leaded transoms. The right bay has two windows to each floor; those at ground floor are 1/1 modern casements with concrete cills, equally spaced. Those to the first and second floors are similar, but the right windows are offset to the left.

The basement is at ground level due to the sloping topography of the site.