61-63 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey gabled block at the E end of High Street, most of which has now been demolished. Only a small section (No.61) remains, and this is now a clothes shop. The front (N) facade of this section has a modern shop front to the ground floor with a large timber sign board (with modern lettering) above. To the first floor is a sash window with a modern PVC pram roof-like canopy above and modern false timber shuttering. This facade is covered in lined render with chamfered quoins (to the right edge).

The rear is dominated by a large gabled return which appears to have modern openings (it is only possible to observe the rear of this shop from a distance as there is no access to the rear from the building itself).

The roof is gabled and covered in Bangor blue slates. Single rendered chimney stack. Cast iron skylight to rear. Metal rw goods.

No.63 (which was a much larger property) has been demolished and the site is now taken up with a modern looking two storey gabled shop (‘Shop Electric’). Previously this site was taken up with a two storey gabled pub with Georgian paned sash windows, a carriage arch and a small inscribed panel to the front which read ‘1619 HM IH’ with a fleur de lis symbol.

Historical information

The initials inscribed plaque which was attached to the building which stood on the site of the present No.63 referred to Hugh Montgomery and his wife Jean Herriot (the so called ‘long I’ used in place of the letter J). Montgomery was a kinsman of the more famous Hugh Montgomery, the lord of the Ards who began to develop the old medieval settlement of Newtown in the early 17th century. The former house was constructed in what was (at that stage) becoming the new central focus of the town (away from the area of the old priory to the SE). It is shown on the on Colvill’s map of 1720 and the OS maps of the 19th century. The site of No.61 is also occupied on all of these maps, however, the present building may not necessarily be as old as it former neighbour was. By the early 20th century (at least) No.61 had become a drapers and milliner’s shop (owned by a Mr. Kelly in c.1910) whilst No.63 became a pub. The latter was demolished in c.1977 and a modern electrical store built on the site, whilst the latter remains a shop.
In 1977 when workmen were clearing the site of No.63 in preparation for the building of the Electricity showroom, they unearthed a hoard of coins dating from 1370-71. Medieval pottery fragements were near this site also.

References- Primary sources
1 Rev. George Hill ed. 'The Montgomery Manuscripts' (Belfast 1869).
2 ‘The town and tenements of Newtown in the County of Down...1720’ reprinted in Trevor McCavery 'Newtown: a history of Newtownards' (Dundonald 1994) p.79. Though the author of this book gives no reference as to this map, the original undoubtedly belongs to the Colville estate maps contained within to the Londonderry Papers [PRONI D.654/M1A].
3 PRONI D.654 Londonderry Papers.
4 PRONI OS Maps 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 6.
5 PRONI VAL 1B/34 1st valuation Newtownards parish, Newtownards, c.1836 (see also associated town plan).
6 PRONI OS Maps 1st rev. 1858-60, Co. Down 6.
7 Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB 1991), pp.105-106.
8 PRONI 2nd (‘Griffith’s’) valuation, Newtownards parish, Newtownards 1863. [The town plan to accompany the 2nd valuation does not appear to be held at PRONI thus making it difficult to match the information contained within the written record with actual buildings.]

Secondary sources
1 Trevor McCavery 'Newtown: a history of Newtownards' (Dundonald 1994), pp.40-56.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two storey gabled block at the east end of High Street, much of which has been demolished relatively recently. The demolished section which was latterly a pub was in origin a house built in 1619. It appears to have been pulled down c.1980 and a modern shop has been built on its site. No.61 is still standing and is now (2018) a clothes shop. It is likely, but not certain, that it is also of 17th century construction. This block does not meet the test for listing. The right hand portion, no. 61, remains of local interest.