8 Charlemont Square East, Bessbrook, Co.Armagh

Two-storey two-bay mid-Victorian terraced house, built between 1862 and 1866 to designs by an unknown architect. The building forms part of Charlemont Square East, one side of a formally designed mid-Victorian square comprising 66 buildings in total arranged on three sides around a central green. No. 8 is one of twenty-seven similar houses on the eastern terrace, together with five larger two-and-a-half storey shop buildings to the southeast.

The building is constructed in random-coursed rock-faced local Newry Granodiorite with painted red brick dressings. It has painted stone cills and stepped red brick surrounds to gauged-brick cambered door and window openings, though door and window heads are now generally squared off with painted smooth cement render. The pitched roof is covered with fibre cement tiles and ridge tiles of black clay with rectangular-section red brick chimney to the northwest carrying two terracotta pots. The eaves are flush with a red brick corbel course, and metal ogee guttering discharges to circular section uPVC downpipes.

The principal southwest-facing elevation is nearly symmetrical and flush with the main terrace. A modest paved front yard is enclosed by smooth cement rendered dwarf walling topped with a painted metal foot gate to the southeast. A concrete path leads from the gate to a six-panelled painted timber door positioned to the southeast of the facade, fitted with brass furniture and a square-headed fanlight above with replacement glazing. The facade has regular fenestration with two windows at first-floor level aligned with ground-floor openings; all windows are now replacement uPVC top-opening casements.

The building is attached to No. 9 Charlemont Square East on the northwest and to No. 7 Charlemont Square East on the southeast. The northeast elevation, where visible, comprises a single-bay two-storey pitched roof rear return projecting into an enclosed rear yard. A planked painted timber door in random-coursed rock-faced stone boundary walling provides access from the rear route. The rear elevation generally has smooth cement rendered finish with timber top-opening casement windows. A back door is positioned on the northwest side of the rear return.

A large two-storey rear return was added circa 1989, creating an L-plan form.

The setting comprises a planned arrangement of mill workers' dwellings and shops forming a formal square, with East, West, and North terraces arranged around a central green, accessed primarily from Fountain Street to the southeast. Each dwelling is set back from the perimeter public road with a modest front yard typically enclosed by dwarf walling topped by hooped metal railings. The terraces are stepped in groups of two, respecting the subtle relief of the site. Larger rear yards are enclosed by random-coursed rubble stone walling with square-headed door openings onto a wide rear access route. The central square is laid to lawn and enclosed by hooped galvanized metal railings with established trees at its boundary. A children's playground occupies the southeast area, including a monument to the installation of electric lighting in 1911.