8 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long plain and vernacular-like, two storey house of possible pre 1834 construction and formerly containing a shop. The property is set within the terrace on the north west side of Main Street, Greyabbey.

The front SE elevation is asymmetrical. To the right on the ground floor is a timber had glazed entrance door with large PVC window to right, with simulated ‘Georgian’ panes and narrow smooth cement surround. Similar, but slightly larger, window to left of door. Both ground floor windows have been enlarged in fairly recent times, that to the right used to be similar in size as the first floor windows, whilst that to the left used to be a shop door and a window similar to first floor. To the far left is a large garage opening with metal ‘roller’ door (set in former coach arch). Three smaller windows (set in original openings) to first floor, with frames similar to before.

Exposed NE gable blank.

No access to rear, but the latest OS map shows a large return.

The gabled roof is covered with Bangor blue slates and a single yellow brick chimney to the NE gable. Front facade finished in painted rough cast. Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

On the OS map of 1834 a building is shown on this site, as part of a short terrace whose SW end stood at the side of the original road to Newtownards. Conceivably, therefore, this house may be of early nineteenth century origin (at least). The proximity of the upper floor windows to the eaves, however, suggests perhaps that the roof of this building may have been raised at some stage. In recent times the section of the ground floor to the SW served as a ‘general store’.

The slightly taller terrace to the SW of this house was built after c.1834 and stands partly on the site of the aforementioned old Newtownards Road.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/3/11/1 OS maps, Down 11, 1834
2 'Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II', ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), pp.67-72 [1834]
3 PRONI VAL/1B/33 1st valuation, Greyabbey, c.1834-38
4 PRONI VAL/1D/3/17 Valuation plan, Greyabbey, c.1838
5 PRONI VAL/2B/3/4 Second valuation, Greyabbey, c.1859
6 PRONI VAL/2D/3/10 Second valuation plan, Greyabbey, 1859
7 PRONI VAL/2B/3/4 Second valuation, Greyabbey, c.1859
8 PRONI VAL/2D/3/ Second valuation plan, Greyabbey, 1859
9 PRONI OS/6/3/11/2 OS maps, Down 11, 1860
10 PRONI VAL/12B/23/16a-f Annual valuation revision books, Greyabbey, 1866-1930
11 PRONI VAL/12E/99/1 Valuation plan, Greyabbey, 1906-35
12 UFTM W.A. Green Collection WAG 3038 Photograph of Main Street Greyabbey looking south west

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Long, plain and vernacular-like, two storey house of possible pre 1834 construction, set within a terrace and formerly containing a shop and now sporting modern window frames and doors.