Manse

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Asymmetric, one and a half storey manse house of 1861 in Scrabo sandstone with half dormers, canted bays and glazed timber porch. The building is set to the W of Comber 2nd Presbyterian Church and church hall, both of which are situated to the W of Killinchy Road.

The front (W) façade has a central timber glazed and gabled porch (which may not be original) with decorative timber finial has panelled double front doors. The inner door to the house has a finely dressed and chamfered stone surround enclosing a half glazed panelled door with plain fanlight. To the left of the door is a mullioned paired window with sash windows with horizontal astragals. A wide dressed red sandstone lintel spans both windows. Directly above the window is a pointed (gothic) relieving arch.

Directly above the porch is a gabled half dormer with a sash like PVC window with margin astragals. To the right of the door is a projecting gabled bay with a canted bay window with hipped slate roof. Windows to the bay are in PVC with horizontal astragals. Above the bay window is a wider than before window opening with similar PVC window frame. To the far right is the half gable of the lean-to garage with an steel, panelled, up and over type garage door.

To the left side of the S façade is the long wall of the lean-to garage which has a timber sheeted pass door to the right. To the far right is a flat roofed kitchen extension which is separated from the garage roof by a tall parapet wall. The kitchen has a wide modern multi-pane PVC window. The flat roof has a slightly overhanging timber fascia. The garage and kitchen walls are rendered. The ground floor of the original S wall is mainly obscured by these two extensions. To the far right of the original wall there is a change in the coursing of the Scrabo stone which suggests that the lean-to extension to the E façade was added (or perhaps extended) at a later time. To the right side of the original first floor wall is a ‘lean-to roofed’ half dormer and to the right of which is a further PVC window.

Much of the rear E façade is obscured by yard walls. Access was not given to this area. Views of the upper area show that there are two returns, that to the left side having a lean-to roof and that to the right being gabled. The lean-to roof has two small windows to first floor. The gabled return has a projecting central chimney breast with a first floor window to the first floor right side.

The original N façade is gabled. To the left a change in the stone coursing shows that the N side is probably a later addition. To the ground floor right is a canted bay as before. To the left of this are two windows, with openings and frames as before. That to the left has a segmental relieving arch. To the first floor are two left of centre windows with openings and frames as before but broader.

The roofs are gabled and finished in Bangor Blue slate. The gabled sections have overhangs and expose the purlin ends while the other eaves expose the rafter ends. External walls rise off a low splayed base. The main chimney stack is constructed in matching stone and has a base and projecting cornice and four matching pots. The chimney stack to the gabled return had base and cornice as before but is finished in cement render.

Historical information

This house was built in 1861, to serve as the manse for Comber 2nd Presbyterian Church (just to the north). Its building costs were funded largely by session member John Smyth of New Comber House. The building has been extended at the rear at some point [?c.1900] and a modern extension and garage have added to the south side in more recent times

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/2/3/10 OS map, 2nd ed. 1901, Down 10.

Secondary sources
1 Norman Nevin ‘The Story of Comber’ (c.1980) [typescript in Comber library].

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Asymmetric, one and a half storey manse house of 1861 in Scrabo sandstone with half dormers, canted bays and glazed timber porch. The building appears to have been sympathetically extended at the rear at some point [?c.1900], and a modern, unsuitable, extension and garage have added to the south side in more recent times