22-24 Church Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey terrace block containing two dwellings, possibly all pre 1834 but now with PVC window frames and a concrete tile roof. The block is set on the W side of Church Street, to the N of Portaferry town centre. No.22 is a ‘flying leasehold’ property, part of whose upper floors are directly above the much smaller property of No.24.

The front (E) façade is asymmetrical. To the left of centre is a timber six panel door (to No.22) with plain fanlight. Surround to door with entablature on scrolled brackets. Large square modern four pane mullioned and transomed PVC window to left with upper two opening panes top hung. Concrete cill. Further door to right of house door, similar to previous but without surround and with a, now panelled, former sidelight. This second door leads into a passageway between Nos.22 & 24. To the right is a five panel timber door (to No.24) with fanlight. This door is flanked by relativey large PVC windows, similar to far left. The first floor (which belongs entirely to No.22) has five unevenly spaced windows, all with PVC frames and concrete cills.

The entire front facade is rendered inTyrolean finish and has moulded vermiculated quoins. The surround to the first door and the quoins have also been over sprayed with a Tyrolean finish resulting in a considerable loss in sharpness of detail. The façade is painted.

To the rear of No. 22 is a single storey hipped roof return. To first floor are at least three windows each with two pane PVC window frames. The rear elevation of No.24 (to left) is obscured by a large outhouse) There are four Velux windows to the roof.

The gabled roof is covered with concrete tiles. Two cement rendered chimney stacks, without pots. Crow-step gable on south side. Eaves course supported on brackets. PVC guttering.

Extensive out houses at rear of No.22, with king post rafter in largest building. Informed by owner that there was a large brick vaulted well chamber (roughly 12ft in height) underneath the yard at rear. Distinctive water pump also in yard.

Historical information

A building(s), in possession of Edward Shaw or Mary Miskelly, appears on Patrick O’Hare’s 1799 map. The 1838 valuation returns state that at this point the site was occupied by a small two storey Police barrack and a larger two storey dwelling, in the hands of one William Anderson. The passage between the properties is mentioned and it is also stated that the dwelling house contained 'a school house and office'. From the dimensions of the properties given, it is possible that the building of 1838 is that we see today.

By 1863 the smaller property to the south side had ceased to serve as the local police barrack (a new larger one had been just built in Ferry Street), and properties are listed as dwelling houses (in the hands of an Elizabeth Thompson [No.22] and a Mary Anderson

Photographs in the possession of the present owner show that during the 1920s (at least), No.22 was used as a tea room.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.552/B/3/3/1 Savage/Nugent Papers ‘A Plan or Map of the Town of Portaferry’ by Patrick O’Hare, 1799
2 PRONI OS/6/3/32/1 OS maps, 1st ed., 1834, Down sheet 32
3 PRONI VAL/1B/37 1st valuation, Ballyphilip, c.1835-38
4 PRONI VAL/1D/3/4 Valuation town plan of Portaferry, c.1838
5 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.520-23
6 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ])
7 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.592-95
8 PRONI OS/8/23/1- OS town plan of Portaferry, 1859
9 PRONI Second ('Griffith's') valuation, 1863 [in print]
10 PRONI VAL/12E/112/1- Valuation maps of Portaferry, c.1863, with revisions of 1902
11 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870), pp.341-43
12 PRONI OS/8/23/2 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1874
13 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886)
14 PRONI OS/8/23/3 OS town plan of Portaferry, 1900
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.11
2 Sr. Mary Mercy (nee Isobel Cummings), "Memories of Portaferry in the early years of this century" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society', No.10 (1986), pp. 21-24

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two storey terrace block containing two dwellings, possibly all pre 1834 but now with PVC window frames and a concrete tile roof.