7 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Fairly large, two storey terrace house of perhaps c.1800-20 set near the NE end of the NW side of High Street.

To the right on the ground floor of the of the front (SE) façade is a panelled door with semicircular fanlight, all encased with fluted pilasters and archivolt with keystone. To the left of this are two windows now with PVC frames. To the left of these is a large elliptical carriage entrance with in/out dressings and timber sheeted double doors. To the first floor are four, unevenly spaced, windows as ground floor. The front façade is finished in painted lined render with a tall panelled pilaster to the right hand edge, but much of the façade is now obscured by thick ivy growth.

The exposed section of the NE gable (which faces into a neighbouring yard with outbuildings) is finished in lined render.

The rear is now dominated by a large part two, part single storey, modern flat roofed extension. To the right of the extension (to the rear façade of the main house) there is the rear of the carriage entrance (which is flat arched to this side as part of its ceiling level has been lowered). Directly above the arch is a window, largely as front, and to the left of this (above the extension and close to the eaves) is a squat modern window. The rear façade is finished in plain render and painted.

The gabled roof is covered in natural slate with three, fairly tall, rendered chimney stacks. Solar panels to front of roof. Cast iron and PVC rw goods.

W.W.II. brick-built air raid shelter in garden at rear.

Historical information

This site is shown occupied on the 1722 map and all other available maps thereafter. The 1834 valuation returns record a house (in the then hands of a William McRoberts), of the same dimensions as the original portion of the present dwelling and which also had a ‘gate’ with a room above (i.e. the carriage entrance etc.). Thus it is possible that this house is of pre 1834 origin; it may date from c.1800 but subsequent changes make this difficult to confirm.

By 1861 the property was in the hands of a Mary Jane McRoberts (undoubtedly a relative of the above William).

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/M54/2, 8, 9, 14 Londonderry Papers- Maps of Cow Lane 1793-1810. [High Street was known as Cow Lane in the 18th and early 19th centuries.]
3 PRONI VAL 1B/316A p.68 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 making identification of owners of most properties largely impossible.]
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

Fairly large and two storey terrace house of possible pre 1834 origin, with large carriage entrance. The property now has PVC window frames throughout and a large modern extension to the rear.