52-82 Brownlow Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Long two storey terrace of c.1910 consisting of 16 houses set on the E side of Brownlow Street (itself to the W of Comber town centre). This group, and the matching terrace on the on the W side of street were built as houses for workers at the near by Andrews’ flax spinning mill. The terrace is set on a slight slope rising N to S.

The front (W) façade of each house consists of a doorway to the right on the first floor with plain pilasters with decorative capitals and a moulded semicircular archivolt with keystone. Many houses still have their original panelled doors but a few have more modern partly glazed examples. Each has a semicircular fanlight.

To the left of the doorway on each house is single storey, flat roofed projecting bay. The bays alternate between the houses with every second property having a square bay with two segmental arched window openings to the front and one (slightly narrower) to each side. Every other house has a canted bay with similar windows to each side. Both types of bay have a cill course and both have a cornice with parapet above.

To the first floor are two windows as the bays, grouped closely together. The window frames were all originally sash with six panes over one in typically Edwardian fashion, but many of the windows are now modern top opener PVC or timber examples. The front façade of each is finished in lined render and painted. Eaves course. Base to bays.

The rear facades are generally in plain cement render with some painted. Most houses have two windows to the first floor, though some still have one (which was probably the original arrangement before many rear upstairs rooms were partitioned and a bathroom created). To the ground floor there is a doorway with either one or two windows. The houses with two windows have the doorway to the centre. The windows throughout are a mixture of original sash and modern. Most of the doors are now modern glazed examples. Enclosed yards at rear. Some houses have single storey bathroom extensions to rear.

The N and S gables of the terrace are both blank. The gabled roofs of all the houses have natural slate and a single rendered chimney stack. The RW goods throughout the whole terrace are still mainly original cast iron, with some elements of PVC, especially to the rear.

Historical information

This terrace (and that on the opposite side of the street) was built by John Andrews & Co. for workers at their near by flax spinning mill.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Long two storey terrace of 16 houses built in c.1910 for workers at the near by Andrews’ flax spinning mill. Many of the properties now have modern window frames and doors, but the front façade of the whole terrace is still largely intact.