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

28 Canal Street, Newry

A substantial mid-Georgian town house of three and a half storeys with basement, retaining a number of original features, though degraded by loss of chimneys and replacement of windows.

The building is a four-bay former townhouse on the west side of Canal Street, built between 1820 and 1839, originally constructed for Mr Ogle, an Armagh merchant who had established a shipping business in Newry trading principally in sugar from the West Indies. The building appears on the 1835 Ordnance Survey town map and is described in the 1838 Valuation as a dwelling measuring 56 feet by 33 feet by 33 feet, then occupied by Isabella Jefferson. By 1861 it was cited as the Convent of Mercy, with associated laundry and school. The 1863 Valuation records dimensions consistent with those of 1838.

The pitched natural slate roof is concrete coped to the gables, with a rendered chimney to the left of the rear pitch and to the left gable of the front pitch. Two cast iron skylights sit on each pitch. Semicircular metal rainwater goods with downpipe run to the right of the façade.

The east elevation (façade) is rendered with raised basecourse chamfered between basement and ground floor. The composition would be symmetrical but for the fourth bay to the right. The first and third bays from left each contain two openings and are symmetrical about the entrance bay (second from left), which is one bay wide. The fourth bay has one opening. Six granite steps of diminishing width rise from the street to a granite threshold at the front door on the second bay from left. These are flanked on each side by a quadrant sweep of plain spiked railings resting on a granite coped rendered plinth. The stained timber door has a segmental headed leaded top panel, four fielded bottom panels (three vertical over one horizontal), and a large brass letterbox. Above is a plain glass semicircular headed transom light. The door has a raised stepped painted granite jamb with a semicircular head of granite voussoirs and raised keystone. The door reveal is lined with timber flush panelling. A modern plastic plaque stating the occupant's name is affixed to the left of the front door.

All windows to the façade are painted timber fixed pane with top-hung transoms over. 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 has a semicircular headed blind arch inset with lined cement rendered walls and a three-paned casement (each with plain transoms over) between basement and ground floor. Just below first floor level is a pair of six-paned casement windows with spiked security bars over. Basement openings, from left to right, comprise: at the first bay, a tripartite window made up of a 2/2 sliding sash flanked by two 1/1 sashes, all set in a single opening with painted granite cill; at the second bay, below the front steps, a two-paned timber casement; and at the third bay, two two-paned casements with transoms in line windows above. The basement passage is paved and to the right (at an infilled coach-arch) it is raised to just below ground level. Railings to the front steps continue left and right, enclosing the basement area. To each upper floor are six equally spaced windows as those to ground floor. Those to the second floor diminish in height, and the right four have leaded Art Nouveau style transoms over. All are painted timber.

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

The rear elevation is abutted on the left two bays by a three-storey link block connecting to a former school building at the rear. The basement is at ground level due to the sloping topography of the site. The remaining rear wall is painted lined render with raised basecourse. At basement the return abuts the first and second bays from left. To the left side of the third bay is a projecting porch with flat roof behind a parapet. Its walls are painted lined render. The door is three-panelled painted timber (top panel glazed, bottom two linen fold) with side lights and three-paned transom. Each side light has a moulded render cill. To each 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 to the second floor and 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 are single windows to each half landing level (one between basement and ground floor, one between ground and first, and a third 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 and equally spaced. Those to first and second floors are similar windows but the right windows are offset to left.

The building is now recorded as an office and lies within a conservation area. It remains substantially altered since its mid-Georgian heyday, with multiple window replacements and loss of original chimneys, though its overall form and several original features survive.