Malone Conservation Area - Character AppraisalMalone Conservation Area Character Appraisal The...

Malone Conservation Area - Character Appraisal

Public Consultation Draft


Malone Conservation Area Character Appraisal The Department of the Environment designated the Malone Conservation Area in August 2000 and is now publishing this draft character appraisal, of the area, for the purposes of public consultation. The purpose of the character appraisal is to assist the Department in discharging its functions in the Conservation Area and you are invited to send your views on its contents. As part of this consultation the Department has highlighted a number of specific issues in order to stimulate debate and comment. How to give your views Responses should be made in writing and sent to: Malone Conservation Area Character Appraisal 2nd Floor Millennium House 19-25 Great Victoria Street Belfast BT2 7BA

It would be particularly helpful if comments could be forwarded by e-mail to: [email protected] The Department will also be consulting Belfast City Council, the Historic Buildings Council and other appropriate bodies as part of this consultation. The consultation period will end on 18th February 2005. Further copies of this document can be obtained by telephone: (028) 90 416858, fax: (028) 90 416801 or textphone (028) 90 540642 . The document is also available at the Planning Service website: www.planningni.gov.uk and the Belfast Divisional Planning Office. In keeping with our policy on openness, the Department may make responses to the consultation publicly available upon request

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Matters upon which the Department would particularly like to hear your views:

1. This draft character appraisal proposes 17 sub areas within the existing boundary of the Malone Conservation Area. Do you think this is an appropriate means of assessing the characteristics of the Conservation Area? If not what do you think is appropriate?

2. Are you of the opinion that a smaller number of sub areas can be identified? If so how many? What, in your opinion, would be the benefit of such an approach?

3. Do you think individual conservation areas should be designated within the boundary of the existing Malone Conservation Area?

4. Does the draft character appraisal capture the distinctive characteristics of the Conservation Area? If not what matters do you think are required to achieve this?

5. Is there adequate emphasis on the architectural and historical development of the Malone Conservation Area?

6. Does the draft character appraisal satisfactorily emphasise the landscape setting of the sub areas within the Malone Conservation Area?

7. Would you like to see advice given on acceptable approaches to design in the conservation area? For example, the reproduction approach, the traditional approach and the use of contemporary buildings

8. Are there any aspects of the document you think could be added to or removed?

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Introduction The Malone Conservation Area was designated in August 2000 as it is considered to be an area of special architectural and historic interest, the character of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.

Designation as a conservation area introduces control over the demolition of unlisted buildings under Article 51 of the Planning (NI) Order 1991, while trees are automatically protected in line with Article 26 of the Planning (Amendment) (NI) Order 2003. In addition designation introduces certain additional limitations on the exercise of permitted development rights contained in the Planning (General Development) Order (NI) 1993.

The Importance of Conservation Conservation is not a cosmetic exercise. Securing the preservation or enhancement of the historic built environment stems from strong cultural, economic and environmental objectives, the recognition of which is long established in various International Charters.

The character and appearance of a Conservation Area is inseparable from the physical fabric of which it is made. It is important therefore that anyone intending to carry out any work in a Conservation Area which affects its buildings, their settings, trees, open spaces or street scenes consider the implications and see all prospective changes, however small, within the context of the their wider impact.

Policy Context The Department's regional policies for Conservation Areas and other features of Northern Ireland's built heritage are currently set out in Planning Policy Statement 6 ‘Planning, Archaeology and the Built Heritage’ published in March 1999. Planning Policy Statement 7 ‘Quality Residential Environments’, published in June 2001 also includes specific policy provision for new residential development in Conservation Areas.

This character appraisal has been prepared to supplement the Department’s regional policies and is a material consideration for Planning Service in discharging its planning functions in the Malone Conservation Area. All those intend it for use with an interest in the Conservation Area, or those undertaking works on its buildings, landscape, streets or spaces.

Applicants seeking planning permission, conservation area consent, advertisement consent, listed building consent or grant aid for work in the Conservation Area should be able to demonstrate how they have taken into account this character appraisal and how their proposals will contribute to its preservation or enhancement. The Department will endeavour to ensure that the activities of statutory undertakers and public agencies will maintain or improve the environmental quality and distinctive attributes of the Malone Conservation Area.

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Design The design of new buildings or the extension or alteration of existing ones within the Malone Conservation Area should be treated with the utmost sensitivity and careful thought. This requires particular architectural and historic knowledge, judgement, skill and care to ensure that such proposals do not damage or devalue the old, and that they are keeping with the character and appearance of the particular area.

The main attributes of the Malone Conservation Area are its physical appearance, the form and features of buildings and spaces between them, and its history.

The area reflects a number of periods of historical development and this has resulted in variety of character in individual parts of the conservation area. It is the contrast between the appearance of these areas and the combination of buildings of various ages, materials and styles that gives Malone its uniqueness.

