Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB24/15/090

Address :
1-5 Railway Street, Comber, Co. Down, BT23 5HG

Townland:
Comber

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Survey 2:
Record Only

Date of Listing:

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Public House

Former Use
Public House

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
148/10

IG Ref:
J4530 6933

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Owner Category

Commercial Private

Exterior Description And Setting

Large two storey (with attic) corner block of c.1875-80 containing a pub and a house, set at the N end of the terrace on the W side of Railway Street. Nos.1-3 contain the public house which is set on the very corner of the terrace. The main entrance is itself set within the chamfered NE corner of the building and consists of a recent looking panelled and glazed door with sidelights and fanlight. A roller shutter is built in above the door. The door screen is encased with plain pilaster jambs with a lintel ‘sign board’, entablature and dentilled cornice, all topped with a stylised pediment. Directly above this doorway is a painted panel with the name of the pub (‘Brownlow Arms’) and a picture of the greyhound ‘Master McGrath’. The panel has a heeled surround with keystone (as do all the upper floor windows). The ground floor of the E façade of the block has a window to the far left with surround as above, modern frame and wrought iron cheval de fris. To the right of this window is a doorway (to No.5- the house) with modern glazed door and plain fanlight all encased with plain pilasters and curved brackets supported a flat ‘hood’. To the right of this is another window and a doorway (both belonging to No.3- now part of the pub) the same as before only the window has a sash frame with margin panes and the doorway has a panelled door and three pane fanlight. To the right of the doorway is a larger square-ish fixed light pub window with panelled pilasters, moulded cill and (above) an entablature with dentilled cornice. The window frame is topped with a decoratively pierced ‘inner’ frieze and the window pane was frosted glazing. Modern metal railing attached to wall under window. The N façade of the block has a pub window to the left and another window (as left on E façade) to the right with a fixed light frame. To the first floor of the E façade are five windows on a cill course, all was ground floor left but with modern frames to the first two (at the left and belong to the house) and sash frames with margins to the rest (No.3’s). There are two similar windows to the first floor on the N façade. Small corbels below cill to each first floor window. Corbelled eaves course and chamfered quoins to N and E facades. Both facades are finished in lined render and painted. The rear façade has been greatly altered in recent times. At the rear of No.5 (the house) there is a large modern two storey, flat-roofed extension. Above this (on the main façade) are three small windows set at different levels. Only the central window (which is set at stairwell level near the eaves) appears original (and has a sash frame). The façade is finished in lined render and painted. The rear of the pub (S façade) is largely covered by another large modern flat-roofed extension, built of c.1970s grey/brown brick. The W façade is lined rendered with a doorway to the ground floor and two modern looking upper level windows. The gabled roof of the entire block is covered in Bangor blue slates with four yellow brick chimney stacks. To the E side of the roof there are two small gabled dormers, all glazed and with decorative barges and finial. There used to be two further similar dormers (one to the NE corner and another to the N), but these have been removed and replaced with Velux windows. There are two small cast iron skylights to the rear of No.5. Mixture of cast iron and PVC rw goods.

Architects

Not Known

Historical Information

As its name suggests, Railway Street was laid out in the wake of the arrival of the BCDR line in 1850. By 1858 the northern half of the street had appeared as far as where the present No.45 now stands, but no building along it had occurred. Judging by the style of the present terraces, most (if not all) of the construction work took place after 1870 and, with the exception of the semi-detached Andrew’s mill supervisors dwellings at the south end, was complete by 1901. This block is no exception and probably dates from c.1875-80. The present owner’s family bought the property c.1946 and prior to this it appears to have belonged to a Mr. Patton. Either this Mr. Patton or a relation was a friend of the Brownlow family (formerly of Lurgan now of Ballywhite House, Portaferry), in whose honour the pub was named and whose champion greyhound, ‘Master McGrath’ is still pictured above the entrance. No.3 was undoubtedly once the residence of the pub owner, but has now become part of the pub itself. References- Primary sources 1 PRONI OS/1/3/10 OS map 1st rev. 1858, Down 10. 2 PRONI OS/6/3/10/3 OS map 2nd ed. 1901, Down 10.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

Not listed

Historic Interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two storey public house and dwelling of c.1875-80, set on the corner of a terrace. The pub itself now incorporates what much of what was once the publican’s residence. To the rear there are large modern extensions.

General Comments

Date of Survey

30 April 1999