18 BRIDGE ST.

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey two-bay terraced building with dwelling above hair dresser's shop, built c. 1850; the name of the architect is unknown. Rectangular plan form facing SW having a two storey rear return to NE. The building is located on the NE side of Bridge Street, Rostrevor, being one of three buildings of similar height (HB16/06/026A-C) which form part of a terrace of shops along the street, No 18 having a painted timber stepped and arcaded glazed shop front to its GF.

Pitched natural slate roof has angled black clay ridge tiles and a corbelled cornice with cast iron RWGs to front elevation: half round guttering to front discharges to a cast iron polygonal hopper and a cast iron circular-section downpipe (shared with No. 16, HB16/06/025). Rear elevation has uPVC RWGs. Smooth cement rendered rectangular section chimney to NW is shared with No. 16 having two buff clay pots and two terracotta clay pots. Similar chimney to SE has three terracotta clay pots. Three modern roof vents to front.

Principal elevation
Main elevation faces SW, is fronted by the public footpath along Bridge Street and consists of a glazed shop front with a panelled painted timber door to its NW side; square-headed fanlight above door and brass furniture.

Shop front consists of two square-headed large rectangular windows which have lined painted render walling beneath; window to the NW is set higher respecting gradient of Bridge Street, each window is three lights in width having a depressed pointed arch in painted timber spanning over two painted timber mullions, flanked by moulded and panelled timber pilasters, with plain moulded capitals. Painted timber fascia sign board above is also stepped having a simple projecting moulded timber cornice and displays 'HAIR VIVID STUDIOS' in applied modern lettering.

FF is composed of painted lined render walling with two equally spaced top opening uPVC casement windows.

Northwest elevation
Building is attached on the NW to No. 16 Bridge Street (HB16/06/025)

Northeast elevation
Limited access to rear NE facing elevation but, where visible, consists of a two storey pitched roof rear return to left which projects into a rear yard enclosed by modern block walling. There is a single reduced bay to original building, to right of rear return having a single top opening uPVC casement window visible at FF level.

Two-storey rear return has a two part side opening uPVC window visible at FF level and a longer pitch to NW of ridge, being abutted on the SE by a monopitched rear return of No. 20 (HB16/06/026B).

Generally smooth cement render finish to walling of elevation and rear return with uPVC RWGs and uPVC windows.

Southeast elevation
Building is attached on the SE to No. 20 Bridge Street (HB16/06/026B)

SETTING
No 18 Bridge Street is one of three similar height buildings (HB16/06/026A-C) which form part of a terrace, mainly composed of shops with dwellings over, located on the NE side of the Bridge Street which runs from Rostrevor’s Square, at its NW end, across a triple span bridge (HB16/06/033) over the Rostrevor River at its SE end. It is located within the Rostrevor Conservation Area.

MATERIALS
Roof: Natural slate
RWGs: Cast iron (SW) and uPVC (NE)
Walling: Render; smooth - painted (SW) & unpainted (NE)
Windows: Timber framed shop-front; uPVC casements elsewhere

Historical information

No. 18 Bridge Street, a two-storey two-bay building (possessing a shopfront to ground floor), was constructed in the mid-19th century. The Rostrevor Conservation Area Guide records that in 1752 the village consisted of only a few cottages but that by the early-19th century Rostrevor had ‘developed some of its present form with a tree-lined Square and a quay half-a-mile distant.’ Bridge Street, which was originally known as ‘Post Office Street,’ had been fully developed by the turn of the 19th century with many of the current buildings constructed along its length. There was steady growth in the population of the village throughout the century which coincided with the arrival of the tramway from Warrenpoint in 1875 and the construction of the Rostrevor Hotel in the following year (Rostrevor Conservation Area Guide).

