51-55 Bridge Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Terrace of three, two storey gabled shops at the E end of the S side of Bridge Street

The front (N) façade of No.55 (to the E end of the terrace), has a modern full width shop front with a large, irregularly shaped, internally illuminated PVC sign over. To first floor are two almost square windows with fixed, single pane wooden frames.

No.53 has a similar modern shop front with a rectangular externally illuminated sign board over. To first floor are two sliding sash and case windows without astrigals. To the right of the shop front is a timber door with vertical sheeting. This leads to a communal passageway which gives ‘bin’ access to the rear of the three shops. Above the door is a similar ‘loft’ door.

No.51 has a steel roller shutter door which when down completely conceals a modern shop front. To first floor are two windows with modern frames made to simulate sash with Georgian panes. Internally illuminated PVC signage

The E gable is blank but has the continuation of the sign board extending half way across.

To the rear of No.55 is a long, flat roofed return to which links to a gabled single storey outhouse built (mainly) in Scrabo stone with brick dressings. The first floor of the main building has one window to the right has a single pane and is barred.

No53 has a single storey flat roofed extension. To the W face is one modern window. To the first floor is a sash window which has Georgian panes.

The rear of No. 51 has a two storey flat roofed extension with a modern window to the first floor. To the right of the extension is a blocked window opening. To the rear of the two storey section is a long single storey section. The single storey section has two door openings with a corrugated Perspex bracketed canopy to the E.

The roof of the whole block is finished in Bangor Blue slate and each property has a rendered chimney stack mainly without pots to the E side. Mixture of cast iron and PVC rw goods.

Historical information

Though this end of Bridge Street is shown vacant on the 1722 map of Comber, it is shown occupied on all other available maps after this. It is likely that this end of the terrace may date from the later 18th or early 19th century and is probably that shown on the 1834 OS map and noted as the homes of a Jonathan Dixon, Patrick Tolan and John Hamilton in the valuation returns of the same year.

When first surveyed in December 1975 Nos.51 and 53 were still houses, with No.55 a taxi office (though its front façade had not been altered). No.57, at the end of the terrace, appears to have been derelict in 1975 and was demolished some time afterwards.

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

Much altered two storey terrace grouping of pre 1834 origin, with three properties built as houses but converted to shops in the 1970s and 80s.