7 Corry’s Square, Newry, Co Down, BT35 6AW

7 Corry's Square, Newry

This is the right (west) building of a symmetrical pair of three-storey Georgian Classical townhouses with attic storeys, now converted to a single property, occupying the north side of Corry's Square. Built in the early 19th century, probably between 1820 and 1839, it retains most of its original architectural features and forms an important contribution to the square alongside its mirror-image neighbour.

The building presents a two-bay facade beneath a pitched natural slate roof with two smooth rendered chimneys—one to the right gable and one to the party wall between the two houses. Two cast iron skylights pierce the front pitch. Semicircular metal rainwater goods with downpipe run to the right corner of the facade.

The south elevation is painted lined render with stepped render quoins to the right corner. A moulded string course runs between the first and second floors, with a similar course above the second-floor window heads, and a raised render eaves course crowns the wall. The main entrance is positioned at ground floor right, accessed by four granite steps with wrought iron railings on both sides, leading to a segmental headed opening with ashlar granite jambs and archivolt. Behind the boarded-up entrance lies an aedicule comprising a pair of timber fluted Ionic columns supporting an entablature, flanking a ten-panelled raised and fielded bolection moulded painted timber door.

All windows to the facade have stop-end chamfered reveals and heads with granite cills. They are 1/1 sliding sashes with horns, now boarded up. The ground floor left contains two windows; the first and second floors each have three equally spaced windows, those to the second floor being diminished in height. The right gable, abutted by the lower adjacent building No. 6, shows exposed smooth rendered masonry. The left gable is a party wall with No. 8.

The rear elevation is painted coursed random rubble. A two-storey return or outbuilding abuts the ground floor left, while a lean-to extension abuts the right. Single windows punctuate the upper floors: to the first floor right a 9/9 sliding sash window, to the first floor centre a window opening partially obscured by the return, and to the left between first and second floors a 6/6 sliding sash. The second floor contains 6/6 sliding sash windows to right and centre, and a 6/3 sliding sash window to the left between second floor and attic. The rear return, with natural slate roof and dashed walls, encloses the yard and contains an assortment of metal-framed and sliding sash windows.

The building appears on the 1835 town map. The 1838 Valuation Book records it measuring 26 feet by 33 feet by 35 feet and occupied by John Reid. The 1863 Valuation shows broadly similar measurements, indicating no significant alterations between these dates. By the early 20th century, this house and its neighbour (No. 8) had been connected internally and operated as the Victoria Hotel, as shown on the 1903 Ordnance Survey map and confirmed in the 1921 Valuation Book.