In reaching an appropriate design solution for building within the Malone Conservation Area proposals should relate to the architectural character, now in place, and take contextual cues from the historical buildings to design in a way that will maintain and hopefully enhance the quality of the existing environment.

Successful new development in Malone should: • relate well to the geography, topography and history of the

area having regard to the specific characteristics of its locality;

• sit comfortably within the pattern of existing development, landscape setting and the routes through and around it;

• respect important views; • respect the scale of neighbouring buildings; • use materials and building methods which are as high in

quality as those used in the existing buildings; and • create new places and views, which add to the variety and

texture of the setting.

The Malone Conservation Area also contains a number of Listed Buildings. These are buildings of special architectural or historic merit, and are afforded particular statutory protection. Once a building is listed, the consent of the Department is required for its demolition and for any works of alteration or extension, including works to the interior, that would affect its special character. Protection includes fixtures and curtilage structures. Proposals to alter Listed Buildings should be generally in the style of their period and the Department’s Environment and Heritage Service should be consulted on such matters before any work is commissioned

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Malone Conservation Area Character Appraisal The Malone Conservation Area is important both architecturally and historically and provides a social commentary on the residential development of this part of south Belfast over a 150-year period. It exhibits a very high standard of townscape character overall with many period Victorian and Edwardian properties intermingled with important inter-war development. The mature landscape setting of the area also contributes significantly to the special qualities of this attractive suburban setting.

At the time the Malone Conservation Area was designated the Department published a leaflet detailing the boundary of the area. Despite being the largest Conservation Area in Northern Ireland no detailed guidance was produced at that time. In recognition of the need for a detailed analysis of the area, the Department commissioned Mr John MacIlhagga, RIBA to prepare a report appraising its character. Based on his draft report and the 17 sub-areas identified therein the Department has now prepared and published a full character appraisal report for the Malone Conservation Area.1 This sets out information for each sub-area under the following headings: Principal Thoroughfares; Historical Development, Listed Buildings, Spatial Quality, Boundary Treatments, Land Use; and Character and Appearance.

The full report is available on the Planning Service website at www.planningni.gov.uk

The Department accepts that the Conservation Area is diverse in nature. This is in part due to its size, but more importantly is a result of the historic development of its built form. The Department therefore acknowledges that there are a number of distinctive areas within it that display characteristics specific to them, but which are not necessarily typical of the Conservation Area as a whole.

This consultation paper seeks views on the 17 sub-areas identified in the Department’sreport and incorporates extracts from the report relating to the spatial quality and character and appearance of each area. The 17 sub-areas are:

A. Eglantine/Wellington J. Newforge B. Derryvolgie/Windsor K. Bladon/Deramore C. Cadogan L. Broomhill D. Marlborough M. Danesfort E. Cranmore N. Nottinghill F. Bawnmore/Cranmore O. Cleaver G. Osborne P. Queen’s Elms/ H. Maryville/Myrtlefield Stranmillis College I. Balmoral Q. Lennoxvale/Sans

Souci

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Financial Assistance Financial assistance for works to the built heritage is available from a number of sources. However, the ongoing situation can be fluid with sources and levels of funding changing. Information on sources of funding for works to the built heritage of Northern Ireland was brought together for the first time in 1999 in the publication ‘Directory of Funds for Historic Buildings Northern Ireland’, by the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society in association with the Department’s Environment and Heritage Service. This is currently being updated.

The Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) launched in April 1998, which is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), is the main source of funding currently available within Conservation Areas. This aims – in partnership with the public, private and voluntary sectors – to create exemplars of conservation practice and management.

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A. EGLANTINE / WELLINGTON

Principal Thoroughfares Cussick Street Eglantine Avenue Eglantine Gardens Eglantine Place Lisburn Road Malone Road Malone Avenue Park Lane Wellington Park Wellington Park Avenue Wellington Park Terrace

Spatial Quality A sloping topography helps create visual interest along the straight thoroughfares, particularly in Eglantine Avenue where the stepping of the terraces brings relief to the long, repetitive frontages and the rise and fall of the terrain provides continually changing views. The vista from Eglantine Avenue towards the Malone Road is closed by the prominent landmark building of Fisherwick Presbyterian Church.

The trees lining the sides of thoroughfares are important elements within the townscape, for as well as enhancing the appearance of the public realm they combine with front gardens to create a zone of natural growth which complements the inert three dimensional structures behind.

This is especially noticeable along Eglantine Avenue where mature trees and front gardens, help soften the appearance of the long, brick terraces.

The presence of a front garden at each property is an important feature of the Eglantine / Wellington area as it clearly distinguishes the private domain from the public realm and introduces a pleasing landscaped buffer zone between the building and the public thoroughfare.

