‘Minaki’ (Queen's University Marine Biology Station)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey, gabled and line rendered terrace house of 1815, with decorated doorway and (probably early 20th century) ground floor bay windows. The property is situated at the W end of The Strand on the shores of Strangford Lough, and is now part of the Queen’s University Marine Biology Station.

Front (south) elevation is symmetrical. To the centre of the ground floor is the doorway, which has a panelled timber door and fanlight with tracery, all encased by pilasters with incised Greek key pattern and entablature with fluting and moulded garlands. Three steps to door. Vestibule screen with panelled and glazed door, sidelights and multi pane fanlight.

This house has a basement and the ground floor is slightly above pavement level. To either side of the door is a three sided projecting bay window with hipped Bangor blue slated roof and three sliding sash and case windows with no astragals. The base of each bay has single centre basement light (now boarded up). Coach doorway with segmental arch and simple moulded keystone leading past west gable to rear.

To the first floor are three windows all with sliding sash and case windows (no astragals).

To the left of the rear is a large, projecting, single storey flat roofed extension while to the right is a smaller lean to extension with a tripartite window with Georgian panes. To the first floor are two sash windows with 6 over 6 panes, one to the extreme left and one to the extreme right. To second floor are three very short windows, all of which are fixed and with Georgian panes. That to the center is narrower. Extensive out houses to rear.

The façade is finished in painted lined render with rough cast to the rear.

The gabled roof is covered with Bangor blue slate. It has a stone parapet to west gable and one yellow brick chimney stack with stone moulded cap and with assorted pots. One Velux window to the front and two to the rear. Cast iron gutters and down spouts.

Historical information

This building appears to be (substantially) that shown on the OS map of 1834 and the valuation plan of c.1835-38. The valuation returns of c.1835 tell us that the property was then the home of one William Greer, and was built in 1815. The house was still in the hands of Greer (or his son of the same name) in 1861.

The front bays are not shown on the OS map of 1900, but may have been added shortly after this. The property is now part of Queen's 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 J.H. Buller, ‘Banking in Portaferry’ in Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society, No. 7 (1983), p. 6
3 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
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Good example of a wo storey, gabled and rendered terrace house of 1815. In the early 20th century a decorated doorway and ground floor bay windows were added.