Site of 51-63 High Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Site (on the NW side of High Street, to the W of Comber town centre) of a terrace of seven houses of probable pre 1834 origin, demolished [?]c.1980s.

The houses were described in the first survey of December 1975 as ‘Two storey houses under three roof sections. Roof slated, gable ends and gables right hand Nos.55 and 61. Chimneys rendered and brick. [Front] wall rough cast, painted cream, margin quoins, plain base.

Nos.63 and 61- three first floor and two ground floor drop hung windows, horizontal astragals (first floor No.61 no astragals). Central doorways, smooth stone surround (but No.63 has moulding over lintel) framing plain fanlight and flush panel door. Windows have shouldered margin surround.

Nos.59, 57 and 55 have three first floor drop hung windows- horizontal astragals. Ground floor has door-window-door-two windows-door. First and third windows as above, but second window has Georgian panes Doorways have flush panel doors, framed with plain stone surround.

Nos.53 and 51 have two recent first floor two light steel casement windows with ‘Georgian’ panes and one first floor drop hung window with horizontal astragals. Ground floor has drop hung window with horizontal astragals [then] doorway with plain stone surround and moulding above lintel, framing flush door, [then] [another] door with plain stone surround, framing glazed and panelled door. [To the right of this] drop hung window with horizontal astragals. All windows have shouldered margin surround. Condition fair. Frontage about 90ft’.

All the properties in this terrace were demolished [?]c.1980s and a new terrace built (roughly) in its place.

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 terrace described above belonged to this group of 23 and probably dates from the late 18th or very early 19th century.

The terrace was demolished some time after 1975.

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

Site of former two storey terrace of seven houses, all of probable pre 1834 origin, demolished some time after 1975.