QUB Marine Biology Station

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, three storey (over basement), formal late Georgian terrace house of c.1810-20, now used as the QUB Marine Biology Station. The building is situated at the SE end of the short terrace on The Strand, to the W of Portaferry town centre, overlooking Strangford Lough.

The front façade faces roughly S and is asymmetrical. The ground floor is slightly above pavement level. Off centre doorway with double timber panel door encased with Doric columns, surmounted by a frieze and semi-circular arch enclosing ‘sun ray’ fanlight and panelled archivolt. Two sliding sash and case windows to the left with horizontal and vertical astragals. Stone cills to all windows. Six steps from pavement to doorway (passing basement). Window as before to the right of doorway. All ground floor windows have Georgian panes (6 over 6). Coach doorwway to far right (at pavement level) with double timber sheeted doors, ‘sun ray’ fanlight, elliptical arch head and chamfered quoins. Basement lights at pavement directly below each ground floor window.

To the first floor are five windows as ground floor, but reduced in height. To the second floor are five, almost square, sash windows, (3 over 3).

The east gable blank. The west gable rises above its neighbour and the exposed area is blank.

To first floor at the rear are three unevenly spaced windows, that to the centre has a steel window frame while those to the left and right are sash with 6 over 6. To the second floor are three windows as first floor but shorter. The sash windows are 3 over 3. There are three returns one with hipped roof, (to the left) one with a simple lean to roof (to the center), and one with a relatively tall mono-pitch slate roofs (to the right). Extensive coach houses to rear also.

The gabled roof is covered with Bangor blue slates. It has stone parapets and three (potless) rendered chimney stacks. Cast iron gutters and down spouts.

Historical information

This building is undoubtedly that shown on the OS map of 1834 and valuation plan of c.1835-38. The valuation returns reveal that it was probably built some time between c.1800 and c.1830 (the valuers graded it 'A') and was the home of one Hugh Boden (or Bowden) in c.1835. It remained in the Boden family until 1865, when it was bought by the Belfast Banking Co. for use as banking premises. The Bank left the buillding is 1936 (when new premises were constructed in Portaferry town Square).

Queen’s University acquired the property in the [?]1960s and since then it has housed the University’s Marine Biology Station.

References- Primary sources
1 Walter Harris, 'The Ancient and Present State of the County of Down' (Dublin 1744), p. 44. [ Harris describes Portaferry as ‘a market town, but irregularly built, and few other than thatched houses in it’.]
2 'Taylor's and Skinner's Maps of the roads of Ireland' (Dublin 1777)
3 PRONI D.552/B/3/3/1 Savage/Nugent Papers: ‘A Plan or Map of the Town of Portaferry’ by Patrick O’Hare, 1799 [The
Savage/Nugent Papers contain many documents relating to Portaferry and the surrounding area]
4 Linen Hall Library ‘Pigot & Co.’s Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory’ (Manchester 1824)
5 'Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II', ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991)
6 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 OS maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
7 PRONI VAL/1B/37 1st valuation, Ballyphilip, c.1835-38
8 PRONI VAL/1D/3/4 Valuation town plan of Portaferry, c.1838
9 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.520-23
10 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
11 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.592-95
12 PRONI OS/8/23/1- OS town plan of Portaferry, 1859
13 PRONI Second ('Griffith's') valuation, 1863 [In print.]
14 PRONI VAL/12E/112/1- Valuation maps of Portaferry, c.1863, with revisions of 1902
15 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870), pp.341-43
16 PRONI OS/8/23/2 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1874
17 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886)
18 PRONI OS/8/23/3 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1900
19 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 J.H. Buller, ‘Banking in Portaferry’ in Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society, No. 7 (1983), p. 6
4 Dick Oram, "The Buildings of Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.16' (1992), p. 24

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Impressive and little changed, formal, three storey late Georgian terrace house of c.1810-20, now used as the QUB Marine Biology Station.