Northern Bank

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Much modernised two storey, hipped roof, bank, formerly a house of probable pre 1834 origin. The building is set on the W side of the N end of Killichy Street, close to the SW corner of The Square.

The long (E) front façade has an elliptical arched doorway to the far right. This has a timber door and a red (Dumfriesshire) sandstone surround with label moulding, in/out dressings and chamfered reveal. This doorway was repositioned fairly recently, it used to be further to the left. To the left of the doorway there is a large modern bank window with PVC corporate signage above. To the left of this are three tall (door-like) modern windows and then (at far left) an ATM with projecting PVC sign above. To the first floor are seven evenly spaced windows with modern frames.

To the shorter S façade there is a recesed doorway (with modern door) to the left on the ground floor with two square modern windows to the right of this. To the first floor are three similar windows. To the left the façade merges with the S face of a (mainly) single storey rear extension. This face has a recessed doorway with roller shutter over.

The N façade has a large modern bank window (as front) to the ground floor. Above this are two windows with modern frames. To the right the façade merges with a house (No.13 The Square).

To the ground floor at the rear is the extension (see above) this is blank to the W side as it backs into a boundary wall. The extension has a small two storey section which appears to have a window to its short N face. The rear façade of the main building has a doorway to the first floor with [?metal] sheeted door (this leads on to the roof of the extension). To the right of the doorway are two windows as main S façade.

The entire façade is finished in plain painted render. The roof is hipped and covered in natural slate. The chimney stacks have all been removed. PVC rw goods.

Historical information

There appear to be buildings shown on this site on the 1722 map of Comber, but given the slightly crude nature of this map it is difficult to be certain of this. The site was clearly occupied in 1834, when the first edition OS map of the town was produced. From the dimensions and description given valuation records of the same year we know that the building of this period, which belonged to a John Barry, is probably that we see today, with the ‘inn’ section proper to the north and centre and ‘offices’ (i.e, rooms other than living quarters) to the south end. This building (which, incidentally, the valuers regarded as reasonably old at this date), is undoubtedly the inn belonging to Mr. J. Barry mentioned in the 1837 OS Memoirs. This inn also served as the monthly venue for the local manor court, with the attorney, Mr. Alexander Montgomery, living in the house to the immediate west (now No.13 The Square).

By 1861 the building was in possession of a Joseph Shean, who, from 1870 at least ran the local post office from the premises. The history of the building after this is unclear, but by the 1960s (at least) it had been acquired by the Northern bank to serve as their local branch. Since then the bank has carried out period modifications to the building, including the repositioning of the sandstone dressed entrance.

The family of the above mentioned Mr. Barry, may have been responsible for much of the development of what is now known as Killinchy Street, for the thoroughfare is actually called ‘Barry Street’ on the OS map of 1834.

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/M54/1 Londonderry Papers- ‘A rough plan of the undermentioned tenements in the town of Comber, April 1786’ by David Geddas. [Pictorial lease map of the north side of The Square.]
3 PRONI D.654/M1B/18 Londonderry Papers- ‘A survey of the tenements out of lease in the town of Comber survey’d A.D. 1801’ by David Geddas
4 Linen Hall Library ‘Pigot & Co.’s Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory’ (Manchester 1824).
5 PRONI VAL 1B/316A p.59 1st valuation, Comber, 1834.
6 PRONI OS/1/3/10 OS map, 1st ed. 1834, Down 10.
7 ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol.7: Parishes of County Down II’, ed. Angelique Day and Patrick McWilliams (QUB1991), p.32.
8 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.442.
9 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.505.
10 PRONI OS/6/3/10/3 OS map, 1st rev. 1858, Down 10.
11 PRONI 2nd valuation, Comber, 1861. [In print in PRONI search room and in the Linen Hall Library.]
12 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870).
13 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.303-305.
14 MBR Photographs of The Square, Comber, c.1900-1950. [These photographs appear to be mainly copies of those belonging to the Laurence Collection (with original negatives held at the NLI in Dublin)].
15 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

Long, two storey hipped roof building of probable pre 1834 origin, much altered in recent years due to conversion to a bank.