Also of importance to the character and appearance of the townscape are the private and public spaces to the rear of the terrace properties where there is a unique openness between the terrace blocks. Physical components associated with this rear spatial quality include yards, gardens and laneways.

Character and Appearance Eglantine / Wellington is essentially an area of mid to late Victorian residential development, displaying two distinct periods of building each with its own architecture. There are also several properties from the Edwardian and inter-war periods in Malone Avenue, particularly a group close to its junction with the Lisburn Road. The first phase of Victorian suburban settlement took place along Wellington Park where a mixture of detached, semi-detached and terrace dwellings was erected from the mid-nineteenth century through to the 1880s. These relatively large, two storey houses, each with a comfortably sized front garden, display an individuality of design with the earliest

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examples using classically inspired stucco architecture. Today, Wellington Park remains a distinctive historic suburban environment and a heritage asset for the Conservation Area.

The second major phase of Victorian building work was undertaken when substantial terrace properties were constructed along Eglantine Avenue and Malone Avenue during the 1890s. This period of development resulted in a townscape different in appearance from Wellington Park for a number of reasons, namely, the dwellings were on narrower plots giving a higher density; the residential form throughout was the terrace; terraces constructed at different times were contiguous; there was a distinct lack of variety and individuality in the appearance of the street frontages, the majority of structures were built using brick. These two Victorian developments combine to give the area a unique residential identity within the wider context of the Conservation Area.

There is a visual and physical uniformity throughout the Eglantine / Wellington area due to the consistency of the built form which remains generally intact without serious disruptive interventions. Of equal importance to the quality of the townscape is the three dimensional form at the rear of the terrace blocks. Here, the traditional hierarchy of dominant main houses and subordinate returns is of architectural and historic interest to the character and appearance of the area.

An essential suburban component belonging to each property is the front garden area, a private space normally separated from the public thoroughfare by a boundary element with entrance gate leading to main front door.

As well as providing changing views and vistas within the townscape, the sloping topography brings visual interest to the long, monolithic appearance of the terraces through the necessary stepping of the blocks as they traverse the inclined terrain.

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B. DERRYVOLGIE / WINDSOR

Principal Thoroughfares Derryvolgie Avenue Eileen Gardens Lisburn Road Malone Road Windsor Avenue Windsor Avenue North

Windsor Park Spatial Quality Where original properties remain intact which is generally in the western half of the area, there is a distinct spatial quality associated with the nineteenth century suburban nature of the environment. Original buildings sit comfortably on their plots and most still retain their landscaped front gardens creating private front zones, which add to the sense of maturity, seclusion and privacy

The character of the Derryvolgie / Windsor area is further enhanced by a sloping topography which creates thoroughfares that rise and fall, an attribute which generates a continually changing townscape, providing views out of the area to the hills beyond. The corner location of Windsor Church on its elevated site at the junction of Derryvolgie Avenue and the Lisburn Road, ensures that the three dimensional quality of the Victorian architecture becomes a most pleasing, prominent landmark within the locality.

Character and Appearance This is an area consisting of two distinct building periods - Victorian and post-war (1960s-1990s). Historically, for the Malone Conservation Area it represents the initial phase of the establishment of the Malone Ridge as a suburban location south of Belfast town centre.

The Windsor development was one of the first planned suburban townscapes in the then rural environment; here semi-detached and detached villas were set on generous plots of land along the new thoroughfares of Windsor Avenue and Windsor Avenue North. The two earliest semi-detached residences, built 1853 and 1856 still remain at 8-10 Windsor Avenue North. Because of these factors, this particular locality is a significant heritage asset for the Malone Conservation Area.

The Victorian built environment remains generally in the western half of the Derryvolgie / Windsor area extending up to and along the Lisburn Road. The nineteenth century suburban character and appearance is still very apparent in the vicinity of the junctions of Derryvolgie Avenue, Windsor Avenue and Windsor Park and the Lisburn Road. Particularly pleasing is the close visual and physical relationship between Windsor Church and the surrounding residences.

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C. CADOGAN

Principal Thoroughfares Cadogan Park Lisburn Road Malone Road

Spatial Quality Cadogan Park is a pleasing suburban environment possessing well maintained, landscaped garden areas fronting on to an excellent tree lined public road. Due to the nature of the topography, buildings on the north side near the Malone Road are at a higher level than those on the south side of the road. This difference in levels together with the sloping gradient of the road creates a visually interesting residential townscape.

Character and Appearance The character of Cadogan Park is created by an amalgam of townscape elements consisting of a linear, rectangular shaped development with an east-west axis divided symmetrically by an inclined thoroughfare; original Edwardian and inter-war residential architecture; mature landscaped plots with domestic boundary elements and openings; a spatial quality associated with the properties, a sloping topography giving distinct changes of level in both north-south and east-west directions and a public thoroughfare lined each side by regularly spaced mature trees.

