23-25 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey terrace block of c.1800-20 with recently enlarged carriage arch, now used as a shop and funeral directors.

Front NE facade has a left of centre doorway with ‘Ards’ type door surround with semicircular arched head and Gibbsian style blocks to pilasters. This doorway now contains a panelled door with semicircular fanlight with modern etched corporate signage. To the immediate left of this door is another doorway with simple, narrow, rendered surround and modern glazed door. This entrance is not original. To the left of this is a large window with tripartite sliding sash frame with Georgian panes and plain rendered narrow surround. Timber signboard above window.

To the immediate right of the ‘Ards’ doorway is a larger carriage entrance with elliptical arch head and blocked pilasters (as door) and block-like voussoirs. Until recently this carriage entrance was much narrower but was broadened (and shifted) with a pedestrian entrance (to the right) obliterated in the process. To the far right is a large window as before, but with internal illuminated PVC projecting sign above.

To the first floor are four evenly spaced windows same as ground floor. All the front facade windows appear to have been recently restored. The front facade is finished in rough cast and unpainted. Plain quoins.

The rear facade has been much altered. At each end of the facade is a large modern extension with modern windows, with a smaller boiler house extension in the centre. The main facade itself sports window openings of various shapes (some of which have undoubtedly been enlarged), with modern frames. The rear facade is finished in rough cast also.

The roof is gabled and covered in Bangor blue slates. Four large Velux windows to front. Three large rendered chimney stacks. Mixture of cast iron and PVC rw goods.

Though the front facade of this building has maintained its Georgian character it has been significantly altered. The interior has been altered also and modern extensions and modern windows have been added to the rear.

Historical information

This site is shown occupied on Daniel De la Cherois’s c.1780 map of Donaghadee. This block, however, probably dates from c.1800 and originally consisted of two houses. The valuation records of c.1836 tell us that to the NW (No.23) was then in the possession of a Mr. Curtis and had a rateable value of £9-2-0, whilst the other had a rateable value of £7 and was in possession of an Alexander Mc [?Turley].

The block was originally symmetrical with a central carriage arch, however, this symmetry was upset in fairly recent times (c.late 1980s) when the arch was enlarged with one of the house doorways obliterated in the process. A new shop doorway was also inserted (to the left hand side).

References- Primary sources

1. ‘A map of the town of Donaghadee...’ [c.1771-90]. [This map was prepared for Daniel De la Cherois, who inherited much of the town and its hinterland in 1771. As Daniel died in 1790, the map can thus be dated to some time between 1771-90. At some point someone has written on the map ‘about 1780’, a date which may be accurate.]
2. PRONI VAL 1B/32 p.3 1st valuation, Donaghadee parish, Donaghadee., c.1836. [See also accompanying town plan.]
3. PRONI OS Maps 1st rev. 1858-60, Co. Down 3.
4. PRONI 2nd (‘Griffith’s’) valuation Donaghadee parish, Donaghadee, 1863. [The town plan for the 2nd valuation is not available at PRONI and therefore it is difficult to match the properties listed in the valuation with actual buildings.]

Secondary sources

1. Archaeological survey of Co. Down (HMSO 1966), p.397.
2. Hugh Dixon et al Historic buildings, groups of buildings, buildings of architectural importance in Donaghadee and Portpatrick (UAHS 1977), p.15.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H+. Alterations enhancing the building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Although much altered this two storey terrace block of c.1800-20, retains much of its architectural character to High Street.