'Portaferry Orange and Protestant Hall'

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Description on 10.03.2006 As 16.6.1997 except that 10 windows and a rear door have been blocked up with concrete blocks.

Description on 16.06.1997 Single storey 'Ruskinian Gothic' Orange Hall of 1870 by William Batt, awkwardly perched on a rock out crop ‘island’ which stands roughly four feet above the rest of Portaferry town square. The building is T shaped in plan form, with the main (vertical) stroke of the T containing the main hall, with the minor hall and committee room in the cross stroke.

The front elevation faces N. This elevation is made up of the long side of the main hall, a small lean-to porch, the gable end of the committee room and the side of a toilet extension. It has nine openings in all. The entrance is located to the N face of the lean-to porch and consists of a plain sheeted timber door set within shallow pointed arch opening. To the left of the porch are two pairs of lancet windows set in chamfered reveals separated by a narrow brick pier and set on flushed cills. The windows are three pane timber mullion frames. To the right of the porch is the gable end of the committee room, which has a group of three metal frame lancet windows set in chamfered reveals, with flushed cills and separated by narrow brick piers. The two outer windows of the three are fixed light with a central horizontal astragal, whilst the middle is a three pane mullioned window with an opening centre pane. Painted stone plaque above windows and a stone trefoil feature above plaque. Toilet extension to far right has single fixed light lancet window with one horizontal astragal. This window reveal is only partly chamfered. The whole of the north elevation, apart from the toilet extension has two cream painted bands with window arches painted blue and cream.

The E elevation is comprised of the gable of the main hall and a side of the minor hall. The gable of the main hall has a triple lancet window, with an octofoil rose window above, all set in stone. The lancet windows are fixed light with two panes and a horizontal astragal. The reveal is partly chamfered with a flush cill and the arch has blue and cream painted features with two painted bands across rest of main hall gable. Stone trefoil feature above triple lancet window, as in north elevation. E elevation of minor hall has a single six pane mullioned and transomed window.

The S elevation is made up of the gable of the minor hall and a side of the main hall. The gable of minor hall is finished in roughcast render and has a single mullioned and transomed window as in east elevation. S elevation of main hall has two pairs of lancet windows, similar to those at north elevation but without chamfered reveals and painted brickwork.

The W elevation comprises of the gable of the main hall, the gable of the toilet extension and a side of the minor hall. The gable of the main hall is blank, whilst that of the toilet extension has a small lancet window, as in N elevation. The minor hall has a plain sheeted timber door with fanlight to the left and a mullioned and transomed window similar to those on its other elevations, to the right.

The gabled roof has a roughly sixty degree pitch and is covered with Bangor blue slates and decorative ridge tiles to both main hall and committee room. There is a (possibly lead) flèche in the middle of the main hall roof and a split paired chimney with stone cap and matching pots in committee room roof. Moulded cement parapets and remains of finials to both main roofs. Rafter tails exposed at eaves on north elevation. The roof of the minor hall has a shallower pitch (c.40 degrees) and no decoration or parapets. The S elevation has PVC gutters and down spouts whilst those on the north elevation are cast iron.

Entire building constructed in red brick, with main hall and committee room in Flemish bond. Chamfered plinth.

Benchmark on east boundary wall.

Historical information

This Orange Hall was constructed in 1870, possibly to designs by William Batt. The minor hall is later and probably dates from c.1920 (it is not shown on the OS map of 1900). The toilet extension was probably added later also.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.552 Savage/Nugent Papers
2 PRONI OS/8/23/2 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1874
3 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886)
4 PRONI OS/8/23/3 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1900
5 PRONI VAL/12E/112/2- Valuation maps of Portaferry, 1902, with revisions of 1935

Secondary sources
1 G. Philip Bell, C.E.B. Brett, Sir Robert Matthew, 'Ulster Architectural Heritage Survey: Portaferry & Strangford'
(Belfast UAHS 1969)
2 PRONI Portaferry: Sources for Local History (PRONI ?1970s)
3 R. Oram, "The Buildings of Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society' No.16 (1992)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

Well detailed single storey 'Ruskinian Gothic' Orange Hall of 1870, probably by William Batt, with early 20th century extensions to north and south. The building is somewhat awkwardly sited on top of a rock out crop but neverthe less is a prominent building to the south end of Portaferry town square.