2, 3 & 4 The Strand

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Houses demolished about 2004. Nothing but rubble on site in September 2005.

When visited for the second survey in 1997 the block was described as:

'Plain, two storey terrace block containing three houses, possibly dating from c.1850-60. The block is set with the terrace fronting The Strand, to the S of Portaferry town centre.

The front elevation faces roughly SW.

No.4 [HB24/01/034A] is to the NW end of the block. To the front it has plain sheeted timber door to left with three pane timber window, with top hung upper opener, to right. Two two pane timber windows to first floor with top hung upper openers.

No.3 [HB24/01/034B] has similar arrangement only handed. No.2 [HB24/01/034C] has larger front elevation with almost central timber and glazed door with two pane timber window to left and large coach way to right with plain sheeted timber double door. Three unevenly spaced first floor windows similar to first floors of previous. The front elevation of the entire block is rendered and painted.

There was no access to the rear of any of these properties, but each appears to have two stairwell windows, the upper of which was very small and set close to the eaves. Nos.3 and 4 appear to have single storey lean-to extensions. The rear façade of each house is rendered.

Entire grouping of houses has Bangor blue slate pitched roof with four brown brick chimney stacks. Cast iron gutters and down spouts, eaves course. Skylight to rear of roof of No.2.'

Historical information

Though the whole of what is now The Strand had been developed prior to 1799, the valuation maps of of c.1835-38 and 1864 reveal that much of the south east end of the terrace was rebuilt between these dates. These houses are no exception and may have been built during the 1850s. In 1861 the present No.2 was occupied by a Peter Lewen, No.3 by Hugh Nelson and No.4 by Richard Sloane.

These houses were demolished c2004.

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 UFTM WAG 609, 611, 612 W.A. Green Collection, photographs of Portaferry Quay, harbour, Shore Road etc.
20 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 Dick Oram, "The Buildings of Portaferry" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.16' (1992), p. 24

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Site of former two storey terrace block containing three houses, possibly dating from c.1850-60.