1-3 Harbour Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long rectangular single storey gabled vernacular block, formerly three small dwellings and now a restaurant, set at the intersection of Harbour Road and Main Street in Ballywalter.

The gabled roof is covered with Tullycavey slates, however, these slates are now largely covered in what appears to be bitumen or cement. The roof appears to be sagging slightly. Stone parapets to gables, with evidence at rear of parapets denoting walls of former houses. Three small rendered chimney stacks. Cast iron gutters and down spouts.

The front (S) elevation is asymmetrical and has right of centre timber sheeted door with small glazed panel. Four shuttered window openings of slightly varying sizes, to left of door. One of these windows was a doorway until recently. Two shuttered window openings to right of door, again of slightly varying size. Window opening to far right is set within a door sized recess.

E gable blank but has gateway attached to left side. Small fixed light window to left on W gable and triangular timber sign at gable apex. Wall continues from left side of W gable to S gable of No.1 Main Street. Former window openings appear to be blocked at rear. Front and gables finished in rough cast and painted pink.

Historical information

This block is shown on the OS map of 1834 and, if appearances are anything to go by, may be the oldest surviving, largely intact, grouping within the village of Ballywalter. In 1837 the Ordnance Survey Memoirs described Ballywalter as having ‘cottages all built of stone, and, with few exceptions, but 1 storey in height...many of them slated...plastered and whitewashed’. Undoubtedly, therefore, Nos.1-3 Harbour Road were very much typical of the town as a whole at this period.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/12/1 Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Edition, 1834, Co. Down 12
2 PRONI VAL/1B/39 First valuation, Ballywalter, c.1834-38
3 PRONI VAL/2B/3/9 Second valuation, Ballywalter, c.1859
4 PRONI OS/6/3/12/2 Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st revision, 1860, Co. Down 12
5 PRONI VAL/12B/23/6a-f Annual valuation revision books, Ballywalter, 1866-1929
6 UFTM W.A. Green Collection WAG 1749 Photograph of Ballywalter Main Street looking north

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

B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Long rectangular single storey gabled vernacular block, formerly three containing three small dwelling and now a restaurant with former doorways now converted to windows.