There is a distinct historical progression in the design and form of the dwellings along Cadogan Park which mirrors the change in social needs and attitudes prior to and following the First World War. The relationship which exists between the built heritage and its location, particularly the earlier, larger plots on the higher north side, produces a visually interesting and legible suburban streetscape.

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D. MARLBOROUGH

Principal Thoroughfares Lisburn Road Marlborough Park Cross

Malone Road Avenue.

Marlborough Gardens Marlborough Park North.

Marlborough Park Marlborough Park South.

Marlborough Park Central Thornhill Gardens

Spatial Quality The Marlborough area is a most pleasant suburban environment in which there is a particular spatial hierarchy as a result of varying sized properties, ranging from the largest plots belonging to original Victorian residences down to the smaller, more compact sites occupied by inter-war semi-detached houses.

Landscaped gardens and mature trees fill the spaces around dwellings creating a natural setting for domestic structures.

Character and Appearance The distinct suburban character and appearance of the Marlborough development is generated by the presence of a number of important townscape components, namely: historic residential buildings; a westwards sloping topography; landscaped settings; a distinctive spatial quality; clearly identifiable boundaries defining the private domains and the public realm narrow curving thoroughfares creating interesting vistas and views.

Within the area there are two complementary townscape forms representing different periods of development. The sloping perimeter roads of Marlborough Park South and Marlborough Park North date from the original late Victorian and Edwardian periods and their narrow, curving nature produce a picturesque environment with ever changing vistas and views. This streetscape contrasts with the later inter-war roads of Marlborough Park Central and Marlborough Park Cross Avenue, where the linear layout of the thoroughfares reflect a more rational approach to suburban development.

Curving thoroughfares such as those in the Marlborough area can have an influencing effect on certain properties, for example, buildings located at distinct changes of road direction can become focal points and can close vistas - they become landmark structures. On the other hand, a more gradual curve in the road can produce properties with irregular plot shapes and non-parallel boundaries - in these circumstances; the consistency of ninety-degree structural forms becomes a unifying feature of the townscape. Examples are present in the Marlborough locality.

There is a legible historical progression in the design and form of the dwellings within this locality which reflects the change in social needs and attitudes prior to and following the First World War. This relationship between building and the advancement of society is a positive attribute that gives the area a sense of place and makes it a unique living environment.

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E. CRANMORE

Principal Thoroughfares Bawnmore Road Malone Road Cranmore Park Osborne Gardens Lisburn Road Randal Park

Spatial Quality The Cranmore area contains the greatest amount of original open land in the Malone Conservation Area. A combination of space and topography together with groupings of tall mature trees makes this part of the Conservation Area both historically interesting and aesthetically pleasing. The openness contrasts in a complementary manner with the surrounding enclosure of the suburban built environment.

Because of the sloping topography views along the streetscap are continually changing both in subject and distance, giving rise to pleasing townscape images, particularly in the vicinity of the Cranmore Park / Osborne Gardens junction and upon approaching Lisburn Road along Cranmore Park.

As in other neighbouring areas, there are well-defined private and public zones created by landscaped spaces around all dwellings with distinct separating front boundaries.

Character and Appearance This area is a very important location and a significant heritage asset for the Conservation Area primarily for

historical reasons, as it provides tangible evidence spread over a four hundred-year period of residential development on the Malone Ridge.

The mid-seventeenth century, one and a half storey Cranmore House is the oldest surviving dwelling in the Malone area and was most likely the home of a relatively wealthy person on account of its size and construction. Its position close to the thoroughfare was typical of the siting of dwellings along the spine of the ridge leaving the west and east slopes for agricultural use. This type of settlement pattern remained unchanged until events during the first half of the nineteenth century heralded the beginnings of substantial residential development on the Ridge.

From the 1850s onwards parcels of land were bought on which to construct large villas as at Drumglass House (1856) and Thornhill (1856) - demolished. Mount Randal (1881), now Inchmarlo, was a later residence. While suburbanisation during the second half of the nineteenth century began to be implemented along Cranmore Road and on Osborne Gardens, it never took over the Cranmore, Drumglass and Mount Randal / Inchmarlo estates.

Today, the visual and physical features of grassed open spaces, trees, large detached villas set within their grounds, a seventeenth century dwelling and suburban residences from the late Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war years, create a townscape of major historical and architectural interest.

