5-25 South Promenade, Newcastle, Ballaghbeg, Co Down, BT33 0EX

Two terrace blocks comprising 11 houses, all built between c.1885 and c.1910, located on the seafront at Newcastle.

The northern block consists of six large three-storey houses arranged in three distinct pairs. Each pair is handed, with large bays to the front and a degree of Free Style ornamentation throughout.

Nos. 5-7 are a pair of large three-storey houses dating to c.1900 with gabled roofs and rendered facades. Large unidentical returns project to the rear. To the front, each has a full-height hipped-roof canted bay, large flat-roofed entrance porch and arched windows, most of which appear to have retained their original sashes. The front facades feature various string and cill courses, with moulded surrounds to the entrances. The roofs are covered in natural slate with tall rendered chimney stacks. No. 5 has a large hipped-roof oriel window to the first floor on its north gable.

Nos. 9-11 also date to c.1900 and were built as a pair, though not handed. Both are three storeys with large full-height bays to the front topped with conical roofs and ornate 'balcony' hoods above the main entrances. Various string and cill courses feature, with scrolled pediment-like mouldings above the ground-floor bay windows. The front facades are finished in an unusual pebbledash with relatively large, uniform rounded pebbles. Tall gabled returns to the rear retain most of their original sliding sash windows. Tall brick chimney stacks are present.

Nos. 13-15 are a pair of slightly smaller three-storey houses dating to c.1895. Their front facades are handed, each with a large two-storey canted bay topped by a castellated parapet, with a similar parapet to the projecting entrance porches. The facades culminate in large gables. Both are finished in lined render with modern window frames. To the rear, each house has a large two-storey return, that to No. 13 flat-roofed and the other gabled. Both main gabled roofs appear to be covered in natural slate. The upper floor of the bay to No. 15 was rebuilt in recent years.

The southern block, collectively known as 'Glenada Terrace', contains five plain two-storey houses dating to perhaps c.1885-90, finished mainly in lined render with natural slate to the gabled roofs. The outer two pairs are largely identical, though both pairs are handed. Each has a large and smaller gable to the front and a two-storey hipped-roof canted bay underneath the larger gable. No. 21, in the centre of the group, is the exception, being symmetrical with two bays and two large gables. Each has large two-storey gabled returns to the rear. The window openings, several of which appear to have been enlarged in modern times, are all flat-headed, with modern windows to all except Nos. 21 and 23, which have retained their original sash windows.

Although the site is largely shown as occupied on Ordnance Survey maps of 1834 and 1859, the present houses all date from c.1885-1910. The plainer southern half is slightly older, possibly built c.1885-90. Of those in the northern half, Nos. 13-15 appear to be the oldest, perhaps dating from c.1895. While not list-worthy individually, the group merits recording as a cohesive ensemble.