1-3 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Largely plain two storey terraced block of possible early to mid 19th century construction, consisting of a relatively large house and former shop. The block is situated at the south end of Main Street at the junction with the Harbour Road, Ballywalter.

Entire block finished in rough cast render. Main roof is gabled and covered with asbestos-free slates, what appear to be stone parapets and three yellow brick chimneys. Cast iron rw goods with PVC gutters to rear extensions.

No.1 comprises everything except the single storey shop to the ground floor to the N. The front (W) elevation is asymmetrical and has a right of centre glazed and panelled door encased within plain pilasters, entablature and cornice. Two modern timber windows to the right of the doorway with one to left, all with decorative surrounds with segmental arch heads and moulded keystones.

To the far left of this (No.3) is a modern shop front with large fixed light windows on either side of a central glazed door.

Directly above the shop front are three modern timber windows, with a further four to the right.

The N and S gables are blank.

The rear of the block has been greatly extended to the N with a large part one,/part two storey lean to extension, with modern windows. Various modern windows to the rest of the rear facade, with two to the N set in gabled half dormers.

Historical information

Though buildings are shown on this site on the OS maps of 1834 and c.1860, the late Victorian detailing to the doorway and ground floor windows to the front of No.1 could suggest that the whole block may have been rebuilt in the later 1800s. However, it could also be argued that the closeness of the cornice over the doorway to the window directly above displays a certain awkwardness, perhaps indicating that the surrounds were merely late nineteenth century additions. The floor directly above the shop section probably originally belonged to No.3, but has been part of No.1 since the early 1970s at least.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/12/1 OS maps, Down 12, 1834
2 PRONI VAL/1B/39 First valuation, Ballywalter, c.1834-38
3 PRONI VAL/1D/3/4 Valuation plan, Ballywalter, c.1838
4 PRONI VAL/2B/3/9 Second valuation, Ballywalter, c.1859
5 PRONI VAL/2D/3/10 Valuation town plan, Ballywalter, 1859
6 PRONI OS/6/3/12/2 OS maps, Down 12, 1860
7 PRONI VAL/12B/23/6a-f Annual valuation revision books, Ballywalter, 1866-1929
8 PRONI VAL/12E/84/1 Valuation plan, Ballywalter, 1902-35

Secondary sources
1 Derek Patton, "The Village of Ballywalter- A brief history" in 'Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society' No.14 (1990),
pp.10-15. [This article contains several photographs of Ballywalter c.1910, but no
references are given.]
2 A.J. Hughes and R.J. Hannan, 'Place-Names of Northern Ireland Vol. Two, County Down II- The Ards', pp.66-68

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Largely plain two storey terraced block of possible early to mid 19th century construction, consisting of a relatively large house and former shop.