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F. BAWNMORE / CRANMORE

Principal Thoroughfares Bawnmore Road Cranmore Avenue Cranmore Gardens Lancefield Road Lisburn Road Osborne Drive Randal Park

Spatial Quality The parallel layout of the Victorian and Edwardian properties in the vicinity of Cranmore Park, Cranmore Avenue, Cranmore Gardens and Bawnmore Road together with the sloping topography and general openness, creates a unique sense of place with its own particular spatial identity. There is a separation between the three dimensional residential structures which generates a layering of space and visual interest as distances expand and contract.

Private zones are characterised by front gardens and front boundary features usually of vegetation. Only the terrace dwellings have no garden areas. The tree lined public spaces of Bawnmore Road and Cranmore Gardens create a visually pleasing residential environment.

Character and Appearance The Cranmore / Bawnmore suburban development has an historical record that can be traced back to the original estate lands and boundaries belonging to Cranmore House and Maryville House. It is an area of intact period dwellings dating from both the late 1890s through to the inter-war years of the 1920s / 1930s. The standard of Victorian and Edwardian domestic architecture is high and in combination with mature landscaped plots, spatial quality, tree lined public thoroughfares and sloping topography, an historic suburban townscape is created which contributes significantly to the character and appearance of the Malone Conservation Area.

It is an area where original residences were laid out generally in a parallel, linear pattern and road layouts, building lines, plot patterns and dwellings which were established in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, remain intact to the present day.

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G. OSBORNE

Principal Thoroughfares Lisburn Road Malone Road Osborne Park.

Spatial Quality Landscaped plots with mature trees make this an attractive, intimate, suburban environment, particularly the section where the narrow road curves as it slopes down to the Lisburn Road. However, the sense of enclosure is missing at the Malone Road end due to the presence of playing fields along the north side which allows space to leak away.

Well-established garden zones clearly distinguish the private domains from the public realm and the spaces around the properties create settings for the original architectural compositions.

Character and Appearance A combination of a number of townscape features makes Osborne Park a significant suburban environment and an important contributor to the character and appearance of the Malone Conservation Area. Attributes include intact period domestic architecture; mature landscaped grounds; a spatial quality associated with private and public zones; a sloping topography on which a narrow curving road lined with trees creates a visually pleasing streetscape.

Osborne Park has a clear historical progression in its architecture with domestic buildings from the late-Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war periods. This important characteristic related to the passage of time, gives the observer a sense of history both in architectural and social terms as dwellings vary in shape and form reflecting changing attitudes to lifestyle.

The size / bulk of the Victorian residences begins to decrease as buildings enter the early 1900s and the Edwardian period. After the First World War, houses during the 1920s / 30s are considerably smaller and more compact. The 1960s development in the grounds of the original Osborne House brought two new residential forms to the Park, that of the purpose built flat / apartment block and the split level / bungalow dwelling. A feature which remained constant throughout these years was the presence of landscaped gardens, a fundamental ingredient of the quintessential suburban property.

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H. MARYVILLE / MYRTLEFIELD

Principal Thoroughfares Lisburn Road Malone Road Osborne Park.

Spatial Quality The two spatial zones of private domain and public realm are well defined along both Maryville Park and Myrtlefield Park. All dwellings have mature landscaped plots especially those in Myrtlefield Park and each residence is comfortably set back from the road. There is a sense of openness associated with the turn of the century houses, due to the size of these relatively large plots which allow views through into the properties beyond.

The incline along the two thoroughfares in a westerly direction from the Malone Road to the Lisburn Road together with the curve along each route provides pleasing changes of view and creates visual interest. The tree-lined thoroughfare of Myrtlefield Park is particularly attractive and adds to the overall quality of the suburban townscape.

Character and Appearance This is an area possessing the characteristics of an historic suburban townscape due to a number of factors, namely the presence of authentic period residential buildings; mature landscaped grounds; a spatial quality associated with the

private and public zones and visually pleasing curved thoroughfares enhanced by mature trees along the pavements. The combination of these features together with the sloping topography, makes Maryville and Myrtlefield an important locality within the context of the Malone Conservation Area.

It is an area of architectural and historic interest due primarily to the quality of the domestic designs from the late Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war periods, in particular, the Edwardian and inter-war dwellings in Myrtlefield Park. The majority of buildings remain in their original three-dimensional form without disruptive alterations or additions - a significant attribute for the area and a contributor to character and appearance.

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I. BALMORAL

Principal Thoroughfares Balmoral Avenue Balmoral Drive Balmoral Gardens Lisburn Road Malone Park Lane Malone Road

Spatial Quality Along Balmoral Avenue there are two distinct spatial zones, one private and the other public, both co-existing in a finely balanced townscape. There is a visual tension between the long, linear vehicular thoroughfare and the soft landscaped front garden areas of the properties lining each side of the road.

Of importance to the spatial quality of the private zone is the presence of gaps between the buildings, particularly the semi-detached properties.

