14 The Strand,

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, two storey terrace house of c.1808 with coach arch, full height Edwardian canted bay and small hipped roof dormers of c.1990. The building is set within the terrace on the N side of The Strand, to the W of Portaferry town centre.

The front (S) façade is asymmetrical. Off centre doorway with timber panel door with fanlight with horizontal and vertical astragals as margins. Door encased with panelled pilasters and decorated console brackets supporting cornice hood and plain blocking course. Three stone steps to door. Sash window to left with horizontal and vertical astragals and a stone cill. Three sided two storey bay to right of door with hipped Bangor blue slate roof with lead flashing. Three sash windows, with horizontal and vertical astragals as margins, to each side of bay on each floor. Coach door to right of bay with elliptical arch head and plain quoins, and timber sheeted double door with wicket gate. First floor has two windows to left of bay and one to right all similar to that on left of ground floor, but slightly shorter.

Rear has a two storey lean-to extension to the centre. To ground floor is a half glazed and panelled door while to first floor is a small four pane fixed light. To the left of the return is a sash window (6 over 6) to first floor and an open coach arch to the ground floor. To the right of the return is a sash window to ground floor and one to first floor(both 6 over6). Rear also has concrete and iron (train track) cat walk stretching from first floor of extension to high level garden beyond ground level yard. End of cat walk to extension is covered with small, timber and glazed enclosed ‘porch’, with doors to house inside.

Original snecked rubble out houses to rear also. House is part of terrace adjoining No.15-16, with a lane way with stand alone coach arch between it and No.13.

The E gable is blank.

Façade finished in unpainted lined render with in/out quoins to front.

The roof is gabled and covered with Bangor blue slates and three dormers all with squat sliding sash and case windows, with vertical astragals, and Bangor blue slate hipped roofs. Lead flashing to dormer sides and ridges. Three unevenly spaced yellow brick chimney stacks with bracketed corbelling and uniform (but not matching) pots. Three Velux windows to rear of roof. Cast iron gutters and down spouts.

Historical information

This house is undoubtedly the property of the same dimensions listed in the valuation returns of 1838, and which the valuers tell us was '30 years built' at that stage. The occupant in 1838 was one William McCleery. By 1863 a Jane Donnan was in residence.

In c.1900 the full height canted bay was added to the front. In 1985 the property was re-roofed and re-rendered with the hipped roof dormers added c.1990.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 OS maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
2 PRONI VAL/1B/37 1st valuation, Ballyphilip, c.1835-38
3 PRONI VAL/1D/3/4 Valuation town plan of Portaferry, c.1838
4 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.520-23
5 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65],
Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
6 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.592-95
7 PRONI OS/8/23/1- OS town plan of Portaferry, 1859
8 PRONI Second ('Griffith's') valuation, 1863 [in print]
9 PRONI VAL/12E/112/1- Valuation maps of Portaferry, c.1863, with revisions of 1902
10 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870), pp.341-43
11 PRONI OS/8/23/2 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1874
12 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886)
13 PRONI OS/8/23/3 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1900
14 UFTM WAG 609, 611, 612 W.A. Green Collection, photographs of Portaferry Quay, harbour, Shore Road etc.
15 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), p.17

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

Well proportioned and detailed, two storey terrace house of c.1808 with coach arch, full height canted bay of c.1900 and small hipped roof dormers of c.1990. It has a good setting overlooking Strangford Lough.