STEWART'S PLACE
3 Stewart's Place, Holywood, Co Down
1988
View from the Priory church
yard
The earliest building in Holywood is the Priory (about a hundred
yards from this house), which dates from about 1190, but there
was little else to the village till it became a popular holiday
resort for Belfast merchants in the early 19th century. No.3 Stewart's
Place is typical of this stage of the development of the town,
being one of a pair of three-storey stucco houses with rounded
corners at the head of a narrow street on the seaward side of
the High Street. The street is named after Hugh Stewart, the first
post-master of Holywood, and the houses were probably both built
about 1840 by William Lowry. Originally no.3 had smaller houses
on its Stewart's Place gable, and linked to a good terrace on
High Street, but both have been demolished. It is still of importance
however for its contribution to the setting of the Priory and
contemporary houses on the other side of High Street, as well
as setting off its 'twin'.
Typically for its early Victorian date, the house is externally
plain, but has margin-paned windows and a doorcase with sidelights
and fanlight. Internally however, it has generously-proportioned
rooms with ornamental cornices and ceiling roses, chunky Victorian
fireplaces, panel doors, and an elegant curving staircase with
wreathed newel. Having lain vacant for a number of years it had
been vandalised, and the Housing Executive applied for listed
building consent to demolish it, but Hearth offered to buy it.
Consideration was given to the possibility of converting it to
flats, but this would have meant loss of the staircase, and it
was decided to restore it as a single house.
Wherever possible, existing timbers were reused, but new balustrades,
handrail and many replacement window shutters were required, while
much of the ornamental plasterwork also had to be replaced. Structural
repairs were necessary at the rear of the property, and an old
three-storey return (the ground and second floors of which belonged
to no.3 and the first floor to the demolished neighbour on High
Street) was demolished and replaced with a single-storey one.
The house was re-roofed and the stucco renewed; and the railings
were extended to enclose some vacant land left after demolition
of the neighbouring terrace.
Client: Hearth Revolving
Fund
Architect: Hearth
Structural Engineer: Kirk McClure & Morton
Main Contractor: Hugh J O'Boyle, Downpatrick
Restored: 1992-93
Accommodation: One four-bedroom house.
Assisted by loans and grants from: N I Housing Executive, Historic
Buildings Branch DoE, Architectural Heritage Fund and own capital.