The westerly fall of Balmoral Avenue from its mid point down to the Lisburn Road affords an excellent view of the landmark steeple of Malone Church as well as views out of the area across to the hills beyond. This quality of openness and distance gives visual interest to this area located on the southern perimeter of the Malone Conservation Area.

Character and Appearance This is an area of contrasting yet complementary constituent parts. The potentially intrusive busy thoroughfare is counter-balanced by a substantial private zone which does not allow the vehicular route to totally dominate the townscape due to the visual and physical presence of good period residential buildings, mature landscaped gardens and a spatial quality associated with the layout of dwellings on their plots.

The land slopes westwards from a point approximately midway along Balmoral Avenue. This topographical aspect gives the townscape visual interest and a sense of expectation due to changes of level. It also affords views to the west and the hills beyond. Within this land form the high steeple of Malone Church functions both as a visual stop and a landmark identifying the southwest corner of the Conservation Area.

The architecture of the Balmoral area is representative of residential design through the late Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war periods, a factor which makes an important contribution to the suburban character of the Malone Conservation Area.

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J. NEWFORGE

Principal Thoroughfares Newforge Lane

Spatial Quality The sense of enclosure along the public thoroughfare is generated by the presence of a strong perimeter edging to the road which consists of high grass banks, dense bushy foliage and tall mature trees. Behind the front boundaries residences are glimpsed on large landscaped plots which provide spatial settings for the buildings.

Character and Appearance This portion of Newforge Lane which lies within the Malone Conservation Area, still possesses a rural appearance due to the narrowness of the thoroughfare lined each side by dense vegetation, grass banks and tall mature trees. These characteristic features in conjunction with a sloping topography and a curve in the road at the crest of the hill, all combine to create an aesthetically pleasing residential environment.

The established suburban character of the area is identified by the large detached, inter-war properties in which Arts and Craft architecture comfortably blends with the rural surroundings.

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K. BLADON / DERAMORE

Principal Thoroughfares Bladon Drive Deramore Drive Deramore Park Deramore Park South Malone Road

Spatial Quality Private zones are distinct components within this suburban landscape. Behind front boundaries, self contained architectural compositions reside on ample plots and address surrounding spaces filled with well-maintained lawns, mature bushes and tall trees. The spatial quality throughout the area is a major contributor to the creation of a satisfying, historic suburban environment.

Within the context of the Bladon / Deramore suburban environment, buildings and surrounding space cannot be divorced as both are equal components in the original composition which establishes the individuality of each property.

The topography of this area is a combination of a level and a sloping terrain, physical features which help create a visually interesting townscape. As the Malone Road leaves the Stranmillis Road junction to head south, it curves and ascends until it levels out in the vicinity of Deramore Drive, continuing

on this plane until the Balmoral Avenue / Newforge Lane intersection. The roads of Deramore Park, Deramore Park South and Deramore Drive fall away to the east side of the Malone Road.

Playing fields to the rear of Bladon Park are almost entirely hidden from view, except when momentarily glimpsed from Bladon Drive.

Character and Appearance The Bladon / Deramore locality is an excellent historic suburb and is a significant heritage asset for the Conservation Area. The combination of architectural and historic attributes together with spatial quality, creates a significant late Victorian / Edwardian townscape which is enhanced by the presence of landscaped grounds, soft boundaries and tree lined thoroughfares.

The area is fortunate to possess a stock of good quality residences in various architectural styles associated with the late Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war periods. A large number of these individually designed pieces, many by well known local architects, still remain undisturbed by any change to their three dimensional form or by alterations to their original plots.

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L. BROOMHILL

Principal Thoroughfares Broomhill Park Broomhill Park Central Stranmillis Road

Spatial Quality The quality of space throughout the area is an important conservation attribute and a significant ingredient in the composition of the established historic suburban townscape. There is a clear distinction between private domains and public realm with the latter attractively enhanced by the presence of tall mature trees lining the sides of the thoroughfares. The layout of the angled road system gives the area a circular route, which results in the formation of two island-blocks of residences. This development pattern allows the properties to be viewed in the round which while visually interesting architecturally, also increases the sense of space and distance.

Character and Appearance Broomhill is a significant area of architectural and historic interest within the Malone Conservation Area. It is a distinct locality possessing important townscape qualities which contribute to the Conservation Area’s general historic suburban progression. Properties along Broomhill Park, Broomhill Park Central and on the adjacent portion of the

Stranmillis Road are original, substantially intact in form and appearance and are well maintained. The individuality of each architectural design gives the area a sense of place and makes Broomhill a unique built environment.

Within the Arts and Crafts stylistic approach, the roof element is a significant feature of the composition. This is evident in the inter-war Broomhill development where original hipped and pitched roof profiles identify each of the detached properties and, in conjunction with associated elements such as wide overhanging eaves, mitred hips and prominent chimney stacks, endow this part of the Conservation Area with a distinctive roofscape characteristic.

