88 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial two storey rendered gabled house of c.1854 with simple shop front of c.1890-1900, set within a terrace on the north west side of Main Street, Greyabbey.

Front (SE) elevation was originally symmetrical, but the symmetry is now broken by the shop front. To the centre of the ground floor is the main entrance with panelled timber door and fanlight with decorative iron tracery, all encased with relatively plain pilasters, lintel frieze and cornice, with blocking curved into window cill directly above.

To the left of the main doorway is a sash window with vertical astragals (2/2), with simple moulding to surround. To the right of the doorway is a small shop front with a timber panelled door and plain fanlight flanked by fixed light windows with ‘Georgian’ panes. Simple moulded surround (as before) to entire shop front. The application of this moulding (which is not original) has meant that the cills beneath this and the upper floor windows have been extended in order to ‘support’ the moulding itself.

Three evenly spaced windows to the first floor as ground floor left, with horizontal astragals to centre window (4/4).

Front facade finished in lined render with chamfered quoins and plinth. This facade was painted at one stage but the paint has largely worn off.

SW gable blank and unrendered (revealing rubble construction).

There is a large two storey flat roofed return to the rear with a mixture of metal and small modern timber (fixed light) windows. There are mainly sashed windows, with Georgian panes to the rear of the main house. Rear finished in rough cast render.
Main roof is gabled and slated. Rendered parapets and two yellow brick chimneys. Cast iron rw goods.

There are outbuildings to the rear of the house but they are largely obscured by greenery.

Historical information

According to the current owner, this house was built in 1854. The property originally had a symmetrical front facade until the shop front was added, possibly between c.1890-1900. The surrounds to the windows may have been added at this time also, as well as the return.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1B/33 1st valuation, Greyabbey, c.1834-38
2 PRONI VAL/1D/3/17 Valuation plan, Greyabbey, c.1838
3 PRONI VAL/2B/3/4 Second valuation, Greyabbey, c.1859
4 PRONI VAL/2D/3/10 Second valuation plan, Greyabbey, 1859
5 PRONI OS/6/3/11/2 Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Revision, c.1860 Co. Down 11
6 PRONI VAL/12B/23/16a-f Annual valuation revision books, Greyabbey, 1866-1930
7 PRONI VAL/12E/99/1 Valuation plan, Greyabbey, 1906-35
8 UFTM W.A. Green Collection WAG 3038 Photograph of Main Street Greyabbey looking south west
9 Information supplied by the owner

Secondary sources
1 Bob Trayte, "The Greyabbey and village" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No.16' (1992), pp.2-4

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Substantial two storey rendered gabled house of c.1854 with simple shop front of c.1890-1900.