4 Church Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Plain two storey terrace house of possible pre 1834 construction with a single storey section which used to be a forge. The property is situated on the eastern side of Church Street, Greyabbey.

The entire front facade and gable are finished in rough cast render with plain quoins, tall plinth and eaves course. All roofs pitched with mixture of mineral fibre cement and asbestos cement (to the rear elevation of the main roof) slates. Three brick chimney stacks to main roof. Cast iron rw goods.

The front (SW) elevation is asymmetrical with a left of centre doorway, slightly above pavement level, reached via three stone steps. The door is plain timber sheeted and the opening has a smooth cement render surround. Sash window, with Georgian panes and smooth cement render surround, to left of door. Two similar windows to the right. Five windows, as before, to first floor, all of them directly above the ground floor openings.

To the SE gable of the house is a single storey section, which has two windows, as before, only of slightly differing heights. The window to the right was a doorway (to a former blacksmith’s forge) until c.1987. The gable of the single storey section has a small roundel window, with brick dressings, at the gable apex.

To the rear of the main house there is a large two storey hipped roof return. Large single storey outbuilding / greenhouse, with mono pitch roof, partly attached to NE side of return. To the NW side of the return the roof of the main house extends lower than eaves level, over the space enclosed between the side of the return and outbuilding and the boundary with the neighbouring property, to form a small extension with one chimney to rear. The return and the rear of the main house have windows and doors of various sizes, some of whose openings have been enlarged, however, many of the windows have been constructed to resemble sash and case and all have Georgian style panes. There are French doors at the rear of the single storey section.

Rear and return finished in rough cast render, with smooth cement render surrounds to openings and plinth to return.

Historical information

A building is shown on this site on the OS map of 1834, which probably corresponds with the one we see today. The small single storey section used to be a blacksmith’s forge.

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

Plain two storey terrace house of possible pre 1834 construction with a single storey section which used to be a forge.