22 BRIDGE ST.

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two-storey three-bay terraced building with dwelling above shop, built c. 1850; the name of the architect is unknown. Rectangular plan form facing SW having a two storey pitched roof rear return to right side (NE) with a later two storey flat roofed rear return to its left (SE) side. 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 22 has a painted timber shop window to its GF with signage above and two separate doors to side of window leading to shop and FF dwelling.

Pitched natural slate roof has angled black clay ridge tiles and a projecting eaves cornice with cast iron RWGs to front elevation and pitched roof rear return; half round guttering discharging to circular-section downpipes. Two modern skylights are visible to rear of pitched roof. Flat roofed rear return has uPVC ogee guttering discharging to square-section downpipes. Rendered rectangular section chimney to NW, shared with No. 20 (HB16/06/026B), has three terracotta clay pots.

Principal elevation
Main elevation faces SW, is fronted by the public footpath along Bridge Street and consists of a rectangular glazed shop window to SE side of shop door; painted four panelled timber door with brass furniture opening onto a tiled step and having a square headed fanlight above, with seven small panes. There is a similar door to NW (door to flat above) with 7 pane fanlight and a long semi-circular headed side light to its SE side.

Shop window consists of a square-headed large rectangular painted timber window, being three lights in width, having a depressed pointed arch spanning over two painted timber mullions. Shop sign board above shop door and shop window is in painted timber and narrowly projects with lead flashing, lighting beneath and a dentilated cornice. Painted lettering displays 'WOK WAY CHINESE CARRY OUT'.

FF has three double hung 6/6 sliding timber sash windows with slim painted concrete cills which align with GF opes; two windows are grouped towards NW. Generally painted lined smooth render finish to elevation with modern brown tiled plinth.

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

Northeast elevation
Limited access to rear NE facing elevation but, where visible, consists of a two-storey pitched roof rear return to left (NW) with a later two storey flat roofed rear return attached to its right side (SE), both projecting into a rear yard enclosed by modern block walling. Pitched roof rear return has a two part casement window at FF level and a modern circular-section galvanized metal flue extracting at GF level and discharging above gable. Flat roofed rear return has vertically sheeted painted timber walling with two uPVC casement windows at FF and smooth cement render walling at GF, with a sheeted timber door.

Generally smooth cement render finish to walling of elevation and rear returns (unless otherwise stated).

Southeast elevation
Building is attached on the SE to No. 24 Bridge Street (HB16/06/027A)

SETTING
No 22 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 and uPVC
Walling: Rendered (painted to SW only)
Windows: Timber sliding sash (SW only); timber and uPVC casement

Historical information

No. 22 Bridge Street, a two-storey three-bay building (possessing ground floor shopfront), 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). 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 building 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). It appears that nos 18-20 were originally built as a single composition, however the building was subdivided by at least 1861 when the valuation plan depicted nos 20 and 22 Bridge Street as a combined property. Griffith’s Valuation set the total rateable value of nos 20-22 Bridge Street at £25 and noted that the building was leased by Robert Martin (of Kilbroney House) to William Calvert, a local grocer. Calvert resided at nos 20-22 Bridge Street until c. 1880 when the property was acquired by David Sinton, who was also employed as a grocer. The Annual Revisions state that Sinton installed a shopfront at the ground floor of No. 22 Bridge Street, resulting in an increase in the value of the site to £28. 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 describe nos 20-22 Bridge Street as a single property with Sinton recorded as occupant until the 1930s. The value of the building was slightly decreased to £27 under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57). In 1966 nos 20-22 Bridge Street was subdivided into two separate properties. The Sinton family continued to operate a shop at No. 22 Bridge Street, which was revalued at £22, whilst a Ms. Rose Greer resided at No. 20, which was also utilised as a hairdressing salon and was valued at £16. No. 22 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 occupying 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 three-bay terraced building with dwelling above shop, built c. 1850 located on the NE side of Bridge Street, Rostrevor. Rectangular plan form facing SW having a two storey pitched roof rear return to NE with a later two storey flat roofed rear return to its SE side. Despite the removal of the original shopfront and the addition of a flat-roofed rear return, the building retains much character to its front facade, which is well-proportioned and modestly detailed, typical of this type of building in the mid-Victorian period. No. 22 has strong group value with its neighbours (HB16.06.026A&B) and the terrace is amongst the most significant buildings in the Rostrevor Conservation Area.