Millisle coastguard station houses

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

The former Millisle coastguard station compromises of a terraced block of five mainly rubble built two storey dwellings of (perhaps) c.1870s. It is set near the rocky shore on the E of the Ballywalter Road, c.2 miles S of Millisle. The block is basically rectangular in plan with a projecting square tower at the SE corner and a smaller projection at the opposite end.

The main block has a hipped Bangor blue slated roof with (mainly) rendered chimney stacks. There are sandstone dressings to the original openings as well as sandstone quoins, but most of the building has now been painted apart from the square tower and SE facade. All houses have extremely large modern extensions to the rear and the whole block now has something of an untidy appearance.

No.1 This house is at the NW end of the block. The doorway is to the SW front facade of a two storey projection, however it is now surrounded by a modern hipped roof porch (with PVC windows) which stands in the intersection of the projection and the exposed NW facade of the main block. The NW facade of the projection has a small slit window to the right on the ground floor with flat pointed arch head, and a brick built ‘oriel’ structure, with window opening with PVC frame, to the first floor. The whole of this projection has been recently greatly (and unsympathetically) extended at the rear and it is now twice its original size. The front (SW) facade of No.1 (i.e. to the front of the main block) has a central two storey gabled bay containing a flat pointed arch window, with PVC frame and louvered shutters, to both the ground and first floors.

No.2 The front facade of this house has a PVC door and fanlight to the right, with a window to the left on the ground and first floor, similar to No.1 but without shutters. The rear of No.2 is completely taken up with a very large two storey flat roofed extension.

No.3 This house has a similar front facade to No.2’s only handed and with a timber panel door. The rear is completely taken up with a very large, modern, flat roofed extension.

No.4 has a similar front facade to No.2, but with a modern timber and glazed door and modern timber windows. To the rear is a recent single storey flat roofed extension. There is a modern timber window to the ground and first floor of the rear of the main house.

No.5 is at the SE end of the terrace. Its front facade is similar to No.3, but with a modern timber and glazed door and (possibly original) sash frames to windows. The surround to the entrance door has been rendered. Attached to the far right of the SE facade is two storey (but taller than main block) rubble built tower with a shallow pyramidal Bangor blue slated roof with brick chimney stack. To the first floor of the SW, SE and NE faces of the tower there is a brick built ‘oriel’ structure on sandstone corbels (like that to No.1) with segmental arch headed window opening with sash frame.. To the first floor of the NW face is a flat arch window opening with sandstone dressings and sash frame. To the ground floor of the SW face of the tower is a tiny sandstone dressed slit window. To the ground floor of the SE face is a modern large-ish hipped roof conservatory/porch, with a sash window with sandstone dressings to the ground floor of the NE face. The rear of the main section of No.5 has a sash window to each floor with a modern lean to like single storey extension to the right on the ground floor.

This entire block has been greatly extended in recent times, modern porches have also been added to two houses and there are modern window frames and doors throughout.

Former boat house to SE, now converted to dwelling.

Historical information

This building appears to have been built some time after 1860, perhaps in the 1870s, though there has been a coastguard station on this site since at least 1833.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Edition 1833/4, Down 7.
2 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps, 1st Revision 1858-60, Down 7.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two storey block containing five former coastguard station houses built possibly c.1860s-70s. The block is relatively simple in appearance but has a square tower to the SE corner. All the dwellings now have unsympathetic modern extensions.