10 Bridge Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay three-storey terraced commercial premises, partially incorporated into the neighbouring building (HB17/15/016B); pre-dating 1833 and located to the west side of Bridge Street in Dromore town centre. Rectangular plan with two-storey return and rubble-stone and red-brick outbuilding to rear.

Pitched natural slate roof. Cast-iron half-round rainwater goods on eaves course. Walling is painted lined-and-ruled render with straight quoins. Windows are tripartite 3/3 timber-framed sliding-sash with projecting painted masonry sills; modern plate-glass window to shop-front at ground floor.

The principal elevation faces east; window to first and second floor right of centre. To left at ground floor is a timber-sheeted latch door to side-alley leading to rear yard. To right is a modern shop-front with plate-glass window on chamfered stall riser and six-panelled timber door with transom light to right.

The south elevation is abutted by adjoining building (HB17/15/016B).

The west (rear) elevation is abutted to left by the two-storey return; to right is a modern timber door to second floor with attached metal staircase and window to first floor right. Right bay has 1/1 window (smaller) to first and ground floor right and side-alley at ground floor. The north elevation is abutted by adjoining building.

Setting

Set directly north of bridge over the River Lagan and forming part of an early nineteenth-century terrace in the centre of Dromore. To south is a timber-sheeted latch-gate to side-alley leading to a rear yard, partially lawned with rubble-stone and red-brick outbuilding and enclosed by mature hedgerow .

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: Ruled-and-lined render
Windows: Timber-framed sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

No. 10 Bridge Street, a three-storey Georgian townhouse situated on the north side of the River Lagan along with the adjoining No. 12 Bridge Street (HB17/15/016B) was constructed in the early 19th-century first appearing on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map of Dromore in 1833 and a contemporary Townland Valuation plan which depicted the building as a square-shaped structure that possessed a single outbuilding to its rear (now taken down). The Townland Valuations (c. 1830) record that the house was valued at £9 and was occupied by a Mr. Davidson who was employed as a surgeon.

By 1859 there had been little alteration to the site although the rear outbuilding had been taken down by that time. Griffith’s Valuation noted that nos. 10-12 Bridge Street were let by a Mr. Thomas Stewart, however No. 10 Bridge Street which had been slightly decreased in valued to £8, lay vacant at the time of the valuation. The dwelling was reoccupied in 1867 when a Mr. Hugh Stewart (occupant of Rath House (HB17/15/002)) came into ownership of nos 10-12 Bridge Street and let No. 10 to a Mr. George Bennett.

George Bennett vacated No. 10 Bridge Street in 1879; between 1879 and 1920 No. 10 Bridge Street was sporadically occupied by at least 15 tenants who resided at the site between a minimum of one and a maximum of six years. The house appears to have been unoccupied by the 1901 Census, however by 1911 it was occupied by a Mr. Alexander Monteith (35, Church of Ireland) who was employed as a saddler maker. Monteith resided at No. 10 Bridge Street with his wife Elizabeth (34) and their six children (two of whom were born in South Africa between c. 1905 and c. 1907, hinting that Monteith, originally from Derry, may have been involved in the Second Boer War (1899-1902), although this cannot be confirmed). The census building return described No. 10 Bridge Street as a 2nd class saddler’s shop which consisted of five rooms and possessed a shed as its sole out office.

In 1906, prior to Alex Monteith occupying the property in 1911, No. 10 Bridge Street was purchased by a Mr. George Preston. Preston was employed as a property valuer and land auctioneer and also occupied the adjoining No. 12 Bridge Street where he had his offices (see No. 12). Like the majority of occupants of No. 10 Bridge Street Alexander Monteith vacated the property after only a brief period; in 1920 a Mr. Maurice Ervine took possession of the site and continued to reside there until his death c. 1930 when his widow Florence Ervine took possession of the site.

Nos 10 and 12 Bridge Street were listed in 1977 and since that time have continued to be utilised as commercial premises; a two-storey return has been added to the rear of No. 10 since the current edition of the Ordnance Survey map in 1973. In 1969 Brett described Bridge Street as ‘rather a jumble, consisting largely of tall peeling stucco houses in a state of decrepitude but with one or two cheerful notes’ (Brett, p. 29). Since Brett was writing nos 10 and 12 Bridge Street have been restored; in 1998 the owners Mr. and Mrs. W. Black were awarded the Historic Buildings Council Award of Merit for ‘the painstaking restoration work of 10-12 Bridge Street.’

References

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/21/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/21/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1859
3. PRONI OS/6/3/21/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 1903
4. PRONI OS/6/3/21/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map 1919-20
5. PRONI VAL/1/D/3/13 – Townland Valuation map c. 1834
6. PRONI VAL/1/B/342 – Townland Valuations c. 1830
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/38A – Griffith’s Valuation 1861
8. PRONI VAL/12/E/122/3/4 – Annual Revisions Town Plan 1906– c. 1935
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/10A – Annual Revisions 1864-1878
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/10B – Annual Revisions 1879-1891
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/10C – Annual Revisions 1892-1898
12. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/11A – Annual Revisions 1899-1910
13. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/11B – Annual Revisions 1911-1919
14. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/11C – Annual Revisions 1920-1930
15. Census of Ireland (1901 / 1911)
16. First Survey Record – HB17/15/016 (1969)
17. Ordnance Survey map – 202-4 (1973)

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C. E. B., ‘Historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in the towns and villages of Mid Down: Hillsborough, Dromore, Dromara, Ballynahinch, the Spa, Drumaness and Saintfield’ Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1974.

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

R. Age
S. Authenticity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-bay, three-storey terraced commercial premises, partially incorporated into neighbouring building (HB17/15/016B), pre-dating 1833. The building has been restored in recent years, and though much of its original character survives, a modern shopfront has replaced the original. It is a good example of this type of urban commercial premises developed over time. There is group value with the adjoining building, no 12 Bridge Street (HB17/15/016B).

General comments

New listing criteria R & S to be added when available.