The sense of enclosure created by the original front boundaries along the thoroughfares contrasts pleasingly with the spatial attribute of the properties themselves. This spatial characteristic is enhanced by the sense of openness and distance due to the layout of the development pattern which allows a number of the buildings to be viewed in the round.

On approaching the Conservation Area from the east along the Stranmillis Road, the Broomhill townscape is the area immediately on the boundary. Here, location helps highlight its identity as a distinct residential locality within the historic suburban development of Malone. Its contribution to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, emanating from its historic environment and inter-war architecture.

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M. DANESFORT

Principal Thoroughfares Malone Road Stranmillis Road

Spatial Quality The existing development in the Danesfort area tends to be in the form of large, centralised blocks which helps create a low density built environment. This generates a sense of openness due to extensive areas of undeveloped land. Also, the topography elevates the private land above the public thoroughfares, a feature which emphasises the feeling of space and distance.

Character and Appearance The character of the Danesfort area is generated by the presence of open, undeveloped land and several large, individual buildings which punctuate the enclosed space. The visual contribution of the historic mid-nineteenth century Danesfort to the townscape is restricted due to its position on elevated ground being obscured by mature trees and recent buildings. The boundary wall / railings, entranceway and gate lodge of the Danesfort property are significant components in the Malone Road streetscape as is the neighbouring Beaumont gate lodge, stone entranceway and hedge boundary.

On approaching the Conservation Area from the east along the Stranmillis Road, the Danesfort property is the area immediately on the boundary. This townscape location highlights its identity as an elevated area of predominantly open space with isolated buildings bounded by hedging, trees and a large entranceway. Opposite Danesfort on the Stranmillis Road is the contrasting inter-war residential development of Broomhill, a distinct locality with a legible historic suburban environment.

The topography and development pattern associated with Danesfort, has given it a larger scale and an identity different in character and appearance from the finer grain of the surrounding suburban area, particularly Broomhill.

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N. NOTTING HILL

Principal Thoroughfares Malone Road Notting Hill

Spatial Quality The rather introverted and secluded domestic environment of Notting Hill contrasts with the openness of the neighbouring Danesfort and Beaumont area. This unique sense of place is reinforced by the valley topography in which the narrow thoroughfare slopes down from the Malone Road into a heavily landscaped area of gardens, hedges and tall mature trees. Within this natural environment residential buildings form one component in the overall composition of the Notting Hill suburban townscape.

In the eastern half of Notting Hill, the extensive area of the plots associated with the four original Victorian properties and two later post-war bungalows, give this locality a particular spatial quality and a rural appearance. This attribute is enhanced by the marked reduction in the width of the thoroughfare and the dense enclosing hedges, bushes and trees.

Character and Appearance The suburban character and appearance of Notting Hill is generated by the presence of a number of important features which endow the area with a sense of place most significantly

Victorian villas; detached post-war dwellings; original spacious plots; mature vegetation and trees; a valley topography with east and north facing slopes; a rural landscape in the eastern half of the area and a narrow curving thoroughfare reducing in width to a laneway. Notting Hill is distinctly domestic in scale and it is an environment in which residential structures are one component within the townscape.

The eastern part of the area has a particularly pleasing spatial quality due to the large plots of land, the dense enclosing vegetation and trees and the sloping terrain. These attributes give the locality a rural appearance, a quality which adds to the character of both Notting Hill and the Conservation Area.

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O. BEECHLANDS / CLEAVER

Principal Thoroughfares Beechlands Cherryhill Cleaver Avenue Cleaver Gardens Cleaver Park Malone Road Notting Hill Court

Spatial Quality There is an ever changing sequence of views and vistas throughout the Beechlands / Cleaver area due to two influential factors. The first is topography viz. the highest point on the Malone Ridge and the marked fall in the easterly slope. The second factor is the curving layout of the roads, particularly the circular route of Cleaver. These physical attributes create visual interest and give each of the thoroughfares and related buildings their own distinct identity and sense of place. The view from Cleaver Park over the much lower, neighbouring Stranmillis College playing fields is an impressive example of a spatial landscape enhancing the townscape.

Mature front gardens and tangible boundaries at every property define the private realms and create the necessary buffer zone between the suburban buildings and the more open public domain. This spatial quality around dwellings is

particularly pleasing at the nineteenth century properties adjacent to the Malone Road and several of the early-mid 1920s Arts and Craft residences along the south side of Beechlands.

Character and Appearance Beechlands / Cleaver is an important locality within the Malone Conservation Area as it provides clear, tangible evidence of the progression over time of the suburbanisation of the Malone area. Two historic periods are present, namely Mid-Victorian and inter-war, each represented by its respective buildings, architecture and plot sizes. Each period is distinctly different from the other in response to social values, needs and lifestyles which, in turn, are reflected in the design and construction of the corresponding three dimensional structures.

