31-33 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Pair of two storey terrace houses of probable pre 1834 origin, now greatly altered. The properties are situated on the NW side of High Street, to the W of Comber town centre.

No.31 is to the NE. Its front (SE) façade has a PVC door to the left on the ground floor, with an enlarged window opening to the right with PVC frame (almost all windows have similar frames). To the first floor is a single enlarged opening.

To the rear there is PVC door to the right on the first floor, with a window to the left of this. To the centre at first floor level is a similar window with a very small four pane window to the right of this. The front façade is finished in a Tyrolean-like render, the rear façade has a scratch coat. The gabled roof is covered in natural slates with a brick chimney stack to NE. Cast iron and PVC rw goods.

No.35 has a modern panelled and glazed door to the right on the ground floor with painted stone surround with cornice. To the immediate left of this is an enlarged window with PVC frame. To the left of this is a carriage arch with flat head and curved corners. The arch has timber sheeted double doors. To the first floor are two enlarged windows with PVC frames.

To the right of the carriage arch at the rear the façade is completely covered by a large (and recent), full height gabled return with modern windows to the NW face and a modern door to the SW. Above the carriage arch is a squat window with modern frame (close to the eaves).

The entire façade is covered in a Tyrolean-like render and painted. The roof is covered in asbestos-free ‘slates’ with a single (modern) brick chimney stack. Cast iron and PVC rw goods.

Historical information

This site is shown occupied on the 1722 map and all other available maps thereafter. The 1834 valuation states that this end of High Street (then named ‘Cow Lane but somewhat erroneously named ‘Mill Street’ on the 1834 OS map) possessed ‘23 houses exempt’ (i.e. under rateable value). It is likely that the two properties described above belonged to this group of 23 and probably date from the late 18th or very early 19th century.

The front windows to both properties were enlarged in the early 1970s.

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.67 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 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

Pair of small, two storey, terrace houses of probable pre 1834 construction. Originally vernacular in appearance with fieldstone rubble walls, both properties are now greatly altered with windows enlarged, modern doors and window frames installed, and the façade completely rendered. No.33 has a large modern rear return.