8 Bridge Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Fairly substantial two storey terrace house, of probable pre 1834 origin, set on the N side of Bridge Street.

The front (S) façade is almost symmetrical. Roughly to the centre of the ground floor is a panelled door with fanlight with curved tracery. The doorway is encased with plain pilasters, entablature and cornice. To the left of this are two sash windows with horizontal glazing bars (two over two). To the right are two similar windows and to the first floor are five more, all as before only smaller. The façade is rendered and painted, with a narrow pilaster to each edge and a chamfered base.

The rear façade could only be seen from a distance. It is in greywacke rubble, apart from the top two to three feet or so which is largely in sandstone [?suggesting the roof was raised slightly at some point]. Little could be seen of the ground floor apart from a window with modern frame to the left. To the first floor are two windows with similar frames, with another similar window between these at a lower landing level. There is a smaller upper landing window, with modern fixed light frame, near the eaves.

The gabled roof is covered in asbestos free slates with two small Velux windows to the rear. Rendered chimney stack to W. Cast iron and PVC rw goods.

Historical information

This site is shown occupied on the on the 1722 map of Comber and all those available thereafter. The dimensions of the present house match those given in the valuation returns of 1834, which suggests they are probably one and the same building. The valuers graded the property ‘B+’, that is a reasonably old structure (perhaps 18th century), but one which was in very good condition and possibly even recently renovated. This could be a reference (among other things) to the fact that this dwelling had had its roof raised- perhaps (judging from the use of Scrabo sandstone) just prior to 1834.

At the time of the first valuation the house was in possession of a Widow McConnell and was also home to two tenants, James McKeige and William Moffit. The current owner (whose family have lived here since the early 1900s) stated that the building belonged to the parish church at one stage.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.654/M1B/2 Londonderry Papers- ‘Survey of the town, tenements and parks of Comber…1722’.
2 PRONI D.654/M54/3, 11, 27, 33, 37 Londonderry Papers- Maps of Bridge Street 1793-1833.
3 PRONI VAL 1B/316A p.62 1st valuation, Comber, 1834.
4 PRONI OS/1/3/10 OS map, 1st ed. 1834, Down 10.
5 PRONI OS/6/3/10/3 OS map, 1st rev. 1858, Down 10.
6 PRONI 2nd valuation, Comber, 1861. [In print in PRONI search room and in the Linen Hall Library- the town plan to accompany this valuation is missing.]
7 PRONI OS/2/3/10 OS map, 2nd ed. 1901, Down 10.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Substantial two storey terrace house of pre 1834 origin. The addition of modern window frames to the rear and asbestos-free ‘slates’ to the roof mar this building.