The historic circumstances are also unique in that there are no Edwardian properties in the area acting as a transition between Victorian and inter-war. In the Beechlands / Cleaver area, the inter-war developments were built directly on much earlier mid nineteenth century land.

The cluster of original Victorian properties at 92-100 Malone Road is an important historical and architectural component within both the locality and the Conservation Area. Here, alongside the Malone Road overlooking the steep, eastern slopes of the Malone Ridge where built some of the first suburban villas in the Conservation Area. The present four

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mid nineteenth residences are typical of the large, wealthy middle class suburban properties which were common in the initial stages of the development process. Today, these authentic period buildings located on generous landscaped plots under the cover of tall mature trees, give the area a distinct sense of place and contribute, immensely, to the generation of character and appearance.

Surrounding the Victorian development is the contrasting 1920s / 1930s inter-war housing schemes of Beechlands and Cleaver. Here, a finer grain built environment accommodates detached properties of smaller bulk, simpler form and on much reduced plots, representing the change in social values post world war one.

This approach to domestic architecture continued in the Cleaver development after the Second World War into the 1950s and early 1960s. There is a close similarity of built form throughout Cleaver which gives the area a strong visual unity. The cohesiveness created by detached houses with hipped roofs is enhanced by the consistent use of external materials, detailing and the general proportions of window and door openings. This is a distinct area of late inter-war and early post-war suburban dwellings which remain generally intact.

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P QUEEN’S ELMS / STRANMILLIS COLLEGE

Principal Thoroughfares Malone Road Cleaver Park

Spatial Quality The spatial quality within this area is still predominantly one of openness although the new ‘pedestrian streets’ in Queen’s Elms are introducing a sense of enclosure to part of the built environment. While this attribute of open space and distance is apparent when viewing the composite landscape of Stranmillis from Cleaver Park, Queen’s Elms has a more introverted appearance when seen from the neighbouring Beechlands cul-de-sac, due to the close proximity of new residential blocks along the boundary.

The Malone Road entrance into Queen’s Elms with its sloping landform, grassed areas, matures trees and open space, is an important visual element within the streetscape.

Character and Appearance The Queen’s Elms / Stranmillis College area is unique within the Conservation Area due to the absence of significant buildings from the three main historic periods of suburban development in the Malone area. The majority of original Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war properties which did exist, have been replaced by the residential complex of the Queen’s Elms Halls of Residence.

The mixed topography of sloping land forms and level terrain in conjunction with the institutional pattern of residential development, has given the area a larger scale and an identity different in character and appearance from the finer grain of the surrounding suburban built environment.

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Q. LENNOXVALE / SANS SOUCI

Principal Thoroughfares Chlorine Gardens Hollyrood Lennoxvale Malone Road Sandymount Street Sans Souci Park

Spatial Quality Boundary elements separating the front garden zones from the public are mainly original in type, particularly hedge boundaries which contribute immensely to the character and appearance of the area.

Character and Appearance Lennoxvale / Sans Souci is a unique townscape for the Conservation Area primarily because the development pattern has been so clearly determined and shaped by the topography of the Malone Ridge. In contrast to the long, gentle western slopes which facilitated generally straight residential schemes extending from the Malone Road down to the Lisburn Road, the eastern side of the Ridge had a much steeper, uneven terrain broken up by streams and erosion.

The relationship of development to land form is an important urban design aspect made more significant for the Malone area and in this case Lennoxvale / Sans Souci because of the

historic and architectural nature of the suburban expansion which took place during the 19th and 20th centuries.

There is pleasing variation between the slightly larger scaled townscape of the Victorian Lennoxvale cul-de-sac with its grand individual properties and the more finely grained hillside townscape of the Edwardian / inter-war development of Sans Souci created by the presence of many 1920s semi-detached dwellings. Each contributes its own particular identity and sense of place to the overall character and appearance of both the locality and the Conservation Area.

Within this area, the east side of the Malone Road which curves as it climbs from the start of the Conservation Area at Fisherwick Church up to the higher Hollyrood cul-de-sac, displays the residential patterns found in Chlorine, Lennoxvale, Sans Souci and Holyrood. Because the historic townscape still dominates along this part of the Malone Road due to the presence of Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war properties, a modern insertion such as the service station, does not impact significantly on the quality of the environment.

The 1901 Fisherwick Church which is located on the northern boundary of the Conservation Area is an important historic landmark in the locality where its prominent corner location gives the building an imposing three dimensional quality. Set among surrounding late Victorian residences, the present townscape is a very important example of nineteenth century urban design and serves as a distinguished access into and out of the Conservation Area.

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