 |
| 34-44 Bedford Street to the right of the Ulster Hall (Robert French/ NLI) |
In his Central Belfast: A Historical Gazetteer, Marcus Patton OBE remarks that 34-44 Bedford Street, a three storey warehouse, was built about 1865 for the Workman family.
 |
| (Timothy Ferres, 2023) |
This cream brick building, beside the Ulster Hall (erected three years earlier in 1862), today contains shop units at ground floor level.
"Now rather plain, but the doorcases with their fielded quoins and heavily corbelled balconettes give an indication of the building's former glory."
Lofty chimneys on the Bedford Street elevation have been removed.
"A slightly art nouveau stained glass and red granite shopfront at number 34 was uncovered a few years ago."
 |
| Artist's impression of The Dean hotel (Image: Belfast Live) |
In February, 2023, it was announced that a new hotel is to be developed, to be known as The Dean hotel.
 |
| (Timothy Ferres, 2023) |
It will comprise ninety-one bedrooms, a rooftop restaurant and terrace, and a 3 x 13 metre rooftop swimming-pool.
The 1974 Belfast street directory lists numbers 34-44 as follows:-
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
More recently the Bedford Street elevation on the ground floor has contained Larry’s piano bar, Deane's Deli, and the Harlem Café.
 |
| (Timothy Ferres, 2023) |
Restaurant 44 was a prominent city centre restaurant during the 1970s and 1980s.
2 comments :
When taken as children on excursions to Belfast, my brother and I were always told that if we got lost we must ask for "44 bedford street" where somebody from the family business (William clark and sons, linen manufacturers) would be happy to take us in.....
That would be the Upperlands, Derry firm.
My family were also in linen.
One of the Clarks was in my class at the Tec.
He and Alec Jameson always turned up late and went up to Matt Silcock's desk (the instructor) and marked themselves present for the WHOLE day and never came back in the afternoon.
Alec was always known as "the helicopter" as he always just dropped in and then took off
John E
Post a Comment