41 Main Street, Kircubbin, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT22 2SR

A two-storey terrace block of possible late 18th century origin, forming part of a varied terrace containing shops and dwellings set within the northern half of Main Street in the village of Kircubbin. Large sections have been much altered in fairly recent times, with No. 41 in particular having had its window and door openings greatly enlarged and being thoroughly modern throughout.

No. 41 presents a modern appearance with a recessed glazed door and shop window to the right and a very large shop window with centre mullion to the left. Above Nos. 39-41 are three evenly spaced sliding sash and case windows with horizontal and vertical astragals. Between the first and second windows is a large PVC internally illuminated sign, with a similar but smaller projecting sign to the right of the second window. The south-west gable of No. 41 is blank but has a timber gate attached. The front facade of Nos. 39-41 is finished in lined render, with plain render to the rear. The rear of Nos. 39-41 contains a mixture of sliding sash and case and PVC windows, with a small lean-to extension to the rear of No. 39. No. 41 has a Bangor blue slated pitched roof with a concrete block chimney stack and cast iron rainwater goods.

A terrace is shown on this site on the Ordnance Survey map of 1834. The owner of Nos. 35-37 has deeds dating back to 1784, though it is suspected that this section of the terrace, with its large upper floor windows, may have had its facade altered or roof raised perhaps circa 1840-50. Both properties belonged to William Herron, a member of the locally important Herron family, in the middle decades of the 19th century, and have been in possession of the Maxwell family since 1899. Photographs dating from circa 1910 show the shop and house much the same as today, though they also reveal that No. 33 had what appears to be a small shop or office front where two windows to the left of the entrance are now, and had two additional chimney stacks since removed. This building once served as the local Royal Irish Constabulary station, though local tradition claims that No. 65 Main Street also fulfilled the same purpose. No. 41 was formerly a house but later became a hardware shop before becoming a chip shop, its facade having been greatly altered as a consequence.