40-42 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey terrace block of c.1890 containing a pair of shops with rubble facades and polychrome brick dressings. The block is set within the terrace on the N side of Main Street, to the E of Ballynahinch town centre.

No.40 is to the W side of the block. Its front (S) façade is asymmetrical with a modern glazed door to right with fanlight. To the left is a large shop window with recent period style three light frame. To the right of the door is a large elliptical headed carriage arch, with red brick dressings to the arch head. To the first floor are four unevenly spaced sash windows.

The E gable has a sash window, as before, to the right on the first floor. To the left of this a large mural-like painting has been attached (one of a series relating to the events of 1798). To the left of the ground floor to the rear there is a plain sheeted door with fanlight. To the right of this is a modern window, which appears to have taken the place of two former smaller windows (the area around the window has been patched with cement render, but sections of the dressings of the previous openings can still be discerned). To the first floor are two windows with modern frames (all with red brick dressings). There is another window to the left of these, but this appears to belong to No.42. The dressings suggest the upper floor windows have been reduced in size.

The gabled roof of No.40 is slated with two small skylights to rear. Yellow brick chimney Cast iron rw goods.

The front façade of No.42 consists of a panelled door to the left on the ground floor and a recent period style shop front to the right of this. To the first floor are three segmental headed sash windows with vertical glazing bars (2 panes over 2). The dressings to these openings (apart from the shop front which appears to have been enlarged and has no dressings) are also in polychrome brick, but the arrangement of the brick differs from the front of No.40.

To the left side of the ground floor of the rear façade there extends a modern looking single storey brick built return with hipped roof. To the right of this (to main rear façade) are two windows (of differing size) with modern frames. At intermediate level to the right is a sash window with coloured glass margins. To the first floor are two widely spaced windows with modern frames. Most of the windows to the rear of this property have brick headers. The two first floor windows appear to have been reduced in size. The E wall of the carriage arch (i.e. that to No.42) is in brick, the W wall is in rubble.

No.42 has a slated gabled roof and a brick chimney stack. Single skylight to rear. Cast iron rw goods.

The coursing of the rubble to both the front and rear of this block suggests that the properties were built at different times.

Historical information

The east end of Main Street, (originally the road from Belfast and then known as Railway Street during the later 1800s and first half of the 1900s), was developed in the latter decades of the 19th century. This particular block may date from c.1890, however, the coursing of the stonework suggests that both properties were built at different times.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/22/3 OS map, Down sh 22, c.1901

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two storey terrace block of c.1890 containing a pair of shops with rubble facades with prominent polychrome brick dressings to openings. The shop fronts are of the modern ‘period’ style variety, and to the rear, many of the window openings have been altered.