A pair of buildings on the site of nos 18-22 Bridge Street were recorded on the Townland Valuation Town Plan (c. 1834) but it is not known with certainty whether the structures depicted on this map are nos 18-22 Bridge Street as the layouts depicted do not match those of the current buildings. The accompanying Townland Valuation (1838) notes that the two original buildings were occupied by John Dornan and Christopher Ainsworth. Only Ainsworth’s property was described in detail by the valuer who described it as a 1B class structure (that is a building of medium age that was slightly decayed, but still in good repair) that measured 35ft by 21ft and stood 15ft in height. The valuer also noted that the two original buildings on the site were valued at a total of £15.

Nos 18-22 Bridge Street were first recorded with certainty on Griffith’s Valuation and the contemporary Town Plan (1861). The plan depicted No. 18 Bridge Street as a simple square-shaped building (which did not possess its current rear return). It appears that nos 18-20 Bridge Street were originally constructed as a single composition, however the valuation sources suggest that the building was subdivided by at least 1861. The valuer set the total rateable value of No. 18 Bridge Street at £6 and noted that it was initially leased to a Mr. Patrick Brennan by Robert Martin (of Kilbroney House). Brennan continued to reside at the address until c. 1888 when David Sinton, a local grocer who held business premises at the adjoining nos 20-22, occupied the site. The Annual Revisions state that Sinton installed the ground floor shopfront and extended the building to rear at this time resulting in an increase in the value of No. 18 Bridge Street to £8. In 1901 the Census of Ireland recorded nos 18-22 Bridge Street as a single property and described it as a 1st class private dwelling and shop which consisted of ten rooms and possessed extensive outbuildings to rear including a stable, coach house, a cow house, a piggery, a barn, five store and a slaughter house.

The Annual Revisions continued to record No. 18 Bridge Street as a private dwelling and shop and noted that the building was occupied by Charlotte Malcolm, a local milliner, between c. 1906 and the 1920s. David Sinton continued to be recorded as owner of No. 18 Bridge Street under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) which increased the value of the building to £23. The valuer noted that the site was occupied by Walter Leonard Sargent, an R.A.F officer, and that the dwelling space at No. 18 Bridge Street also extended into the upper floor of the adjoining No. 20. By the end of the Second General Revaluation (1956-72) the total rateable value of No. 18 Bridge Street stood at £22 and the building was occupied by Joseph Sherry, a local artist. No. 18 Bridge Street was listed in 1981. The NIEA HB Records note that the interior arrangement of nos 18-22 Bridge Street was significantly altered in 1989 when the buildings were converted into three self-contained flats with retail units to the ground floor of nos 18 and 22 (NIEA HB Records).

References
Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/54/1 – First edition Ordnance Survey map (1834)
2. PRONI OS/6/3/54/2 – Second edition Ordnance Survey map (1859)
3. PRONI OS/6/3/54/3 – Third edition Ordnance Survey map (1901-02)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/54/4 – Fourth edition Ordnance Survey map (1919-30)
5. PRONI VAL/1/D/3/2 – Townland Valuation Town Plan (c. 1834)
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/361 – Townland Valuations (1838)
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/61C – Griffith’s Valuation (1861)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/19/21A-F – Annual Revisions (1865-1930)
9. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/23 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57)
10. PRONI VAL/4/B/3/81 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
11. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1918)
12. Census of Ireland (1901; 1911)
13. First Survey Record – HB16/06/026 (1969)
14. NIEA HB Record – HB16/06/026
Secondary Sources

1. ‘Rostrevor Conservation Area Guide’ Belfast: Department of the Environment (N. I.), 1979.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Two-storey two-bay terraced building with dwelling above hair dresser's salon, built c. 1850 and located on the NE side of Bridge Street, Rostrevor. Rectangular plan form facing SW with two-storey pitched roof rear return to NE (later), the principal facade features a painted timber stepped and arcaded glazed shop front. Despite replacement uPVC windows and loss of historic detailling inside, the building retains much character to the exterior, which is well proportioned and modestly detailed, typical of this type of building in the mid-Victorian period. No.18 has strong group value with its neighbours (HB16.06.026B&C) and the terrace is amongst the most significant buildings in the Rostrevor Conservation Area.