1-9 Church Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Row of of plain single storey rubble-built dwellings of c.1830s, now largely with modern extensions to rear. The row is set on the south west side of Church Street, at the north west end of Greyabbey.

All houses have pitched main roofs with concrete pantiles to Nos.3-7; Bangor blue slate to the front elevation of No.9 and asbestos free slates to rear. No.9 also has stone parapets. Nos.3-9 all have Velux windows to the rear. All houses have two (mainly shared) brick chimney stacks.

Front NE elevation of Nos.3-9 all have the same arrangement consisting of a slightly right of centre door with a window to either side. Nos.3 and 7 have timber and glazed doors, whilst Nos.5 and 9 have plain timber sheeted doors. Nos.5-9 have sash windows, with Georgian panes to Nos.5-7. No.3 has modern timber windows made to resemble sash windows.

No.1 stands on the intersection of both streets and is roughly ‘L’ shaped and has a bevelled corner, with the front entrance on the corner. On the Church Street (NE) elevation there are two, boarded up, window openings, with that to the right larger, with one window opening to the Main Street (NW) elevation. This house is currently being restored and extended at the rear and has no roof, bar recently erected steel purlins.

Nos.3-9 have modern extensions to the rear, with single storey flat roof extensions to Nos.3-7, and a larger, two level, hipped roof extension to No.9. The rears of Nos.3-9 are mainly finished in rough cast.

The SE gable of No.9 has a small lean-to store attached, and an attic sash window high in the gable.

All have cast iron rw goods to the front, except No.3 which has a PVC gutter, and No.1 which has no gutters or down spouts. Nos.3-7 all have PVC rw goods to the rear. No.9 has a small patio-like entrance/forecourt at the rear. A wall to the to the SW of No.1 (Main Street), constructed of stone from the Grey Abbey, was demolished recently, but is currently being reconstructed.

Historical information

On the OS Map of 1834, there appear to be buildings on the site of the present nos.5 and 7 only. The OS Memoirs of c.1835 noted that neat new single storey houses (‘ground floor’ as they were termed) were being constructed at the NE edge of Greyabbey at this date, and it is probable that these houses belong to this development.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1B/33 1st valuation, Greyabbey, c.1834-38
2 'Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II', ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), pp.67-72
3 PRONI VAL/1D/3/17 Valuation plan, Greyabbey, c.1838
4 PRONI VAL/2B/3/4 Second valuation, Greyabbey, c.1859
5 PRONI VAL/2D/3/10 Second valuation plan, Greyabbey, 1859
6 PRONI OS/6/3/11/2 Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Revision, c.1860 Co. Down 11
7 PRONI VAL/12B/23/16a-f Annual valuation revision books, Greyabbey, 1866-1930
8 PRONI VAL/12E/99/1 Valuation plan, Greyabbey, 1906-35

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

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Row of of plain single storey rubble-built dwellings of c.1830s, now largely with modern extensions to rear. One of the properties has been converted to a visitor centre for the near by abbey ruins.