4 Bridge Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively large two storey house set at the W end of the terrace on the N side of Bridge Street, much renovated recently.

Front (S) façade has a PVC door to the left with plain render surround with keystone (this surround was altered recently). To the left of this are two windows with similar surrounds and two pane, top hung, timber frames (all windows have modern frames- PVC to rear). To the first floor are three, largely evenly spaced, windows as the ground floor but resting on a cill course.

The W gable is blank except for a tiny attic window near the verge. The left hand edge of the ground floor of this gable is chamfered (to allow vehicles to pass).

To the rear there is a large full height hipped roof return which appears to have been greatly extended in recent times. The return projects to its S end (the original return) and the N face of this end has a PVC door to the ground floor along with a window, with a single window to the first floor. The W face of this end of the return is blank. The W face of the extended portion of the return has three windows to the ground floor and three to the first floor- of varying size and shape. This portion of the return links to a large (and modern looking) two storey outbuilding, now used as a small engineering works. The E facde of the whole of the return is blank.

The exposed section to the rear façade of the main house (to the W of the return) has a PVC door to the ground floor and a window to the first floor. This façade and the return are finished in lined render and painted render. The E façade of the return is finished in unpainted cement render.

The entire roof is covered in asbestos-free slates and red clay ridge tiles. The main gabled roof has at least one Velux window to the rear and two to the front. Two small rendered chimney stacks to main roof. PVC rw goods.

Vehicle entrance to W with modern metal gates.

Historical information

This site is shown occupied on the 1722 map of Comber and all other available maps onwards. The 1834 valuation returns record a house on this site whose dimensions appear to match those of the present dwelling (excluding the return), so it is possible that this building is of pre 1834 origin, however, the presence of a late Victorian/Edwardian staircase suggests that the interior may have been altered c.1890-1900.

The current owner (whose family acquired the property c.1961) was once told that the house once served as a manse, however, if this was so, it must have been prior to the 1860s, as all the local Presbyterian churches had manses elsewhere after this date. It is perhaps more likely that the house may have served as the residence of the minister of the Methodist church- which was itself sited in Bridge Street.

Until recently the front façade had a single large picture window (of c.1970) to the left on the ground floor, but this has been replaced by two smaller windows, a change which probably reflects the original arrangement of the front façade. The door surround to the front (which appears to have been originally stone) was removed recently.

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

Relatively large two storey terrace house of possible pre 1834 origin, much renovated in recent times, with original stone door surround removed and PVC window frames installed throughout. To the rear there is a large two storey return.