Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB24/15/036

Address :
Andrews Memorial Hall, 4 Ballgowan Road, Comber, Co. Down BT23 5PG

Townland:
Comber

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
04/03/1977 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
School

Former Use
Hall

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:
J4543 6888

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Owner Category

Education Board

Exterior Description And Setting

Large two storey gabled hall of 1914 by Young & McKenzie, generally gothic in style with but Scots Baronial and Tudor elements all mixed in typically Edwardian fashion. The building is light-coloured snecked rock-faced sandstone, with finished stone as dressings to many openings. It is prominently situated between the Ballygowan Road and Carasure Terrace, roughly a quarter mile from Comber town centre and is now used as part of the Andrews Memorial Primary School. The front gable faces N and is reminiscent of many Presbyterian Churches of the same era. The large main entrance is set within a central bay. This entrance is set within a Tudor arch in dressed sandstone with chamfered reveal. The double (sliding) door is timber sheeted with a varnished finish and above it (at the head of the Tudor arch) is a three pane fanlight with lattice paned glazing. The whole doorway is is set within a slight recess. The 'spandrel' area of the recess (i.e. the area above the doorway) is in lighter coloured [?Portland] stone and has angle and cherub figures carved in relief with 'Thomas Andrews Shipbuilder Memorial Hall' in raised lettering between. The whole doorway/'spandrel' recess is set with a a larger slightly raised bay. The outer edges of this bay are chamfered. These bay edges rise into 'half turrets'. At their base the the half turrets are set on dressed stone corbels. Above the corbels is a thin beaded course which runs along the bay width. Above this each turret has three tall slit windows with dressed stone surround. There is a small stylised shield motif above each window. Above the windows is a curved castellated moulded string course which stretches out from the turrets to the to the outer edges of the main gable facade. High above this the turrets each have a simple moulded course, then another castellated course (to the turrets only). Above this the turrets break beyond the roof line and culminate in coursed octagonal spires with tiny ball finials. At first floor level between the turrets there is a large window, set with a chamfered Tudor arch reveal, bowed and with slightly stylised 'Perpendicular' tracery. The window is broken into top and bottom sections by a thick frieze-like transom with carved decoration thereon. The two central mullions are raised and rise above the window and through the label moulding above the Tudor arch. The window has latticed panes set behind the plain glazing. Directly above this window is a carved roundel depicting an anchor and the date '1914'. The outer edges of the main gable facade (beyond the central bay) each have a window to the ground floor with four narrow lights dessed stone surround, mullions and with small arched recesses above each light. The lights have latticed panes. Below each window is a polished granite panel with inscription in metal letters thereon. High above each of these windows (at first floor level) are carved heraldic motifs in the same lighter stone as above the main entrance and the roundel. The gable is topped with a carved finial and roughly half way along the gable roof line (to each side) is a small 'shoulder'. The castellated string course mentioned above (which stretches from each of the turrets outwards), goes beyond the roof line of the gable into a castellation proper. To the E and W facades the castellations continue around the top of a full height tower-like bay (which hold the stairwells) with diagonal buttresses. To the ground floor of each bay there is a timber-sheeted doorway with dressed stone above with curved moulding. There are stone steps to the door. At first floor level (directly above the doorway) is a large window with a shallow pointed arch head and stone tracery. This window and the doorway are set within a shallow recess which follows the window head. This recess has in and out dressings. To the ground floor beyond the bays are a series of flat arch windows, six to each side with some narrower than the others. The windows have timber frames. At the far right on the W is a timber-sheeted door with square four pane fanlight above (with lattice glazing). Eaves course to E and W facades. Chamfered base. To the first floor of the E and W facades are a series of tall windows with shallow pointed arch heads, 4 to the E and 5 to the W, with timber tracery. There are a series of full height buttresses between the windows on both E and W .facades To the far left on the E facade there is a large full height, hipped roof, buttressed projection. To the N face of this projection there is a timber sheeted door (with large fanlight and steps to door) and a tall flat arch window with timber frames similar to those on ground floor main E and W facades. To the first floor of this face is a smaller window. To the E face is a small window to the ground floor and a taller one to the first floor, both similar to the windows on the N face. To the S face is a single window (much as before) set at an intermediate level. The S gable has four ground floor windows similar to those on the ground floor of the E and W facades. To the right on the first floor is a window much as first floor E and W facades only smaller. To the left of this is a panelled and glazed door with a large fanlight above, similar in style to the window on the right. There is a large fire escape stair to this gable. The roof is covered in natural slate with stone parapets. Small stone chimney stack to rear gable. Metal rw goods. Low rubble wall to front (with stone work as facade of hall) with wrought iron railings, two sets of decorative wrought iron gates with octagonal cast iron gate posts

Architects

Young & Mackenzie

Historical Information

This hall was built in 1914 as a memorial to Thomas Andrews junior, the son of Thomas Andrews of near by Ardara House. The younger Thomas was a talented engineer and the man who designed the Titanic. He died on the ship's ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912. The hall was designed by Young & McKenzie and built by Courtney Bros. The bulding served primarily as a community hall up until the early 1970s then was used by the military for a short period. It has been used as part of a school complex since the mid 1970s and is now in the ownership of the SEELB. The local community still have occasional use of the hall.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance V. Authorship W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

Large two storey Edwardian hall, generally gothic in style but with Scots baronial and Tudor elements. The building is constructed in snecked, rock faced sandstone with fine finished sandstone dressings. Now part of a school, it was built in 1914 as a memorial to the designer of the Titanic, Thomas Andrews, who had lived nearby in Ardara House.

General Comments

Date of Survey

22 April 1999